Apple TV Officially Proves Its Streaming Dominance With a History-Making 2026 Emmys

Published Sep 15, 2026, 7:18 PM EDT

Erin Konrad's love for everything entertainment dates back to elementary school when she became obsessed with classic Hollywood musicals. When she's not catching up on all her favorite television shows, she's advising her friends and family on what they should binge watch next.

She has her Bachelor's degree in Journalism and a Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Creating content for Collider gives her the opportunity to combine her writing skills with her passion for television and movies. She spends her free time trying to beat her personal record of reading 137 books in a year and cuddling with her dog, Gracie.

The Emmy Awards have gone through many stages in their 78 years. Network shows were the top of the heap until they were replaced by cable. HBO, Showtime, and AMC were critical darlings that amassed tons of Emmy wins in the early 2000s. Streamers have since taken over the television landscape and are now clearly the top dog in Hollywood when it comes to award season. Up until this year's telecast, which aired this past Monday, Netflix and HBO Max were reigning supreme — but now they've been beaten by a streamer that shows no signs of slowing down.

Apple TV Had a Record-Breaking Night at This Year's Emmys

Apple TV has done extremely well at the Emmys in recent years. With past wins for shows like Ted Lasso, Severance, and The Studio, the streamer has become a go-to for high-quality, prestige television. Apple TV has far surpassed even its own lofty standards. The streamer has now shattered records as the most-awarded network of 2026, with an astounding 29 wins. Much of the night's success was due to their recent massive hit, Widow's Bay. The first season of the brilliant comedy/horror series, heralded by Katie Dippold, brought home an impressive 14 wins. This means the series broke another record: most wins in a single season for a comedy series (previously set by The Studio with 13). In addition to the show's win for Outstanding Comedy Series, Dippold landed a statue for Outstanding Writing, Hiro Murai won for Outstanding Directing, and acting awards went to Matthew Rhys (another record setter with his double win for Netflix's The Beast in Me), Stephen Root, and Kate O'Flynn. The series also swept the Creative Arts Emmys, which took place the previous weekend, with a win for guest star Betty Gilpin, as well as several other technical awards.

Apple TV owes much of its Emmy night success to Widow's Bay, but several other shows helped earn the streamer's newest record. Pluribus was recognized for Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series for creator Vince Gilligan, and its preternaturally talented lead actor, Rhea Seehorn, as well as four other wins in technical categories. The fantastic spy thriller, Slow Horses, also picked up a win for Saul Metzstein for Outstanding Directing for a Drama. The rest of Apple TV's wins came from Margo's Got Money Troubles for costumes, hairstyling, and contemporary makeup, Palm Royale for choreography, period costumes and makeup, and Mr. Scorsese for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series. The streamer even managed to snag an Emmy for Outstanding Commercial.

Apple TV Is Currently Crushing Its Competition

Apple TV has slowly built momentum over the past few years by bringing in some of the most genius creators, actors, and production crews. With over 900 Emmy wins since its debut in 2019, the streamer has now outpaced its competition in a major way. HBO Max only received 21 wins this year, largely thanks to the continued success of The Pitt, while Netflix descended to a mere 16 total wins. Both of these drops are surprising for streamers that dominated the Emmys in years past. Netflix thought it'd have a night of winners with the second season of Beef, but the once-lauded series only managed three wins in technical categories. Although the streamer did come up with a few wins, for Rhys and Sally Field in Remarkably Bright Creatures, and a completely shocking upset by the incredible Allison Janney for The Diplomat, Netflix was largely unrepresented in the folks making acceptance speeches. HBO Max did a bit better with several wins for its limited series, DTF St. Louis, and a well-deserved award for Task's Tom Pelphrey, but Apple TV was by far the victor of the evening.

As for what's next, the streamer has an upcoming slate that boasts exciting new shows, including Brothers (which earned a boost when stars Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson showed up to present Monday's biggest award), 12 12 12, and Nocturne. Upcoming seasons of Widow's Bay, Pluribus, and Slow Horses will no doubt net even more nominations in the future. At this point, it doesn't seem like any streamers will be able to catch up to Apple TV at the Emmys anytime soon.