Power Shift in Television

The Pitt won Best Drama Series, which surprised almost everyone who assumed Sever-ance had it locked. Comedy was a different story. 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 limited series, 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 all those ER nominations in the ‘90s. It felt overdue. Britt Lower took Best Actress in a Drama for Severance, which was well earned, 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 it 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, which felt like the perfect acknow-ledgment after losing to other actors for several years.

Stephen Graham won for Adol-escence, while Cristin Milioti scored her first for The Penguin.

On the variety side, Colbert’s Late Show won Outstanding Talk Series while The Traitors won Reality Com-petition.

The Snubs

The Bear, The White Lotus, and Only Murders in the Building were nominees in multiple fashion but walked away with almost nothing. It was a reminder that Emmy voters move on quickly, and being the established favourite can actually work against you.

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 plenty of chatter about how so-called “teen shows” are now competing directly with heavyweight dramas.

However, Adolescence was far from a regular teen show and a great example of how violence and rej-ection can create a nightmare for all involved. Emmy voters got it right because Cooper deserved to win.

Cristin Milioti also gave one of the night’s most talked-about speeches, pulling out her therapy notes and reading straight from them. It was raw, funny, and honest, and it blew up online immediately.

Money Clock Created Controversy

This year CBS gave winners 45 seconds to speak, and for every second over $1,000 was cut from their charity pledge to the Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide. If you kept it short, they added money. The idea sounded clever but played awkwardly in the room.

You could see winners calculating their words in real time, and it made emotional moments feel rushed. Critics and viewers weren’t thrilled. CBS still ended up donating $350,000, but the whole setup felt gimmicky and left a sour taste by tying charity donations to speech time limits.

Two Reunions Made Headlines

Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel celebrated Gilmore Girls’ 25th anniversary with a recreation of the Stars Hollow porch.

Graham kicked things off by saying, “Twenty-five years ago, a show called Gilmore Girls premiered and apparently took the season of fall hostage.” Bledel chimed in that “in spite of our autumnal dominance, Gilmore Girls was actually a very small show.”

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

The Law & Order reunion had its own weight. Mariska Hargitay, Christopher Meloni, Ice-T, Tony Goldwyn, and S. Epatha Merkerson presented Best Drama, celebrating 35 years of the franchise, and Hargitay’s incredible 27-year run as Olivia Benson.

The mix of jokes and tributes worked well, as one joke claimed Benson solved more crimes than actual police departments. When the jokes started veering into roast territory, Hargitay reined it in, “Alright, everyone settle. I love you all. But this isn’t the Mariska Lifetime Achievement roast.”

The crowd loved it, with laughs and applause, and it underlined how much cultural impact the franchise has had over the years.

The Speech Mirroring Real Life

Hannah Einbinder, who won for Hacks, went over her time anyway, and spoke about one issue that no one expects from Hollywood any-more. She denounced ICE, before saying “free Palestine.” She knew it would cost the charity money, but she did it anyway.

Reactions were split, with some calling it brave and others calling it performative. However, it showed that award shows can still be a place where people make political state-ments, even when the format tries to discourage it.

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 – Winner

John Turturro – Severance

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama series

Patricia Arquette – Severance

Carrie Coon – The White Lotus

Katherine LaNasa – The Pitt – Winner

Julianne Nicholson – Paradise

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 – Winner

Ebon Moss–Bachrach – The Bear

Michael Urie – Shrinking

Bowen Yang – Saturday Night Live

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Liza Colón–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 – Winner

Ruth Negga – Presumed Innocent

Deirdre O’Connell – The Penguin

Chloë 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 – Winner

Joe Sachs – The Pitt

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 Gagné, Severance

Ben Stiller, Severance

Adam Randall, Slow Horses – Winner

Mike White, The White Lotus

Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series

Ayo Edebiri, The Bear

Lucia Aniello, Hacks

James Burrows, Mid–Century Modern

Seth Rogen, The Studio – Winner

Nathan Fielder, The Rehearsal

Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

Shannon Murphy, Dying for Sex

Helen Shaver, The Penguin

Philip Barantini, Adolescence – Winner

Jennifer Getzinger, The Penguin

Nicole Kassell, Sirens

Lesli Linka Glatter, Zero Day

Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series

The Daily Show

Saturday Night Live

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver – Winner