For many award shows, there is usually a clear winner. One film or show that was a cut above the rest. One actor or actress who went the extra mile. One production that truly feels lived in and real. Going into the ceremony, every audience member is prepared for them to win, and every actor already has their speech prepared. Rarely now do we see real competition, where any actor could win, where every production had stellar moments, where any show could come out on top. That is exactly what made this year’s Emmys so special.
The 2025 Primetime Emmy Awards were held this past Sunday, Sept. 14. The ceremony was hosted by comedian Nate Bargatze, with thousands of actors, producers and directors in attendance, all with the potential of leaving with a trophy.
The competition for this award season was extremely stiff. Several shows swept their opposition when nominations were released two months ago, such as “The Studio,” “Severance,” “The Pitt” and “Adolescence.” These shows all had standout performances and were technical marvels, leaving the results uncertain.
The night was a big win for Apple TV+, with big awards earned in both drama and comedy. Seth Rogen’s satirical comedy, “The Studio” won him both Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Comedy Series, all in its first season. “Severance” also won big, with Tramell Tillman winning Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, the first Black man to win the award. Britt Lower won Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series, despite not being a frontrunner in her category.
A big upset came in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in A Comedy Series category. This was a stacked category, with several breakout performances this year, including frontrunners Michael Urie in “Shrinking,” Ebon Moss Bachrach in “The Bear” and Ike Barinholtz in “The Studio.” Jeff Hiller won the statuette for his role in the recently canceled Netflix show, “Somebody Somewhere.” The win was a shock for many, including Hiller, who acknowledged his disbelief during his acceptance speech. “Thank you to HBO for putting out a show about sweaty middle-aged people on the same network as the sexy teens from ‘Euphoria.’”
“The Pitt” also cleared house, winning big in its freshman season. The explosive new medical drama saw Katherina LaNasa winning Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series and Noah Wyle winning Outstanding Leading Actor in a Drama Series. The show also won Best Drama Series, beating “Severance” in an extremely close race. With both series delivering stellar seasons of television, the award truly felt earned, no matter the winner.
The Limited Series Category was largely dominated by the hit Netflix mini-series “Adolescence,” winning Outstanding Limited Series, Outstanding Actor, Outstanding Supporting Actor and Outstanding Supporting Actress. Owen Cooper made history for his supporting award, winning the Emmy at just 15 years old. The win for Supporting Actress was another surprise as Erin Doherty was only in “Adolescence” for one episode, but her extremely compelling performance secured her the title. A veteran of the television industry with roles in hit shows like “How I Met Your Mother,” Cristin Milioti won her first Emmy for Outstanding Actress in a Limited Series for “The Penguin.”
Shockingly, “The Bear” did not win any awards this season. The Hulu original cleared house last year, winning almost every comedy series award. The show had strong contenders during the nomination period, but none of these potential winners bore any fruit. “Abbott Elementary” had a similar case, as these two shows had dominated many comedic television award shows for the past few years.
This curse of seasoned shows not receiving awards did not actualize for “Hacks,” with Jean Smart winning her fourth Emmy for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series, and Hannah Einbinder winning her first for Outstanding Supporting Actress. Einbinder gained massive traction for her acceptance speech, in which she said “Go birds, fuck ICE, and free Palestine.”
A high point of the night was Steven Colbert winning the Emmy for Outstanding Talk Series. This comes in lieu of the recent cancellation of his late-night talk show, “The Late Show,” by CBS, which declined to continue the show after attacks from the Trump administration. As Colbert walked up to receive his award, he received a standing ovation from the thousands of attendees as he approached the stage to accept his award.
Along with Colbert’s response to the Trump administration, the Television Academy shared its own statement about the recent cuts to publicly funded television. Cris Abrego, the Television Academy’s president, spoke strongly in defense of public broadcasting, sharing a position of strength and unity in uncertain times for television. “In moments like these, neutrality is not enough. We must be voices for connection, inclusion and empathy.”
This year’s ceremony was exciting and extremely memorable, with so many new actors and shows getting awarded and lauded by the Television Academy. With many winners already returning to their sets and exploring new ventures, there are many thrilling events yet to be seen in the television realm.
