Japanese-born Hiro Murai makes Emmy history with ‘Widow’s Bay’
Japanese-born filmmaker Hiro Murai won an Emmy Award on Monday for directing the comedy series "Widow's Bay," becoming the first Asian director to win in the category, the Television Academy said, Kyodo reports.
Murai directed five of the 10 episodes in the series, with the first episode receiving the award.
Born in Tokyo, Murai moved to Los Angeles at the age of 9 and became a filmmaker in the United States. He won a Grammy Award for best music video in 2019 for Childish Gambino's "This Is America."
His father, Kunihiko Murai, is a composer known for songs including "Tsubasa wo Kudasai (Please Give Me Wings)."
"Widow's Bay" is an American comedy horror television series set in a fictional town said to be afflicted by a curse. The series won a record 14 awards at the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series.
British actor Matthew Rhys, who won the Outstanding Lead Actor award for the series, became the first person to win two Emmys for lead performances in the same year after also taking the honor for the Netflix miniseries "The Beast in Me," according to local media.
Combined with his 2018 win for "The Americans," Rhys is also the first person to have won Outstanding Lead Actor honors in all three categories – Drama Series, Comedy Series and Limited or Anthology Series or Movie – local media said.
Michael J. Fox, known for starring in "Back to the Future" and his advocacy for Parkinson's disease research, received the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award, which recognizes significant philanthropic contributions.
Meanwhile, "The Pitt" won Outstanding Drama Series for the second consecutive year.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported highlights from the 2026 Emmys.
