Emmy Awards Night 1 Big Winners: Bad Bunny and Jimmy Kimmel shine as ‘The Traitors’ dominates reality categories; check full winners list

The 78th annual Primetime Emmy Awards kicked off at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Saturday, September 5, 2026 with the first of two back-to-back ceremonies this weekend. Comedian Wanda Sykes opened the evening by welcoming the audience, playfully poking fun at the Television Academy’s new Night 1 and Night 2 format for the longtime Creative Arts ceremonies.

Night 1 awarded trophies across variety, reality, documentary, and short-form programming. The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny led the pack with seven wins, including Variety Special (Live) and Directing for a Variety Special. The Traitors dominated reality categories, securing six trophies including Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program for Alan Cumming, while The Muppet Show picked up four Emmys, including Variety Special (Pre-recorded).

In individual categories, Jimmy Kimmel was named Outstanding Host for a Game Show for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Octavia Spencer won for Outstanding Narrator for Lost Women of Alaska: The Missing, and Mariska Hargitay picked up two Emmys—for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special and Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program—for My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay.



Emmy Awards Night 1: The Full Winners List


Variety & Short Form Categories

• Variety Special (Live): The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny (NBC)
• Variety Special (Pre-recorded): The Muppet Show (Disney+)
• Directing for a Variety Special: Hamish Hamilton, The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny (NBC)
• Directing for a Variety Series: Yvonne De Mare, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (CBS)
• Writing for a Variety Special: Albertina Rizzo, Gabe Liedman, Nedaa Sweiss, Kelly Younger, Andrew Williams, The Muppet Show (Disney+)
• Writing for a Variety Series: Ariel Dumas, Jay Katsir, Delmonte Bent, Michael Brumm, Aaron Cohen, Stephen T. Colbert, Paul Dinello, Gabe Gronli, Barry Julien, Michael Cruz Kayne, Eliana Kwartler, Matt Lappin, Caroline Lazar, Pratima Mani, Felipe Torres Medina, Opus Moreschi, Carley Moseley, Aaron Nemo, Asher Perlman, Tom Purcell, Kate Sidley, Brian Stack, John Thibodeaux, Steve Waltien, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (CBS)

Short Form Comedy, Drama or Variety Series: Colbert Before Air (YouTube)

• Performer in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series: Desi Lydic, The Daily Show: Desi Lydic Foxsplains (YouTube)
• Short Form Nonfiction or Reality Series: Inside The Pitt (HBO Max)

Reality & Game Show Categories

• Structured Reality Program: Antiques Roadshow (PBS)
• Unstructured Reality Program: Love On The Spectrum (Netflix)
• Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program: Alan Cumming, The Traitors (Peacock)
• Directing for a Reality Program: Ben Archard, The Traitors (Peacock)
• Casting for a Reality Program: Cian O’Clery, Sean Bowman, Ashley Morgan, Emily Frisbie, Love On The Spectrum (Netflix)
• Game Show: Jeopardy! (ABC/Syndicated)
• Host for a Game Show: Jimmy Kimmel, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire (ABC)

Documentary & Nonfiction Categories

• Documentary or Nonfiction Special: My Mom Jayne: A Film By Mariska Hargitay (HBO Max)
• Documentary or Nonfiction Series: Mr. Scorsese (Apple TV+)
• Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program: Mariska Hargitay, My Mom Jayne: A Film By Mariska Hargitay (HBO Max)
• Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special: Tucci In Italy (National Geographic)
• Narrator: Octavia Spencer, Lost Women Of Alaska: The Missing (Investigation Discovery)
• Writing for a Nonfiction Program: Jennifer Flanz, Ian Berger, Zhubin Parang, Devin Delliquanti, Scott Sherman, Jordan Klepper, The Daily Show Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers The Pulse: Give The Man A Prize (Comedy Central)

