At the main gala of the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards on Tuesday night, Apple TV took home nine more trophies, making it the most awarded provider of the year for the first time. Widow's Bay won every category it entered – and with 14 awards, it set a record that, until twelve months ago, was also held by an Apple series.
The main gala took place on the night of September 15th at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, which was the middle of the night for German-speaking audiences. Apple broke down the results in a statement in its Newsroom. Together with the 20 trophies from the two Creative Arts evenings the previous weekend, the nine wins at the main gala bring the total to 29 – the best result the service has achieved since its launch in November 2019.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Apple TV finished the 78th Emmy Awards with 29 awards, putting it ahead of all other providers.
- Widow's Bay wins 14 trophies, including Outstanding Comedy Series, making it the most awarded debut comedy in Emmy history.
- Matthew Rhys wins as lead actor, Kate O'Flynn and Stephen Root in supporting roles.
- Pluribus received six awards, Slow Horses one, and Margo's Got Money Troubles and Palm Royale three each.
- It is the second consecutive top comedy award after The Studio last year.
Nine wins in one evening
The main awards ceremony included prizes for series, acting, directing, and screenwriting. Widow's Bay swept six of these: Best Comedy Series, Best Lead Actor for Matthew Rhys, Best Supporting Actor for Kate O'Flynn and Stephen Root, Best Screenplay for Katie Dippold, and Best Director for Hiro Murai. Murai is the first director of Asian descent to win in this category.
Pluribus won two of the major awards: Rhea Seehorn for Best Actress in a Drama Series and Vince Gilligan for Best Screenplay. Slow Horses won the Best Director award in the Drama category for Saul Metzstein.
The distribution across six productions
| Production | Awards | Of which in the main gala |
|---|---|---|
| Widow's Bay | 14 | 6 |
| Pluribus | 6 | 2 |
| Margo's Got Money Troubles | 3 | – |
| Palm Royale | 3 | – |
| Slow Horses | 1 | 1 |
| Mr. Scorsese | 1 | – |
| "I’m Not Remarkable" commercial | 1 | – |
This calculation also explains a discrepancy in the figures circulating in various reports: Several trade publications list 28 awards for Apple TV. The difference lies in the award for best commercial, which Apple received as a company, not the streaming service. Apple includes it in its own list.
Two records in two years
The previous record for a comedy series in a single year was 13 awards, set last year when The Studio and Severance dominated the gala. Widow's Bay has now surpassed that by one trophy. This makes Apple TV the first streaming service to win the top prize for best comedy series twice in a row; over the past six years, the service has racked up four wins in this category.
This followed the highest number of nominations in the broadcaster's history: 89 nominations across 15 productions, including 19 for Widow's Bay and 18 for Pluribus. The performance of the main awards ceremony is particularly noteworthy – Widow's Bay won in every category it was entered in.
What makes the success tangible for viewers in this country
All the award-winning titles are airing without restrictions in German-speaking countries, and all of them are continuing: Widow's Bay was renewed for a second season back in June, the creator of Pluribus is planning at least three seasons, and the sixth season of Slow Horses has a confirmed release date. Anyone taking the opportunity to catch up on one of the series this evening won't find a complete collection, but rather ongoing shows.
The shift in the catalog is noteworthy: Last year's two top titles weren't even eligible to participate this time, yet the revenue was still higher. A catalog that repeats its records with varying titles performs differently than one that relies on individual series. Which titles will be added this month can be found in the September program overview.
Is Widow's Bay the deserved winner of the evening in your opinion – or would you have preferred to see the top prize go to one of the drama series that only won in individual categories this time? Let us know in the comments which of the six productions you'll catch up on first.
