Apple TV+ comedy 'Widow's Bay' tops Emmys with 14 wins as actors set records

Apple TV+’s dark comedy "Widow's Bay" led the 2026 Emmy Awards, securing 14 trophies, the most ever for a comedy series. The show’s lead, Matthew Rhys, won both Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series, a first in Emmy history. In his acceptance speech, Rhys thanked showrunner Katie Dippold for her "depraved and twisted mind" and acknowledged the "great and good people of Wales."

The ceremony also featured a memorial segment for actress Catherine O'Hara, who died in January. Three of her former on-screen children—Macaulay Culkin, Annie Murphy and Daniel Levy—shared personal recollections, describing her as encouraging, warm and funny.

Jean Smart received the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in "Hacks," marking her eighth Emmy and tying her with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Cloris Leachman and Alison Janney for the most wins by an actor of any gender. Alison Janney also earned her eighth Emmy, this time for Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for "The Diplomat."

Stephen Colbert, whose talk show recently ended, accepted the Outstanding Variety Series award for "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" and announced he is co-writing a new "Lord of the Rings" film with Philippa Boyens and Peter McGee.

Taylor Swift did not attend the live event but appeared in a pre-recorded parody of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" alongside host Mariska Hargitay. The sketch humorously treated Swift’s movements as clues for detectives to solve, referencing her recent appearance at a Kansas City Chiefs football game.

Other winners from "Widow's Bay" included Stephen Root (Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series), Kate O'Flynn (Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series), Bett Gilpin (Guest Actress in a Comedy Series) and Hiro Murai (Directing for a Comedy Series).