Apple TV delivered one of the biggest stories of Wednesday morning’s 2026 Emmy nominations, with freshman hits Widow’s Bay and Pluribus emerging as two of the most-honored series of the year.
It’s total? A whopping 87 Emmy nominations, up from its previous high of 81 last year.
The new horror-comedy Widow’s Bay earned an impressive 19 Primetime Emmy nominations, while Vince Gilligan’s sci-fi drama Pluribus picked up 18. Those totals put both Apple TV originals among the most-nominated shows across all television, trailing only HBO Max’s The Pitt (25 nominations) and Hacks (24).
Apple TV scores huge Emmy noms haul with Widow’s Bay and Pluribus
The nominations continue Apple’s remarkable rise from streaming newcomer to awards powerhouse. Since launching Apple TV in 2019, the service has built a reputation for prestige television with acclaimed series including Ted Lasso, Severance, Slow Horses and The Morning Show. This year’s nominations show Apple is still expanding that lineup with major new franchises.
Widow’s Bay proved to be the breakout comedy of the year, earning nominations across major categories including Outstanding Comedy Series, acting, writing and directing.
Meanwhile, Pluribus — which debuted in fall 2025 — also established itself as an Emmy heavyweight with a nomination for Outstanding Drama Series alongside recognition for its cast and creative team.
Apple TV veteran favorites keep the Emmy momentum going
Apple’s success wasn’t limited to those two newcomers. Spy thriller Slow Horses returned to the Outstanding Drama Series race, while Your Friends & Neighbors also secured a place among television’s top dramas, giving Apple multiple contenders in one of the night’s most competitive categories. Comedy favorite Shrinking also earned major nominations, further strengthening Apple TV’s showing across the board.
The nominations reinforce Apple’s strategy of investing in premium original programming rather than chasing sheer volume. While competitors continue to flood streaming services with new releases, Apple has increasingly focused on prestige series capable of attracting both subscribers and awards recognition.
The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards will air September 14 on NBC and Peacock, with the Creative Arts Emmy Awards taking place September 5 and 6.
Apple TV+ originals that received 2026 Primetime Emmy nominations:
- Widow’s Bay — 19 nominations
- Pluribus — 18 nominations
- Shrinking — 10 nominations
- Slow Horses — 8 nominations
- Your Friends & Neighbors — 6 nominations
- The Studio — 4 nominations
- The Morning Show — 3 nominations
- Government Cheese — 2 nominations
- Disclaimer — 2 nominations
- Dope Thief — 1 nomination
- Presumed Innocent — 1 nomination
- Dark Matter — 1 nomination
- Deaf President Now! — 1 nomination
- Bono: Stories of Surrender — 1 nomination
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 26 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh SE/30 (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer.
That’s because he’s a “tablet first” type of guy. Rather than use a Macbook, he connects a keyboard case to the iPad. And instead of a desktop Mac, he connects his tablet to a 27-inch display and full-size keyboard. (So don’t try to tell him that everyone has to use a Mac to be productive.)
Before coming to Cult of Mac, Ed wrote for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
