Hiro Murai Becomes First Asian Director to Win Emmy for Comedy Directing With Apple TV’s ‘Widow’s Bay’

This was Murai’s first best director win after 10 career nominations for shows spanning “Atlanta,” “Station Eleven” and “The Bear” September 14, 2026 @ 7:18 PM Hiro Murai accepts the Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series Award for "Widow's Bay" onstage during the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards at Peacock Theater on Sept. 14, 2026 in Los Angeles. (Credit: Chloe Kern/WireImage) Hiro Murai has made Emmys history after becoming the first Asian director to ever win in the Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series category for Apple TV’s “Widow’s Bay.” Other nominees in the category included Randall Einhorn (“Abbott Elementary”), Christopher Storer (“The Bear”), Andrew DeYoung (“The Chair Company”), Lucia Aniello (“Hacks”) and Mary Lou Belli (“The Ms. Pat Show”). Murai is also the third Asian director to win in any Emmy category, following Lee Sung Jin for the first season of “Beef” and Hwang Dong-hyuk for the first season of “Squid Game.” Over the course of his career, Murai has been nominated for a total of 10 Emmys. In addition to his comedy directing win for “Widow’s Bay,” he also previously won as an executive producer on the first season of “The Bear.” More to come…