Apple sweeps the Emmys as Widow's Bay sets comedy record

Apple closed the 78th Emmy Awards as the most awarded television outlet, with 28 wins, or 29 including commercials, ahead of HBO and Netflix, according to Deadline.

The driver was Widow's Bay. The show took Outstanding Comedy Series, the top comedy prize, and finished with 14 Emmys in total, a new record for a comedy series.

Fourteen wins. A new high. Six of those came on the main telecast night, the most for any single programme that night, according to the Television Academy.

Widow's Bay is a horror comedy, meaning it mixes scares and laughs in one story. It was created by Katie Dippold and led by Matthew Rhys. It follows a New England island community.

Rhys won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for playing Mayor Tom Loftis, according to the Television Academy. Hiro Murai won Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for the episode "Welcome To Widow's Bay!". Kate O'Flynn, Stephen Root and Dippold were also among the show's winners.

Apple's total was not built on one title alone. Science-fiction drama Pluribus and spy drama Slow Horses also contributed wins alongside Widow's Bay.

The nominations had pointed to a big night. Apple entered with a company record 89 nominations, according to Apple. Widow's Bay led its slate with 19 nominations, followed by Pluribus with 18.

The result gives Apple back-to-back wins for Outstanding Comedy Series, after The Studio and then Widow's Bay. Apple TV+, then known as Apple TV+, launched in November 2019, so the run has come within its first seven years.

Eddy Cue, Apple's SVP, Services and Health, spoke to Deadline after the ceremony about the wins. Cue joined Apple in 1989 and oversees the services group that includes the streaming platform. The main telecast is organised by the Television Academy to recognise television shown during the eligibility year.