Apple TV finished the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards with 29 wins, and HBO chief Casey Bloys responded with praise for the competition while noting Apple’s financial scale. Apple’s tally covers both the Creative Arts Emmys and the Primetime ceremony. The company said Widow’s Bay took Outstanding Comedy Series along with its other wins, while Slow […]
Apple TV was the most awarded network of the year at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards, landing 29 wins overall, including 14 for breakout sensation “Widow’s Bay.”
Monday evening at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards, Apple TV shattered records to become the most awarded network of the year, landing 29 wins overall, including Outstanding Comedy Series for “Widow’s Bay” as the breakout sensation sweeps all major categories with 14 wins in total and cements itself as the most Emmy-awarded freshman comedy series in history. Additionally, “Widow’s Bay” lands the most wins for a comedy series in a single season, as well as the most performance wins of any series in 2026.
In addition to Outstanding Comedy Series, “Widow’s Bay” scores with wins for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Matthew Rhys, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Kate O’Flynn, and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for Stephen Root, alongside Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for Katie Dippold and Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for Hiro Murai. Global phenomenon “Pluribus” lands Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Rhea Seehorn and Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for Vince Gilligan, while acclaimed drama “Slow Horses” wins Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for Saul Metzstein.
With these wins, Apple TV reaches the status of the most Emmy-awarded network faster than any other streamer in just seven Emmy seasons, and stands as home of the most Emmy Award-winning series for the second year in a row following last year’s wins for Outstanding Comedy Series “The Studio.” Apple TV also makes history as the first and only streaming service to land back-to-back Outstanding Comedy Series awards, landing wins for four of the last six years with “Ted Lasso,” “The Studio,” and “Widow’s Bay.”
Additionally, “Widow’s Bay” breaks records with the most Emmy wins for performances out of any other series this year, as director and executive producer Hiro Murai becomes the first Asian ever to win in the comedy directing category.
“Reaching milestones like these feels incredibly special for all of us at Apple, but what makes it especially meaningful is what it represents: the extraordinary storytellers we have the privilege of working alongside,” said Matt Cherniss, Apple TV’s head of programming, in a statement. “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. Widow’s Bay, Pluribus, and Slow Horses have done exactly that. Congratulations to all of the artists honored and thank you to the Television Academy.”
Outstanding Comedy Series winner “Widow’s Bay” lands 14 wins, including Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for star and executive producer Matthew Rhys, alongside an Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series win for Kate O’Flynn and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for Stephen Root, as well as Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for Katie Dippold and Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for Hiro Murai, who becomes the first Asian director to win in this category. Widow’s Bay also leads with the most performer wins of any series this year. These wins are in addition to the previously announced honors for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for Betty Gilpin; Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Program (Half-Hour); Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series; Outstanding Cinematography for a Series (Half-Hour); Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score); Outstanding Music Supervision; Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation; and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation.
Pluribus landed six wins, including Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Rhea Seehorn.
Global hit “Pluribus” earns six wins including for Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series for creator Vince Gilligan and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for star Rhea Seehorn. These are in addition to the previously announced wins for Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary Program (One Hour or More); Outstanding Picture Editing for a Drama Series; Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music; and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour). Acclaimed spy thriller “Slow Horses” lands one win for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for Saul Metzstein.
Apple’s acclaimed comedy “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” makes its Emmy debut with three previously announced wins, including Outstanding Contemporary Costumes for a Series, Outstanding Contemporary Hairstyling, and Outstanding Contemporary Makeup (Non-Prosthetic). Comedy series “Palm Royale” earns three Emmy Award wins, including Outstanding Choreography for Scripted Programming, Outstanding Period Costumes, and Outstanding Period or Fantasy/Sci-Fi Makeup (Non-Prosthetic). Apple TV also scored two wins on the first night of the 78th Emmy Awards: Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series for “Mr. Scorsese,” and Outstanding Commercial for “I’m Not Remarkable.”
Earlier this year, Apple scored 89 Primetime Emmy Award nominations across 15 programs, leading as the network with the most nominations in the Outstanding Drama and Outstanding Comedy series categories, respectively, nabbing top program nominations for comedies “Widow’s Bay,” “Shrinking,” and “Margo’s Got Money Troubles,” alongside dramas “Pluribus,” “Slow Horses,” and “Your Friends & Neighbors.” “Widow’s Bay” led as one of this year’s most-nominated programs with 19 nominations in total, and “Pluribus” landed 18 nominations following its global hit freshman season, as celebrated Apple Original “Shrinking” earned 10 nominations, “Slow Horses” was recognized with nine nominations, and “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” scored eight nominations in total. The record-breaking nominations followed Apple TV sweeping last year’s Emmy Awards with “The Studio” becoming the most winning freshman comedy in Emmy history and Severance leading as most winning drama.
