Widow’s Bay beats The Studio’s Emmy record with 14 wins, Matthew Rhys makes history: What is the Apple TV show about?

Created by Katie Dippold, the show has carved out a rather unusual space for itself by mixing small-town politics with dark humour and supernatural horror.

Apple TV+’s Widow’s Bay turned the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards into its biggest night yet. The genre-bending series took home 14 awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series, and in the process set a new record for the most Emmys won by a comedy in a single season. Created by Katie Dippold, the show has carved out a rather unusual space for itself by mixing small-town politics with dark humour and supernatural horror.

Matthew Rhys winner of the awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for "Widow's Bay" and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for "The Beast in Me" poses in the press room. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown / AFP) (AFP)

Widow’s Bay arrived at the September 2026 ceremony with 19 nominations, after winning eight awards at the Creative Arts Emmys. It continued that winning run during the main ceremony, taking all six awards it was nominated for and pushing its total to 14. The feat saw it overtake The Studio, which had previously held the record with 13 wins in one season.

A record-breaking night

Widow’s Bay dominated the major comedy categories at the Emmys, taking home Outstanding Comedy Series along with acting wins for its cast. Matthew Rhys won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for playing Mayor Tom Loftis, while Kate O’Flynn and Stephen Root were honoured in the supporting acting categories.

Deep Dive

What awards did Widow’s Bay win at the Emmy Awards?

How did Widow’s Bay achieve its record-breaking Emmy wins?

Why is Widow’s Bay considered a unique show?

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The series also picked up awards for both writing and direction. Creator Katie Dippold won Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, while Hiro Murai was named Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series. The Atlanta director also made Emmy history with the win, becoming the first Asian director to take the award in the category.

(Read HT review of Widow's Bay: Hilarious yet horrific in the same breath, Apple TV series is one of the year's best shows)

Matthew Rhys had a night of his own at the Emmys. After winning Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Widow’s Bay, he picked up another trophy for Netflix’s psychological thriller The Beast in Me, winning Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series. With the two wins, Matthew became the first actor to take home lead acting Emmys in two different categories on the same night.

What is Widow’s Bay about?

Created by Katie Dippold, who has worked across both comedy and horror, Widow’s Bay is an unusual mix of the two genres. The series, which is considered a sleeper hit as word of mouth spread across about how good the show was, is set in a remote New England island community where life takes a dark turn when the residents are forced to confront a centuries-old curse. One moment, the story is dealing with the everyday chaos of running a small town, and the next, the characters are facing something genuinely terrifying.

Matthew Rhys plays Tom Loftis, the town mayor, who is focused on turning the struggling island into a tourist destination. But keeping the town running, dealing with nervous residents and reassuring visitors becomes much harder when the island's dark history starts catching up with them. Kate O'Flynn stars as Patricia Moyer, an eccentric city worker and outsider who becomes increasingly involved in the fight against the supernatural threat hanging over the community.