A mix of chaos and charm

Power Shift in Television

The Pitt won Best Drama Series, surprising almost everyone who assumed Severance had it locked. Comedy told a different story, as The Studio swept the category, breaking records with 13 trophies in a single season. Even Seth Rogen, the star and executive producer of the show, admitted he was embarrassed by how many awards they racked up.

Adolescence cleaned up in the limited series category, thanks to its mix of sharp writing, layered performances, and the way it captured those small, painful moments you don’t notice until it’s too late.

Individual Wins That Stood Out

Noah Wyle finally won his first Emmy for Lead Actor in a Drama for The Pitt, decades after numerous nominations for ER in the ’90s. It felt overdue. Britt Lower took Best Actress in a Drama for Severance, a well-deserved win, though many thought Keri Russell deserved it for her incredible performance in The Diplomat.

Seth Rogen’s win for The Studio caught people off guard but proved he’s more than just a reliable nice guy. Jean Smart added a fourth Emmy to her shelf for Hacks, displaying her consistent brilliance. Her co-star Hannah Einbinder picked up her first Emmy, a perfect acknowledgment after several previous near misses.

Stephen Graham won for Adolescence, while Cristin Milioti scored her first for The Penguin. On the variety side, Colbert’s Late Show won Outstanding Talk Series, and The Traitors took home the award for Reality Competition.

The Snubs

The Bear, The White Lotus, and Only Murders in the Building were nominated in multiple categories but walked away with almost nothing. This served as a reminder that Emmy voters move on quickly, and being an established favorite can sometimes work against a show.

Moments That Created Buzz

Fifteen-year-old Owen Cooper made history as the youngest male actor to win an Emmy, thanks to his role in Adolescence. His win sparked discussions about how so-called teen shows are now competing directly with heavyweight dramas. However, Adolescence was far from a typical teen show, instead offering a compelling exploration of violence and rejection. Emmy voters got it right by recognizing Cooper’s outstanding performance.

Cristin Milioti also gave one of the night’s most talked-about speeches, pulling out her therapy notes and reading directly from them. Raw, funny, and honest, her speech went viral immediately.

Money Clock Created Controversy

This year, CBS imposed a 45-second time limit on winners’ speeches. For every second over, $1,000 was cut from their charity pledge to the Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide. Conversely, if winners kept their speeches short, the network added money to the donation.

Though the concept sounded clever, it played awkwardly in the room. Winners could be seen calculating their words in real time, which made emotional moments feel rushed. Critics and viewers were largely unimpressed. CBS still donated $350,000 in total, but many felt the setup was gimmicky and left a sour taste by tying charity donations to speech duration.

Two Reunions Made Headlines

Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel celebrated the 25th anniversary of Gilmore Girls with a recreation of the Stars Hollow porch. Graham opened by saying, “Twenty-five years ago, a show called Gilmore Girls premiered and apparently took the season of fall hostage.” Bledel added, “In spite of our autumnal dominance, Gilmore Girls was actually a very small show.”

Together, they shared stories about fake snow and borrowed sheet cakes. Their funny and self-deprecating remarks reminded everyone why the show still matters. Clips flooded social media, triggering waves of nostalgia and giving younger viewers a taste of what made it so special.

The Law & Order reunion featured Mariska Hargitay, Christopher Meloni, Ice-T, Tony Goldwyn, and others. The mix of jokes and tributes worked well, including quips like Benson solving more crimes than actual police departments. When the jokes veered into roast territory, Hargitay calmed the room with, “Alright, everyone settle. I love you all. But this isn’t the Mariska Lifetime Achievement roast.” The crowd responded with laughs and applause, underscoring the franchise’s lasting cultural impact.

The Speech Mirroring Real Life

Hannah Einbinder, winner for Hacks, went over her time limit and spoke about a political issue few expect from Hollywood awards shows. She denounced ICE before saying “Free Palestine.” She knew this would cost her charity money but did it anyway.

Reactions were split: some called her brave, others labeled it performative. Nonetheless, it showed that award shows can still be platforms for political statements, even when the format tries to discourage them.

And The Winners Are…

Outstanding Drama Series

• Andor
• The Diplomat
• The Last of Us
• Paradise
• The Pitt (Winner)
• Severance
• Slow Horses
• The White Lotus

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

• Sterling K. Brown – Paradise
• Gary Oldman – Slow Horses
• Pedro Pascal – The Last of Us
• Adam Scott – Severance
• Noah Wyle – The Pitt (Winner)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

• Kathy Bates – Matlock
• Sharon Horgan – Bad Sisters
• Britt Lower – Severance (Winner)
• Bella Ramsey – The Last of Us
• Keri Russell – The Diplomat

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

• Zach Cherry – Severance
• Walton Goggins – The White Lotus
• Jason Isaacs – The White Lotus
• James Marsden – Paradise
• Sam Rockwell – The White Lotus
• Tramell Tillman – Severance
• John Turturro – Severance (Winner)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

