Apple TV Dominates Emmys with Eight Primetime Awards for ‘Widow’s Bay’ and ‘Pluribus’

Apple TV has secured the top spot in the prestige television arena, overtaking the 55-year-old HBO in the 2026 Primetime Emmy Awards. Despite being a streaming service for only seven years, Apple collected eight Primetime Emmys last night, outpacing HBO’s five wins and Netflix’s three.

The majority of Apple’s victories came from the comedy-horror series “Widow’s Bay,” which picked up six awards after receiving 19 nominations. The show took home honors for best comedy series, outstanding writing by Katie Dippold, and outstanding directing by Hiro Murai. Lead actor Matthew Rhys won best lead actor in a comedy series, while Stephen Root and Kate O’Flynn earned supporting actor and actress awards, respectively.

The sci-fi drama “Pluribus” contributed two additional wins for the platform, securing awards for lead actress Rhea Seehorn and outstanding writing for Vince Gilligan. When combined with the 20 Creative Arts Emmys won earlier in the ceremony week, Apple TV reached a total of 28 awards for 2026.

HBO found success with its medical drama “The Pitt,” which won best drama series and lead actor for Noah Wyle. The comedy “Hacks” earned Jean Smart the award for best lead actress in a comedy series. Additional wins for HBO went to “DTF St Louis” for best limited or anthology series and Tom Pelphrey for best supporting actor in a drama for “Task.” In total, HBO claimed five Primetime Emmys alongside 16 Creative Arts Awards.

Netflix secured three Primetime awards, including a supporting actress win for Allison Janney in “The Diplomat” and a lead actress victory for Sally Field in “Remarkably Bright Creatures.” In a historic moment, Matthew Rhys also won a second lead acting award in the limited or anthology category for his role in Netflix’s “The Beast in Me,” making him the first performer to win the same acting award in two different categories at the Primetime Emmys.