Apple’s ‘The Studio’ Just Did the Impossible
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Last year, Apple TV’s hit series The Studio set an all-time record at the Emmy awards, and now it’s surpassed even that feat by doing something that no comedy in history has ever done before: collecting every single major award on offer.
While The Studio was already doing extremely well, it wasn’t until Sunday’s British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards that it achieved the final feather in its cap by picking up the 2026 award for Best International Programme.
As Apple shared in a press release, that makes The Studio “the first comedy in history to sweep all major awards in a single season.” However, that’s just the pinnacle of its accolades.
For one, it’s also the first comedy series to pick up an International BAFTA award in a decade, since that category is quite broad, recognizing “a single programme or series of any genre acquired from the international marketplace.” Amazon Prime’s comedy-drama series Transparent took the category award in 2016, but it’s mostly been dominated by more serious dramas such as Breaking Bad (2014), The Handmaid’s Tale (2018), and Succession (2019).
That wide net left The Studio competing against two other Apple Originals — Pluribus and Severance — along with The Bear, The Diplomat, and The White Lotus. It’s also a substantial victory for a first-season series of any stripe, considering The Bear has been nominated thrice. However, it’s also not uncommon or shows to have successive nominations even after an initial win, as was the case for Succession and The Handmaid’s Tale.
The historic journey of ‘The Studio’ has been nothing short of astounding. The show’s sweeping success is a testament to the extraordinary talent, creativity and innovation of Seth, Evan and the entire creative team and cast. The series has resonated deeply with audiences worldwide, bringing laughter to millions. We couldn’t be prouder of the team’s monumental achievement and the way ‘The Studio’ has redefined what’s possible for comedy on a global scale.
Matt Cherniss, Apple TV’s head of programming
The Studio wasn’t the only Apple Original to do well with BAFTA, although others received their nods last month at the BAFTA Television Craft Awards, which focused more on writers and directors, including Writer: Drama for Slow Horses and Director: Factual for Vietnam: The War That Changed America.
However, the BAFTA International award was just the cherry on top of what has been a packed awards season for The Studio. Following its record-breaking 13 Emmy wins that included Outstanding Comedy and Outstanding Lead Actor for Seth Rogen, The Studio went on to win Golden Globe Awards for Best Comedy and Best Actor in a Comedy (again, for Rogen), plus the same two from the Critics Choice Awards along with Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy for Ike Barinholtz.
Emmy, Golden Globe, and Critics Choice wins for best comedy already put The Studio in rarefied territory alongside other triple-crown winners like Apple’s own Ted Lasso, The Bear, Hacks, Schitt’s Creek, Fleabag, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and Modern Family (the first to achieve this, the same year the first Critics Choice awards were held).
However, the BAFTA International award puts The Studio in a category of its own, but it didn’t stop there. The American Film Institute (AFI) also named Apple’s freshman comedy the TV Program of the Year, while it was also recognized by the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), Producers Guild of America (PGA), Directors Guild of America (DGA), and Writers Guild of America (WGA), American Cinema Editors, Art Directors Guild, Cinema Audio Society, Casting Society Artios Awards, Costume Designers Guild, American Society of Cinematographers, and The Make-Up & Hair Stylists Guild — just to name a few.
The first season of The Studio wrapped up on May 21, 2025, and was renewed for a second season almost immediately. Apple hasn’t said when we can expect that, but it reportedly started filming earlier this year, so it could land on the schedule as soon as this fall.