Craft & Technical Categories

• Production Design for a Variety Special: Denise Pizzini, Chet Maxwell, Robert Aguirre, Bethany Barton, The Muppet Show (Disney+)
• Production Design for a Variety or Reality Series: Stuart Frossell, Luke Fuller, Georgia Picton, Alex Robertson, Rosie Westwood, Celina Hodge, The Traitors (Peacock)
• Technical Direction and Camerawork for a Special: Rod Wardell, Eric Becker, Dylan Sanford, Rob Balton, Danny Bonilla, Keith Dicker, Sean Flannery, Jeremy Freeman, Kevin French, Helena Jackson, Martin Kitchen, Bettina Levesque, David Plakos, Matt Roe, Jofre Rosero, Keyan Safyari, Monte Seaborn, Matt Trujillo, Brad Zerbst, Scott Acosta, Santiago Benet, Gilberto Cruz, Robert Smith, Cody Taylor, Kevin Denning, Andrew Moore, Rick Compeau, Su-Jeng Sang, Chris Hill, Matt Conrad, Adam Lighterman, The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny (NBC)
• Technical Direction and Camerawork for a Series: Karen Obel Cape, Brian Cimino, Joe Debonis, John Harrison, Wade Latz, Dante Pagano, John Hannel, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (CBS)
• Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Special: Al Gurdon, Ben Green, Harry Forster, Mark Humphrey, Eric Marchwinski, Alen Sisul, Lee Spencer, Jason Rudolph, The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny (NBC)
• Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Series: Michael Scricca, Hillary Knox, Constantine S. Leonardos, Tom Carroll, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (CBS)
• Picture Editing for a Structured Reality or Competition Program: David Moon, Patrick Owen, Matt Pratt, James Seddon-Brown, The Traitors (Peacock)
• Picture Editing for an Unstructured Reality Program: Marcus Kjellberg, Leanne Cole, Kim Lloyd, John Rosser, Love On The Spectrum (Netflix)
• Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Program: Charles Divak, Evan Wise, Jack Gravina, Benji Kast, Adam Goldstein, Jonathan Miller, Jeremy Siefer, Sean Combs: The Reckoning (Netflix)
• Picture Editing for Variety Programming (Segment): Andrew Matheson, Amanda Sprecher, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (CBS)
• Picture Editing for Variety Programming: Kelly Lyon, The Muppet Show (Disney+)
• Cinematography for a Reality Program: Siggi Rosen-Rawlings, Matt Wright, Will Antill, Jack Booth, Alex Bruno, Ollie Green, Quin Jessop, Guy Linton, Scott McKee, Joshua Montague, Hazel Palmer, Steve Peters, Paul Rudge, James Spencer, Matt Thomson, Alex Took, Melvin Wright, The Traitors (Peacock)
• Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program: Doug Anderson, Toby Strong, Ocean With David Attenborough (National Geographic)
• Sound Editing For A Nonfiction Or Reality Program: George Fry, Roy Noy, Jonathon Cawte, Chris Domaille, Ocean With David Attenborough (National Geographic)
• Sound Mixing for a Nonfiction Program: Bob Chefalas, Mark Mandler, David Mitlyng, Michael Stewart, Bradshaw Leigh, Brian Ruggles, Jay Vicari, Billy Joel: And So It Goes (HBO Max)
• Sound Mixing for a Reality Program: Mark Jensen, Welcome To Wrexham (FX/Hulu)
• Sound Mixing for a Variety Series or Special: Thomas Holmes, Pablo Munguia, Alex Guessard, Dave Natale, Tom Pesa, Christian Schrader, The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny (NBC)
• Choreography for Variety or Reality Programming: Charm La’Donna, Karina Ortiz, The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny (NBC)
• Music Direction: Miguel Gandelman, The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny (NBC)
• Music Composition for a Documentary/Nonfiction or Reality Program (Original Dramatic Score): Tyler Strickland, John Candy: I Like Me (Prime Video)
• Makeup for a Variety, Nonfiction or Reality Program: Louie Zakarian, Jason Milani, Amy Tagliamonti, Young Bek, Joanna Pisani, Madison Bermudez, Waltaya Culmer, Saturday Night Live (NBC)
• Hairstyling for a Variety, Nonfiction or Reality Program: Suzette Boozer, Henry Sanchez, RuPaul’s Drag Race (MTV)
• Commercial: I’m Not Remarkable – Apple (Apple / Somesuch)
• Emerging Media Program: Uncanny Alley: A New Day (Ferryman Collective + Virtual Worlds Company / VR Chat)

Juried Winners & Special Announcements

• Outstanding Costumes For Variety, Nonfiction Or Reality Programming (Tie):
• Grainne O’Sullivan, Luke D’Alessandro, Steven Lee, Arleen Flores, Alice Garland, Maro Isakulyan, The Masked Singer (Fox)
• Sam Spector, Rikki Finlay, Catherine Moran, The Traitors (Peacock)
• Outstanding Innovation In Emerging Media Programming: Victor Agulhon, Chloé Rochereuil, Crafting Crimes (TARGO / Meta Quest)
• Outstanding Individual Achievement In Animation:
• Uzoma Dunkwu (Character Design), Eyes of Wakanda (Disney+)
• David Krentz (Storyboard), Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal (Adult Swim)
• Scott Wills (Art Direction), Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal (Adult Swim)
• Howard Chen (Background Design), The Mighty Nein (Prime Video)
• Takashi Okazaki (Character Designer), Star Wars: Visions (Disney+)
• Outstanding Motion Design: No Emmy awarded