• Patricia Arquette – Severance
• Carrie Coon – The White Lotus
• Katherine LaNasa – The Pitt
• Julianne Nicholson – Paradise (Winner)
• Parker Posey – The White Lotus
• Natasha Rothwell – The White Lotus
• Aimee Lou Wood – The White Lotus

Outstanding Comedy Series

• Abbott Elementary
• The Bear
• Hacks
• Nobody Wants This
• Only Murders in the Building
• Shrinking
• The Studio (Winner)
• What We Do in the Shadows

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

• Adam Brody – Nobody Wants This
• Seth Rogen – The Studio (Winner)
• Jason Segel – Shrinking
• Martin Short – Only Murders in the Building
• Jeremy Allen White – The Bear

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

• Uzo Aduba – The Residence
• Kristen Bell – Nobody Wants This
• Quinta Brunson – Abbott Elementary
• Ayo Edebiri – The Bear
• Jean Smart – Hacks (Winner)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

• Ike Barinholtz – The Studio
• Colman Domingo – The Four Seasons
• Harrison Ford – Shrinking
• Jeff Hiller – Somebody Somewhere
• Ebon Moss-Bachrach – The Bear (Winner)
• Michael Urie – Shrinking
• Bowen Yang – Saturday Night Live

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

• Liza Colon-Zayas – The Bear
• Hannah Einbinder – Hacks (Winner)
• Kathryn Hahn – The Studio
• Janelle James – Abbott Elementary
• Catherine O’Hara – The Studio
• Sheryl Lee Ralph – Abbott Elementary
• Jessica Williams – Shrinking

Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series

• Black Mirror
• Dying for Sex
• Adolescence (Winner)
• Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story
• The Penguin

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

• Colin Farrell – The Penguin
• Stephen Graham – Adolescence (Winner)
• Jake Gyllenhaal – Presumed Innocent
• Bryan Tyree Henry – Dope Thief
• Cooper Koch – Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

• Cate Blanchett – Disclaimer
• Meghan Fehy – Sirens
• Rashida Jones – Black Mirror
• Cristin Milioti – The Penguin (Winner)
• Michelle Williams – Dying for Sex

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

• Javier Bardem – Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story
• Bill Camp – Presumed Innocent
• Owen Cooper – Adolescence (Winner)
• Rob Delaney – Dying for Sex
• Peter Sarsgaard – Presumed Innocent
• Ashley Walters – Adolescence

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

• Erin Doherty – Adolescence
• Ruth Negga – Presumed Innocent (Winner)
• Deirdre O’Connell – The Penguin
• Chloe Sevigny – Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story
• Jenny Slate – Dying for Sex
• Christine Tremarco – Adolescence

Outstanding Reality Competition Programme

• The Amazing Race
• RuPaul’s Drag Race
• Survivor
• Top Chef
• The Traitors (Winner)

Outstanding Scripted Variety Series

• Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (Winner)
• Saturday Night Live

Outstanding Variety Special (Live)

• SNL50: The Anniversary Special (Winner)
• The Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show starring Kendrick Lamar, Beyoncé
• Bowl The Oscars
• SNL50: The Homecoming Concert

Outstanding Talk Series

• The Daily Show
• Jimmy Kimmel Live
• The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (Winner)

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series

• Dan Gilroy – Andor
• Joe Sachs – The Pitt (Winner)
• R. Scott Gemmill – The Pitt
• Dan Erickson – Severance
• Will Smith – Slow Horses
• Mike White – The White Lotus

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series

• Quinta Brunson – Abbott Elementary
• Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky – Hacks
• Nathan Fielder, Carrie Kemper, Adam Locke-Norton, Eric Notarnicola – The Rehearsal
• Hannah Bos, Paul Thureen, Bridget Everett – Somebody Somewhere
• Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Peter Huyck, Alex Gregory, Frida Perez – The Studio (Winner)
• Sam Johnson, Sarah Naftalis, Paul Simms – What We Do in the Shadows

Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

• Jack Thorne, Stephen Graham – Adolescence (Winner)
• Charlie Brooker, Bisha K. Ali – Black Mirror
• Kim Rosenstock, Elizabeth Meriwether – Dying for Sex
• Lauren LeFranc – The Penguin
• Joshua Zetumer – Say Nothing

Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series

• Janus Metz – Andor
• Amanda Marsalis – The Pitt
• John Wells – The Pitt
• Jessica Lee Gagne – Severance
• Ben Stiller – Severance
• Adam Randall – Slow Horses
• Mike White – The White Lotus (Winner)

Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series

• Ayo Edebiri – The Bear
• Lucia Aniello – Hacks
• James Burrows – MidCentury Modern
• Seth Rogen – The Studio
• Nathan Fielder – The Rehearsal (Winner)

Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

• Shannon Murphy – Dying for Sex
• Helen Shaver – The Penguin
• Philip Barantini – Adolescence
• Jennifer Getzinger – The Penguin (Winner)
• Nicole Kassell – Sirens
• Lesli Linka Glatter – Zero Day

Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series

• The Daily Show
• Saturday Night Live

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