Slow Horses took home Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for Saul Metzstein.
To date, Apple Original films, documentaries, and series have been honored with 917 wins and 3,827 award nominations and counting, including multi-Emmy Award-winning and history-making comedies The Studio and Ted Lasso; global cultural phenomenon Severance; Apple’s most-viewed drama, Pluribus; Academy Award Best Picture winner CODA; and Academy Award winner F1, the highest-grossing sports feature of all time.
In total, Apple earned 29 wins for the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards, including:
Widow’s Bay (14)
• Outstanding Comedy Series
• Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series: Matthew Rhys
• Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Kate O’Flynn
• Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: Stephen Root
• Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series: Katie Dippold
• Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series: Hiro Murai
• Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series: Betty Gilpin
• Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Program (Half-Hour)
• Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series
• Outstanding Cinematography for a Series (Half-Hour)
• Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score)
• Outstanding Music Supervision
• Outstanding Sound Editing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation
• Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation
Pluribus (6)
• Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series: Rhea Seehorn
• Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series: Vince Gilligan
• Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary Program (One Hour or More)
• Outstanding Picture Editing for a Drama Series
• Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music
• Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour)
Margo’s Got Money Troubles (3)
• Outstanding Contemporary Costumes for a Series
• Outstanding Contemporary Hairstyling
• Outstanding Contemporary Makeup (Non-Prosthetic)
Slow Horses (1)
• Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series: Saul Metzstein
Palm Royale (3)
• Outstanding Choreography for Scripted Programming
• Outstanding Period Costumes
• Outstanding Period or Fantasy/Sci-Fi Makeup (Non-Prosthetic)
Mr. Scorsese (1)
• Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series
Outstanding Commercial (1)
• “I’m Not Remarkable”: Apple
MacDailyNews Take: This will lead to an influx of Apple TV subscribers. Congrats to all of the Apple TV casts and crews of the nominated and winning fare!
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“Being Heumann” opened the Toronto International Film Festival on September 10th.
Four years after “CODA” delivered Apple Original Films its first Best Picture Oscar, Siân Heder is back in the awards conversation. Her new film, “Being Heumann,” opened the Toronto International Film Festival with a story that looks purpose-built for the Academy: a real-life civil-rights struggle, a largely disabled cast, and the same director who last turned inclusion into both a cultural moment and a trophy.
The movie follows Judy Heumann, the late activist often called the mother of the disability-rights movement, as she leads a group of disabled protesters in the 1977 occupation of a San Francisco federal building. The sit-in lasted 26 days and pressured then-Health, Education, and Welfare Secretary Joseph Califano Jr. to sign regulations implementing Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Heder has described Heumann’s work as making “invisible people visible” and forcing “the hard change of inclusion.”
That framing is familiar. “CODA” was a coming-of-age story about a hearing daughter in a deaf family; it won Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor for Troy Kotsur, and Best Adapted Screenplay for Heder. Apple is repeating the playbook: a prestige festival launch, a limited theatrical window, then a swift move to Apple TV a week later.
The talent package is equally awards-ready. British actor Ruth Madeley plays Heumann. Mark Ruffalo plays Califano. Daniel Durant, who earned notice in CODA, returned to work with Heder. Most of the cast are disabled actors — an authenticity argument that studios now treat as both moral and strategic. Madeley has said the film tries to show Heumann’s humor and joy, not only her ferocity.
Whether “Being Heumann” is “Oscar bait” is a matter of tone, not facts. The film has the ingredients the Academy has rewarded: a historical injustice, underrepresented performers, a director with recent hardware, and a streamer that already proved it can campaign a mid-budget drama all the way to Best Picture.
Of course, “Oscar bait” is a loaded label that implies the movie was assembled to win prizes rather than because the story mattered. That judgment is about tone — cynicism versus generosity. One person looks at the same facts and says “this is a serious film about an overlooked chapter of history.” Another looks at them and says “this is a prestige package built for awards show voters.”
Apple does not need another trophy to justify the project. It would be nice if the film looks like more than just a prestige checklist.
The 1977 sit-in is a genuine piece of American history that still sits outside most popular memory. If “Being Heumann” makes that story land with audiences — and if Heder again finds the human texture that made “CODA” more than a message movie — Apple will have a real contender. If it plays as solemn, worthy, and slightly engineered, it will still get nominations and still stream. The question is whether the company can turn another Heder film into the same kind of industry event it pulled off in 2022.
MacDailyNews Take: Toronto was the first test. November theatrical and the Apple TV rollout will be the next. Awards season will decide whether this is another “CODA” or not.
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