Emmy Winners: Night One
Issue: July/August 2026

Emmy Winners: Night One

LOS ANGELES — This past weekend, The Television Academy honored outstanding artistic and technical achievement in television. The 78th Emmy Awards kicked off the 78th Emmys, recognizing many talented artists and craftspeople in variety, reality and nonfiction series. Night One of the three-night event (September 5th, 6th and 14th) featured presenters from television’s most popular shows.

The following is a list of winners from the September 5th ceremony.

OUTSTANDING HOST FOR A GAME SHOW
JIMMY KIMMEL, Host ABC
Who Wants To Be A Millionaire

OUTSTANDING GAME SHOW
JEOPARDY! ABC/SYNDICATED

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR A VARIETY OR REALITY SERIES
The Traitors
The Black Banquet
PEACOCK

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR A VARIETY SPECIAL
The Muppet Show
DISNEY+

OUTSTANDING MUSIC COMPOSITION FOR A DOCUMENTARY/NONFICTION OR
REALITY PROGRAM (ORIGINAL DRAMATIC SCORE)
TYLER STRICKLAND, Composer PRIME VIDEO
John Candy: I Like Me

OUTSTANDING MUSIC DIRECTION
MIGUEL GANDELMAN, Music Director NBC
The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny

OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY FOR VARIETY OR REALITY PROGRAMMING
The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
Casita Medley / EoO / Nuevayol
NBC

OUTSTANDING EMERGING MEDIA PROGRAM
UNCANNY ALLEY: A NEW DAY Ferryman Collective
Virtual Worlds Company
VRCHAT

OUTSTANDING CASTING FOR A REALITY PROGRAM
Love On The Spectrum
NETFLIX

OUTSTANDING INNOVATION IN EMERGING MEDIA PROGRAMMING
CRAFTING CRIMES META QUEST
TARGO
Meta Quest

OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR A NONFICTION PROGRAM
Ocean With David Attenborough
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR A REALITY PROGRAM
The Traitors
Series Body Of Work
PEACOCK

OUTSTANDING SHORT FORM NONFICTION OR REALITY SERIES
INSIDE THE PITT
HBO MAX

OUTSTANDING SHORT FORM COMEDY, DRAMA OR VARIETY SERIES
COLBERT BEFORE AIR
YOUTUBE

OUTSTANDING COMMERCIAL
I'M NOT REMARKABLE - APPLE
Apple, Ad agency

OUTSTANDING HAIRSTYLING FOR A VARIETY, NONFICTION OR REALITY
PROGRAM
RuPaul's Drag Race
Rate-A-Queen Talent Show, Part 2
MTV

OUTSTANDING MAKEUP FOR A VARIETY, NONFICTION OR REALITY PROGRAM
Saturday Night Live
Host: Bad Bunny
NBC

OUTSTANDING COSTUMES FOR VARIETY, NONFICTION OR REALITY
PROGRAMMING
The Masked Singer
Premiere Part 1
FOX

The Traitors
The Black Banquet
PEACOCK

OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A VARIETY SPECIAL
The Muppet Show
DISNEY+

OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A VARIETY SERIES
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
CBS

OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A NONFICTION PROGRAM
The Daily Show Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers The Pulse: Give The Man A Prize
COMEDY CENTRAL

OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A VARIETY SERIES OR SPECIAL
The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
NBC

OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A REALITY PROGRAM
MARK JENSEN, CAS, Re-Recording Mixer Welcome To Wrexham
Do A Wrexham
FX/HULU

OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A NONFICTION PROGRAM
Billy Joel: And So It Goes
HBO MAX

OUTSTANDING SOUND EDITING FOR A NONFICTION OR REALITY PROGRAM
Ocean With David Attenborough
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR VARIETY PROGRAMMING
The Muppet Show
DISNEY+

OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR VARIETY PROGRAMMING (SEGMENT)
The Late Show closes out its storied run at the Ed Sullivan Theater with help from
Paul McCartney and Elvis Costello

OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR A NONFICTION PROGRAM
Sean Combs: The Reckoning
Blink Again
NETFLIX

OUTSTANDING PERFORMER IN A SHORT FORM COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES
DESI LYDIC as Desi Lydic The Daily Show: Desi Lydic Foxsplains
YOUTUBE

OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR AN UNSTRUCTURED REALITY PROGRAM
Love On The Spectrum
Episode 4
NETFLIX

OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR A STRUCTURED REALITY OR COMPETITION
PROGRAM
The Traitors
The Death Conga
PEACOCK

OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY OR NONFICTION SPECIAL
MY MOM JAYNE: A FILM BY MARISKA HARGITAY Mariska Hargitay, Produced by
HBO MAX

OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY OR NONFICTION SERIES
MR. SCORSESE
APPLE TV

OUTSTANDING HOSTED NONFICTION SERIES OR SPECIAL
TUCCI IN ITALY
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A DOCUMENTARY/NONFICTION PROGRAM
MARISKA HARGITAY, Directed by My Mom Jayne: A Film By Mariska Hargitay
HBO MAX

OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A REALITY PROGRAM
The Traitors
Let The Cards Fall As They Will
PEACOCK

EXCEPTIONAL MERIT IN DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING
THE LIBRARIANS
PBS

OUTSTANDING NARRATOR
INVESTIGATION
Lost Women Of Alaska
The Missing
DISCOVERY

OUTSTANDING HOST FOR A REALITY OR REALITY COMPETITION PROGRAM
ALAN CUMMING, Host PEACOCK
The Traitors

OUTSTANDING UNSTRUCTURED REALITY PROGRAM
LOVE ON THE SPECTRUM
NETFLIX

OUTSTANDING STRUCTURED REALITY PROGRAM
ANTIQUES ROADSHOW
PBS

OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN/LIGHTING DIRECTION FOR A SPECIAL
The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
NBC

OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN/LIGHTING DIRECTION FOR A SERIES
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
Guests: Bruce Springsteen, Special Surprise Guests
CBS

OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL DIRECTION AND CAMERAWORK FOR A SERIES
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Series Finale
CBS

OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL DIRECTION AND CAMERAWORK FOR A SPECIAL
The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
NBC

OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY SERIES
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Series Finale
CBS

OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY SPECIAL
The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny

OUTSTANDING VARIETY SPECIAL (PRE-RECORDED)
THE MUPPET SHOW
DISNEY+

OUTSTANDING VARIETY SPECIAL (LIVE)
THE APPLE MUSIC SUPER BOWL LX HALFTIME SHOW STARRING BAD
BUNNY
NBC