Apple TV's freshman comedy Widow's Bay took home 14 Emmys at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards, making it the most decorated first-year comedy in the history of the awards, according to Apple. The streamer finished the night as the most awarded network with 29 total wins across its series. Winners were announced by the Television Academy at a ceremony on Monday, September 14.
The haul for Widow's Bay included Outstanding Comedy Series plus acting wins for Matthew Rhys as lead actor, Kate O'Flynn as supporting actress, and Stephen Root as supporting actor. Katie Dippold won for comedy writing and Hiro Murai for comedy directing, a category the announcement says no Asian director had won before. Apple also calls the tally the biggest single-season haul for any comedy series, and says no other series won more performance awards this year.
Read more: Apple TV+ Sets Record With 20 Emmy Wins
Apple TV's other winners included the drama Pluribus, which collected six awards, among them lead actress for Rhea Seehorn and writing for creator Vince Gilligan. The spy thriller Slow Horses took one, for directing by Saul Metzstein. Margo's Got Money Troubles and Palm Royale each earned three, and the documentary Mr. Scorsese and a commercial for Apple titled "I'm Not Remarkable" added one apiece.
The company says the result makes Apple TV the fastest streamer to reach most-awarded status, doing so in seven Emmy seasons, and the home of the year's most Emmy-winning series for a second straight year. It is also the first streaming service to win Outstanding Comedy Series in consecutive years, per the announcement, with four wins in that category over the last six years.
Matt Cherniss, Apple TV's head of programming, credited the people behind the shows. "There is nothing like the power of a great story to capture our imaginations, surprise us in unexpected ways, and remind us of what connects us," he said.
The wins cap a year in which Apple entered the ceremony with 89 nominations across 15 programs, the most of any network in the Outstanding Drama and Outstanding Comedy categories. Widow's Bay was among the most nominated programs with 19 and Pluribus had 18.
Two of those wins, for Mr. Scorsese and the Apple commercial, came a night earlier, according to the announcement.
Apple says its films, documentaries, and series have now accumulated 917 wins and 3,827 nominations. The company's comedy The Studio was named the most winning freshman comedy in Emmy history at last year's ceremony, a mark Widow's Bay now surpasses.
