The 2026 Emmys are officially underway — and Night One has already delivered dominant performances, genuine surprises and one very noticeable shutout. The first of three ceremonies put the spotlight on reality, nonfiction, variety, game shows and short-form programming, ahead of television’s biggest drama, comedy and limited-series prizes on September 14.

Bad Bunny came out on top. The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny collected seven Emmys, including Outstanding Variety Special (Live), directing, choreography and music direction. The Traitors was close behind with six, while The Late Show with Stephen Colbert picked up five awards in its final season. The Muppet Show scored four, Love on the Spectrum took three, and My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay and Ocean with David Attenborough earned two apiece.

There were some eyebrow-raising results along the way. The Late Show won Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series, ending Last Week Tonight with John Oliver‘s decade-long winning streak in the category, while its digital offshoot Colbert Before Air also scored a surprise short-form victory. Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour | The Final Show, meanwhile, entered the night with five nominations and walked away empty-handed. Octavia Spencer won her first Emmy for Outstanding Narrator, beating a field that included David Attenborough twice and denying the 100-year-old broadcasting legend a chance to become the oldest Primetime Emmy winner ever.

The biggest races are still to come. The Pitt leads the overall field with 25 nods, followed by the final season of Hacks with a comedy-record 24, Widow’s Bay with 19 and Pluribus with 18. There were some high-profile omissions when the nominees were announced, too, with previous winners Jeremy Allen White, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Sheryl Lee Ralph among those left out. Night Two will hand out another batch of trophies before Mariska Hargitay hosts the main Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony on September 14.

2026 Emmy Winners and Nominees — Night One

Outstanding Performer in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series

• WINNER: Desi Lydic — The Daily Show: Desi Lydic Foxsplains
• Kim Estes — Big Law
• Randy Rainbow — The Randy Rainbow Show

Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program

• WINNER: Alan Cumming — The Traitors
• RuPaul Charles — RuPaul’s Drag Race
• Ariana Madix — Love Island USA
• Kristen Kish — Top Chef
• Jeff Probst — Survivor

Outstanding Host for a Game Show

• WINNER: Jimmy Kimmel — Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
• Ken Jennings — Jeopardy!
• Steve Harvey — Celebrity Family Feud
• Colin Jost — Pop Culture Jeopardy!
• Martin Short — Match Game

Outstanding Narrator

• WINNER: Octavia Spencer — Lost Women of Alaska: The Missing
• David Attenborough — Ocean with David Attenborough
• David Attenborough — A Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough
• Werner Herzog — Ghost Elephants
• Jodie Foster — Breakdown: 1975

Outstanding Production Design for a Variety or Reality Series

• WINNER: The Traitors
• Jimmy Kimmel Live!
• The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
• RuPaul’s Drag Race
• Saturday Night Live

Outstanding Production Design for a Variety Special

• WINNER: The Muppet Show
• The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
• 68th Annual Grammy Awards
• The Oscars
• 78th Annual Tony Awards

Outstanding Casting for a Reality Program

• WINNER: Love on the Spectrum
• The Amazing Race
• RuPaul’s Drag Race
• Survivor
• Top Chef

Outstanding Choreography for Variety or Reality Programming

• WINNER: The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
• 2025 MTV Video Music Awards
• The Oscars
• RuPaul’s Drag Race
• Wicked: One Wonderful Night

Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program

• WINNER: Ocean with David Attenborough
• My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay
• The Tale of Silyan
• Tucci in Italy
• The Yogurt Shop Murders

Outstanding Cinematography for a Reality Program

• WINNER: The Traitors
• The Amazing Race
• Love on the Spectrum
• Survivor
• Welcome to Wrexham

Outstanding Commercial

• WINNER: I’m Not Remarkable – Apple
• Backstory – Levi’s
• Backyard Legends – Adidas World Cup
• A Critter Carol – Apple
• Why Do It – Nike
• Your Way Out – Coinbase

Outstanding Costumes for Variety, Nonfiction or Reality Programming

Juried recipients:

• WINNER: The Masked Singer
• WINNER: The Traitors

Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series

• WINNER: Yvonne De Mare — The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
• Andy Fisher — Jimmy Kimmel Live!
• Liz Patrick — Saturday Night Live

Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special

• WINNER: Hamish Hamilton — The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
• Rikki Hughes — Dave Chappelle: The Unstoppable…
• Glenn Weiss — Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour | The Final Show
• Glenn Weiss — 78th Annual Tony Awards
• Julie Dash — Wanda Sykes: Legacy

Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program

• WINNER: Mariska Hargitay — My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay
• Lawrence Kasdan — Marty, Life Is Short
• Judd Apatow — Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!
• Rebecca Miller — Mr. Scorsese
• Alexandria Stapleton — Sean Combs: The Reckoning

Outstanding Directing for a Reality Program

• WINNER: Ben Archard — The Traitors
• Bertram van Munster — The Amazing Race
• Cian O’Clery — Love on the Spectrum
• Nick Murray — RuPaul’s Drag Race
• Anna Moulaison — Top Chef

Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming

• WINNER: The Muppet Show
• Nikki Glaser: Good Girl
• Ramy Youssef: In Love
• Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour | The Final Show
• Wanda Sykes: Legacy

Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming (Segment)

• WINNER: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
• The Daily Show
• Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
• Saturday Night Live — “Home Alone”
• Saturday Night Live — “MAHAspital (The New Pitt)”

Outstanding Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Program

• WINNER: Sean Combs: The Reckoning
• John Candy: I Like Me
• Marty, Life Is Short
• Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!
• Mr. Scorsese

Outstanding Picture Editing for a Structured Reality or Competition Program

• WINNER: The Traitors
• The Amazing Race
• RuPaul’s Drag Race
• Survivor
• The Voice

Outstanding Picture Editing for an Unstructured Reality Program

• WINNER: Love on the Spectrum
• America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
• Deadliest Catch
• RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked
• Welcome to Wrexham

Outstanding Emerging Media Program

• WINNER: Uncanny Alley: A New Day
• Blumhouse Enhanced Cinema
• The World of Fallout

Outstanding Innovation in Emerging Media Programming

Juried recipient:

• WINNER: Crafting Crimes

Outstanding Hairstyling for a Variety, Nonfiction or Reality Program

• WINNER: RuPaul’s Drag Race
• The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
• Dancing with the Stars
• Saturday Night Live
• Wicked: One Wonderful Night

Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Series

• WINNER: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
• Dancing with the Stars
• Jimmy Kimmel Live!
• Saturday Night Live
• The Voice

Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Special

• WINNER: The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
• 68th Annual Grammy Awards
• The Oscars
• 78th Annual Tony Awards
• Wicked: One Wonderful Night

Outstanding Makeup for a Variety, Nonfiction or Reality Program

• WINNER: Saturday Night Live
• Dancing with the Stars
• The Oscars

Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary/Nonfiction or Reality Program (Original Dramatic Score)

• WINNER: John Candy: I Like Me
• High Horse: The Black Cowboy
• Kingdom
• Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!
• Ocean with David Attenborough
• Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age

Outstanding Music Direction

• WINNER: The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
• The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
• The Oscars
• Saturday Night Live
• Wicked: One Wonderful Night

Outstanding Variety Special (Live)

• WINNER: The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
• 83rd Annual Golden Globes
• 68th Annual Grammy Awards
• The Oscars
• 78th Annual Tony Awards

Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded)

• WINNER: The Muppet Show
• Dave Chappelle: The Unstoppable…
• Nikki Glaser: Good Girl
• Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour | The Final Show
• Wicked: One Wonderful Night

Outstanding Short Form Comedy, Drama or Variety Series

• WINNER: Colbert Before Air
• Bad Thoughts
• The Daily Show: Desi Lydic Foxsplains
• The Randy Rainbow Show
• SubwayTakes with Kareem Rahma

Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction or Reality Series

• WINNER: Inside The Pitt
• Hacks: Bit by Bit
• Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette — A Love Untold
• Shrinking — In It Together
• This Is a Gardening Show

Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special

• WINNER: My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay
• John Candy: I Like Me
• Marty, Life Is Short
• Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!
• Ocean with David Attenborough

Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series

• WINNER: Mr. Scorsese
• The American Revolution
• Rafa
• Sean Combs: The Reckoning
• The Yogurt Shop Murders

Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special

• WINNER: Tucci in Italy
• The Daily Show Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse – Give the Man a Prize
• Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
• My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman
• The Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy

Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking

• WINNER: The Librarians
• The Tale of Silyan

Outstanding Structured Reality Program

• WINNER: Antiques Roadshow
• Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
• Love Is Blind
• Queer Eye
• Shark Tank

Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program

• WINNER: Love on the Spectrum
• America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
• RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked
• Summer House
• Welcome to Wrexham

Outstanding Game Show

• WINNER: Jeopardy!
• Celebrity Family Feud
• The Price Is Right
• Wheel of Fortune
• Who Wants to Be a Millionaire

Outstanding Sound Editing for a Nonfiction or Reality Program

• WINNER: Ocean with David Attenborough
• Billy Joel: And So It Goes
• John Candy: I Like Me
• Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!
• World War II with Tom Hanks

Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Variety Series or Special

• WINNER: The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
• The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
• The Muppet Show
• The Oscars
• Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour | The Final Show

Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Nonfiction Program

• WINNER: Billy Joel: And So It Goes
• John Candy: I Like Me
• Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!
• Ocean with David Attenborough
• Tucci in Italy

Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Reality Program

• WINNER: Welcome to Wrexham
• The Amazing Race
• Deadliest Catch
• RuPaul’s Drag Race
• The Voice

Outstanding Technical Direction and Camerawork for a Series

• WINNER: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
• The Daily Show
• Dancing with the Stars
• Jimmy Kimmel Live!
• Saturday Night Live

Outstanding Technical Direction and Camerawork for a Special

• WINNER: The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
• The Oscars
• Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction 2025
• Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour | The Final Show
• Wicked: One Wonderful Night

Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series

• WINNER: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
• Jimmy Kimmel Live!
• Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special

• WINNER: The Muppet Show
• Chris Fleming: Live at the Palace
• Nikki Glaser: Good Girl
• The Oscars
• Wanda Sykes: Legacy

Outstanding Writing for a Nonfiction Program

• WINNER: The Daily Show Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse – Give the Man a Prize
• The American Revolution
• The Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy