The 78th Emmy Awards commenced in Los Angeles with the opening night of the Creative Arts Emmys, and Bad Bunny, The Traitors and The Late Show With Stephen Colbert proved to be the night’s most prominent winners. The award ceremony, which took place at the Peacock Theater at L.A. LIVE on September 5, celebrated accomplishments within reality, variety, non-fiction, documentary and technical genres.
Headlining the event was the “The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny,” which received seven Emmys. The Peacock’s The Traitors garnered six Emmys, while The Late Show With Stephen Colbert received five Emmys in its last season. The Muppet Show earned four Emmys, while Love on the Spectrum bagged three. On top of that, Mariska Hargitay’s documentary entitled “My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay” scored two awards.
Bad Bunny Leads Emmy Awards 2026 Night 1 With Seven Wins
Bad Bunny’s halftime show at the Super Bowl LX was the most award-winning performer of the night. His special won seven awards, including Best Variety Special (Live), best music direction, best choreography, sound mixing, lighting design, technical direction, and camerawork, and directorial achievement for a variety special. The special was directed by Hamish Hamilton, but Bad Bunny was credited as producer and performer.
The Traitors Wins Six Emmys
“The Traitors” won another award-filled ceremony after collecting six awards. One of its most notable award categories is Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program, where Alan Cumming won his award for the third straight year. The show has also bagged an award each for directing, production design, cinematography, picture editing, and costumes.
Stephen Colbert’s Late Show Takes Five Awards
Stephen Colbert’s Late Show won five Emmys at the Night 1 Awards, providing this program with great recognition as it was airing its last season. The Emmy nominations for this show included: Writing for a Variety Series, Direction for a Variety Series, Picture Editing, Lighting Design & Technical Direction, and Camerawork. Stephen Colbert, one of the individual winners of the night, won two Emmys as Executive Producer and Writer.
Mariska Hargitay Wins Two Emmys Ahead Of Main Ceremony
Mariska Hargitay won two awards for My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay. The HBO Max documentary won Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special, while Hargitay also took home the award for Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program. The wins come just days before Hargitay hosts the main Emmy ceremony on September 14.
Emmy Awards 2026 Night 1 Winners List
Here are the major winners announced during Night 1 of the 78th Emmy Awards:
Outstanding Variety Special (Live):
The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded):
The Muppet Show
Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program:
Alan Cumming — The Traitors
Outstanding Game Show:
Jeopardy!
Outstanding Host for a Game Show:
Jimmy Kimmel — Who Wants To Be A Millionaire
Outstanding Structured Reality Program:
Antiques Roadshow
Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program:
Love on the Spectrum
Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series:
Mr. Scorsese
Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special:
My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay
Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special:
Tucci in Italy
Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction or Reality Series:
Inside The Pitt
Outstanding Short Form Comedy, Drama or Variety Series:
Colbert Before Air
Outstanding Performer in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series:
Desi Lydic — The Daily Show: Desi Lydic Foxsplains
Outstanding Narrator:
Octavia Spencer — Lost Women of Alaska
Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking:
The Librarians
Outstanding Commercial:
“I’m Not Remarkable” — Apple
Outstanding Directing for a Reality Program:
Ben Archard — The Traitors
Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program:
Mariska Hargitay — My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay
Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series:
Yvonne De Mare — The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special:
Hamish Hamilton — The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series:
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special:
The Muppet Show
Outstanding Writing for a Nonfiction Program:
The Daily Show Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers The Pulse: Give The Man A Prize
Outstanding Music Direction:
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
Outstanding Cinematography for a Reality Program:
The Traitors
Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program:
Ocean With David Attenborough
Outstanding Casting for a Reality Program:
Love on the Spectrum
Outstanding Picture Editing for a Structured Reality or Competition Program:
The Traitors
Outstanding Picture Editing for an Unstructured Reality Program:
Love on the Spectrum
Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming:
The Muppet Show
Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming (Segment):
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
Outstanding Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Program:
Sean Combs: The Reckoning
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Variety Series or Special:
The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Reality Program:
Welcome To Wrexham
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Nonfiction Program:
Billy Joel: And So It Goes
Outstanding Sound Editing for a Nonfiction or Reality Program:
Ocean With David Attenborough
Outstanding Production Design for a Variety or Reality Series:
The Traitors
Outstanding Production Design for a Variety Special:
The Muppet Show
Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Special:
The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Series:
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
Outstanding Technical Direction and Camerawork for a Series:
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
Outstanding Technical Direction and Camerawork for a Special:
The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
Outstanding Hairstyling for a Variety, Nonfiction or Reality Program:
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Outstanding Makeup for a Variety, Nonfiction or Reality Program:
Saturday Night Live — Bad Bunny episode
Who Won The Most Emmys On Night 1?
The biggest winners were:
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Bad Bunny Super Bowl LX Halftime Show — 7
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The Traitors — 6
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The Late Show With Stephen Colbert — 5
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The Muppet Show — 4
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Love on the Spectrum — 3
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My Mom Jayne — 2
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Ocean With David Attenborough — 2
When Are The Main Emmy Awards 2026?
The Emmy celebrations are being held across three nights — September 5, September 6 and September 14. Night 2 of the Creative Arts Emmys takes place on September 6, while the main 78th Emmy Awards ceremony will be held on September 14, 2026. Mariska Hargitay will host the main ceremony, which will air live on NBC and stream on Peacock.
Sunny Singh is a Journalist and Content Writer with a strong affinity for Bollywood and Hollywood insiders, music and more. Somewhat of a writer and poet himself, he thrives on giving life to words and deliver all you need to know about the entertainment sector.
