2026 Emmys voters agree: Widow’s Bay is hauntingly good. The breakout Apple TV+ horror-comedy series won six awards including best comedy during Monday night’s ceremony, adding to the eight Emmys it won prior to the broadcast—for a total of 14 Emmys. Overall, the show received 19 nominations for its debut season, the third-most of any series this year. In some categories, such as editing and supporting actress in a comedy, Widow’s Bay garnered multiple nominations, competing against itself.
Just as surely as the island of Widow’s Bay is even better than Martha’s Vineyard (and don’t even think of comparing it to Bar Harbor), Widow’s Bay made Emmy history Monday evening. Hiro Murai, who took the honors for best directing of a comedy, is the first person of Asian heritage to ever win in that category, and Matthew Rhys, after winning both best actor in a comedy for Widow’s Bay and best actor in a limited series for The Beast in Me, is the first actor to win in two lead categories in the same year. He is also the first person ever to have won Emmys in the comedy, drama, and limited series categories as a lead.
“We’d like to thank the evil entity on the island that trusted us with its story,” said Widow’s Bay creator and showrunner Katie Dippold, who also picked up an Emmy for best comedy writing, while accepting the best-comedy-series award on behalf of the show, the final award of the evening.
“This was such a great collaboration of the best wonderful weirdos, these artists,” Dippold said in the speech.
Stephen Root won best supporting actor in a comedy series, and Kate O’Flynn, as the indelible Patricia, nabbed best supporting actress in a comedy. “This is for all the Patricias out there!” she said during her acceptance speech. Might a sunset cocktail event be a fitting celebration for the show’s huge night?
Widow’s Bay guest star Betty Gilpin earned her first career Emmy at the Creative Arts Emmys 2026 ceremony earlier this month. Charmingly, she delivered her acceptance speech in the form of a poem written especially for the occasion, featuring couplets such as “Our business is stupid, but actors are the bomb / From Martindale to Milioti, my dad and my mom.” The show also picked up Creative Arts wins in music supervision, production design, sound mixing, music composition, casting, sound editing, and cinematography.
The island may or may not be cursed, but we do know two things for certain. One, the citizens of Widow’s Bay didn’t turn to cannibalism immediately (it took four days). And two, the show’s cast and crew have plenty to celebrate.
For more from the Emmys 2026, stay up to date with Vanity Fair’s live blog, and see all the looks from the Emmys red carpet.
