The first of two non-televised Creative Arts Emmy ceremonies handed out its trophies Saturday night at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, with "The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny" leading all winners with seven awards, including outstanding variety special (live) and outstanding directing for a variety special. "The Traitors" followed with six wins, among them a repeat outstanding host prize for Alan Cumming, while "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" collected five Emmys during its final season on the air.
Other Night One winners included "The Muppet Show," which took four awards, among them outstanding variety special (pre-recorded) over Taylor Swift's "The Eras Tour" special. Mariska Hargitay, who hosts this year's Primetime Emmy telecast, won two Emmys of her own for directing and producing the documentary "My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay." Octavia Spencer earned her first Emmy, for outstanding narrator on "Lost Women of Alaska," and PBS's "Antiques Roadshow" won its first Emmy after 24 nominations dating back to 2002.
A Ceremony Under Scrutiny
This year's Creative Arts Emmys carry extra weight after the Television Academy moved several categories off the main NBC broadcast entirely, including writing and directing for variety series and writing, directing and supporting-acting categories for limited series and movies. The Academy has said the change reflects the "extraordinary breadth of work recognized each year" against a fixed three-hour broadcast window. The Directors Guild, Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA responded with a joint statement arguing the move undercuts the show's own purpose: "The decision to eliminate these categories from the prime-time broadcast devalues the contributions of the talented people the Academy is meant to honor. An awards show dedicated to recognizing excellence should not reduce recognition for the artists whose work gives it meaning."
That fight has done little to dim interest in the ceremony itself, which this year is drawing attention for the sheer size of the Bad Bunny special's haul and for Colbert's farewell run collecting hardware on its way out. A second night of Creative Arts winners, covering categories such as guest acting and additional documentary and reality awards, was handed out Sunday, also at the Peacock Theater, ahead of the full winners list being folded into Emmy week coverage.
The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards air Monday, September 14, on NBC and Peacock, moved to a Monday this year so as not to conflict with NBC's Sunday Night Football schedule. Hargitay, fresh off her Creative Arts wins, hosts the telecast, which will still carry the top drama, comedy and limited-series races even as the categories relocated this year keep the format debate alive heading into next season.
