The 2025 International Emmy Awards announced their winners at a gala event in New York on Monday. The 53rd edition featured 64 contenders across 16 categories, with entries from a record 26 countries. Special honours went to Disney Entertainment co-chairman Dana Walden, who received the Founders Award from producer Ryan Murphy.
Walden said the honour recognised the partnership between creators and teams who support them. She spoke about helping unique storytellers and building a culture that supports creative risks in television. Walden received a standing ovation for her contribution to global storytelling.
Dana Walden Receives Founders Award
Dana Walden highlighted her journey with hit shows like The X-Files, Ally McBeal, 24, and The Simpsons during her acceptance speech. She said each show succeeded because strong stories connect with people everywhere. Walden also recalled supporting Ryan Murphy when Glee received weak early feedback. She said the team learned to protect bold ideas and help audiences understand fresh stories.
Walden added that great storytelling remains central to The Walt Disney Company, guided by Bob Iger’s belief that strong stories build global connections. Her remarks stressed that creative ambition and universal themes drive worldwide success.
Countries Compete Across 16 Categories
The United Kingdom entered the competition with the highest number of nominations, securing 12 across categories. Other nations represented in the awards included Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong–China, India, Israel, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Norway, Qatar, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Türkiye, and the United Arab Emirates.
Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos hosted the ceremony. Grupo Globo chairman João Roberto Marinho received the directorate award. The gala highlighted global talent and recognised outstanding work in arts programming, drama, comedy, documentaries, kids’ content, and non-scripted formats.
The awards announced winners in several key genres. Japan won in Arts Programming with Ryuichi Sakamoto: Last Days. Oriol Pla from Spain won Best Actor for Yo, Adicto, while Anna Maxwell Martin from the United Kingdom won Best Actress for Until I Kill You. The United Kingdom also won Best Comedy with Ludwig.
In Current Affairs, Dispatches: Kill Zone: Inside Gaza won for the UK. In Documentary, the UK also secured a win with Hell Jumper. These wins showed strong global competition and representation across continents.
Global Recognition for Kids, News, and Drama
Australia won in Kids: Animation for Bluey, while Germany took the Kids: Factual & Entertainment category with On Fritzi’s Traces. The UK won Kids: Live-Action with Fallen. In News, Qatar won with Gaza, Search for Life. Denmark won in Non-Scripted Entertainment with Shaolin Heroes, and Canada won Short-Form Series with La Médiatrice.
Spain won in Sports Documentary with It’s All Over: The Kiss That Changed the Spanish Football. Türkiye captured the Telenovela award for Deha. The United Kingdom won TV Movie/Mini-Series with Lost Boys & Fairies, edging out India’s Amar Singh Chamkila.
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Swastika Sruti is a Senior Sub Editor at NewsX Digital with 5 years of experience shaping stories that matter. She loves tracking politics- national and global trends, and never misses a chance to dig deeper into policies and developments. Passionate about what’s happening around us, she brings sharp insight and clarity to every piece she works on. When not curating news, she’s busy exploring what’s next in the world of public interest. You can reach her at [swastika.newsx@gmail.com]
