The race for Best Comedy Series is one of the tightest at the upcoming Emmy Awards. According to Gold Derby’s combined predictions, Widow’s Bay is in second place as it continues to narrow the gap with Hacks to win that top prize.
Primetime Emmy Awards 2026
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Only Murders in the Building
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Margo’s Got Money Troubles
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But when filtered by Gold Derby experts — a group comprising TV journalists and reviewers with years of experience tracking awards — the race flips, with Widow’s Bay garnering about 59% of the support versus 41% for Hacks.
Primetime Emmy Awards 2026
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Only Murders in the Building
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Margo’s Got Money Troubles
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A win by Widow’s Bay in the category would represent a bit of history for showrunner Katie Dippold. She would become the just sixth woman to win Best Comedy Series as the sole creator of her show.
The first season of Apple TV‘s comedy horror series is set in the fictional New England island town of Widow’s Bay. Mayor Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys) is determined to attract tourists, but many residents believe the island is afflicted with a centuries-old curse. As Tom is initially skeptical of their superstitions, he goes about investigating this supposed curse once and for all.
Throughout the Emmys‘ eight-decade history, only following female solo creators have won the Emmy for Best Comedy Series:
- Susan Harris — The Golden Girls (1987)
- Diane English — Murphy Brown (1990)
- Tina Fey — 30 Rock (2007–09)
- Amy Sherman-Palladino — The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2018)
- Phoebe Waller-Bridge — Fleabag (2019)
Five others prevailed as co-creators:
- Carol Black (with Neal Marlens) — The Wonder Years (1988)
- Marta Kauffman (with David Crane) — Friends (2002)
- Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky (with Paul W. Downs) — Hacks (2024)
- Frida Perez (with Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Peter Huyck, and Alex Gregory) — The Studio (2025)
Overall, about 10 women have claimed Best Comedy Series as a creator of their respective shows. If Widow’s Bay wins this year, the number of women who have won this category as sole creators would rise to six.
We’ll find on Sept. 14 whether Dippold joins these esteemed ranks.
