The horror-comedy series earned 19 nominations.
Widow’s Bay, one the best new Apple TV releases of 2026, is a certified Emmys darling. The horror-comedy series received a total of 19 nominations today ahead of the 2026 Emmy Awards, the most of any new show this year, and only one more than fellow Apple TV series Pluribus.
Asking the question, “What would happen if the mayor from Jaws was trying to make his dangerous, haunted island town the next Martha’s Vineyard?” Widow’s Bay deftly balances its tone across its 10-episode first season. That skill hasn’t gone unnoticed, Katie Dipold, the show’s creator, and Hiro Murai, one of its primary directors, were nominated for writing and directing, respectively. Matthew Rhys, who plays Mayor Tom Loftis, was nominated for acting. Kate O’Flynn, the show’s awkward final girl Patricia, managed to score a supporting actress nomination, too.
Apple’s willingness to throw money at excellent science fiction television shows is a known quantity at this point (see shows like For All Mankind, Silo and most recently, Pluribus) but Widow’s Bay makes a case the company might just excel at genre television in general. Regardless of the tech giant’s speciality, though, Apple TV and its streaming cohort continue to dominate the Emmy Awards.
HBO Max received 122 nominations at this year’s awards, according to The Wrap, with Netflix not far behind at 111 and Apple third with 87. HBO Max’s The Pitt received 26 nominations, the most of any show this year. It’s safe to say if you were keeping up with a popular or critically well-regarded TV show in the last year, there’s a good chance you were watching it on streaming.
