Emmy Awards 2025: ‘The Pitt’, ‘Adolescence’ and ‘The Studio’ triumph in a lackluster night

“Television. The most powerful medium ever created, watched by billions of people around the world.” With that sign, to introduce a comedy sketch, the Emmy Awards began, honoring the best of American television. Perhaps today that maxim is debatable, with the arrival of the internet, but on this Sunday night, in the United States, it once again held true and relevant.

The evening, with a dull and scarcely political ceremony — aside from Javier Bardem’s Palestinian keffiyeh — left three clear winners. Adolescence (Netflix) became a success as a miniseries, with six out of seven awards, making it clear that this is no longer a minor category. The Pitt (HBO Max) pulled ahead as best drama over Severance (Apple TV+), its competitor, thanks to three awards, compared to two for the drama created by Ben Stiller.

The Studio (Apple TV+) triumphed with four awards, including Best Comedy Series. Creator Seth Rogen dedicated the award to dozens of people, among them Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, who was in the audience. But, to the disappointment of diehards of the show, Rogen made no mention to Sal Saperstein.

Colbert handed out the first award of the night — Best Actor in a Comedy — to Seth Rogen for The Studio.

The next one — Best Actress in a Comedy — was presented by Jennifer Coolidge. “Between us, I was actually hoping to be nominated [...] for my work on this season of The Pitt,” she joked. The winner was, once again, Jean Smart for Hacks, who accepted it from backstage. At 74 years old and with a knee problem, she said that one of the best things about receiving the award—the seventh of her career and the fourth for the same role — was being able to thank all the wonderful people she works with.

Her co-star Hannah Einbinder, on the other hand, won Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series — her first time after being nominated year after year. She dedicated the award to Smart. In a ceremony short on political statements, Einbinder was the only one to say on stage: “Free Palestine.”

In the comedy category, the biggest surprise was in the Best Supporting Actor race, which was won by Jeff Hiller for his role in Somebody Somewhere. "I just want to say thank you to HBO for putting a show about sweaty middle-aged people on the same network as the sexy teens of Euphoria," he said. “Thank you to my sweet husband and my family for never laughing at me.”

In the drama category, an emotional Noah Wyle took home the award for The Pitt, against tough competition. He dedicated it to the entire series team, his children, his parents, his stepparents, his wife. “To anybody who is going on shift, or coming off shift tonight, thank you for being in that job,” he said, in reference to all hospital workers.

Best Supporting Actress went to Katherine LaNasa for her deeply human role as an ER nurse in The Pitt. She dedicated it to the whole show’s family and to her co-star Wyle, who was moved to tears.

The big loser was The White Lotus, which had four nominees among the six supporting actresses and three in supporting actor, but ended up going home empty-handed.

Severance also picked up two awards. Until now almost unknown, Britt Lower, who plays the complex Helly R. in the Apple TV+ series, won Best Actress and dedicated it to her loved ones and the team: “Thank you to Helly R. for choosing me,” she said, still in disbelief. The note where she had written her speech read, “Let me out” — a nod to a scene in Severance.

The award for Best Supporting Actor went to her co-star Tramell Tillman. “Mama, you were there for me when no one else was and no one else would show up,” he told his mother, his first acting coach, who was in the audience. He became the first Black man to win in his category.

As for the limited or anthology series category, as expected, Netflix’s drama Adolescence was the big winner. “This was a huge collaboration,” said Stephen Graham, the show’s creator, writer, and star, highlighting how everyone in the production had been treated equally. “No. 1 on the call sheet or No. 101, you were treated equally and everyone was respected and treated with the utmost of respect.”

It was his second time on stage, as he also accepted the award for Best Actor. Graham’s subtle yet searing performance as Eddie Miller — the father who carries the weight of the first and last episodes of the series — was also recognized. “There’s too many people to thank,” he said, naming his colleagues, friends, family, and his wife, who was crying in the audience: “You are my rock, you are my will, you are my soulmate, and you know and I know without you, I would be dead.”

“I was nothing about three years ago,” said Owen Cooper, just 15 years old, who became the youngest supporting actor winner in Emmy history — in fact, the youngest man ever to win at the awards. “Anything can be possible.” Also, Erin Doherty, who played the psychologist in the third episode, won Best Supporting Actress.

The only one to break away from Adolescence’s unstoppable awards streak was an emotional Cristin Milioti for The Penguin, dedicating it to her family, friends, HBO, agents, and colleagues. “I love you and I love acting so much, woohhhhhhhhhh!” she shouted on stage, crumpling the paper where she had written her speech.

The awards for best directing and writing were more evenly distributed. In comedy directing, Seth Rogen returned to the stage for The Studio. For best directing in a limited series, there were six nominees — five women and one man… and the man won. It went to Philip Barantini for Adolescence. The surprise in drama came with Adam Randall, for the fourth season of Slow Horses. Gary Oldman himself, the show’s star, applauded slowly, visibly stunned.

The writing awards were also spread out. Dan Gilroy took home the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Writing for Andor, while The Studio won Comedy Writing once again, and Adolescence earned the Emmy for Limited Series Writing. In total, including the technical Emmys awarded a week earlier, The Studio collected 13 awards, The Penguin nine, Adolescence and Severance eight, and The Pitt and Andor five each.

After years of being nominated, Stephen Colbert finally won the Emmy for best talk series, bringing dozens of his collaborators on stage to a standing ovation from everyone present. “You only truly know how much you love something when you get a sense that you might be losing it,” he said of his show. “I have never loved my country more desperately,” he added. “If the elevator tries to bring you down, go crazy and punch a higher floor.”

The special for the 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live won the Emmy for Outstanding Variety Special; The Traitors took home the award for Best Reality Competition Program. The Bob Hope Humanitarian Award went to Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen — actors and married for 30 years — for their contributions to various causes, such as protecting children and the oceans.

In addition to the In Memoriam segment, which remembered Julian McMahon, Maggie Smith, Ozzy Osbourne, David Lynch, and Michelle Trachtenberg, the other three standout moments came thanks to nostalgia.

The first was for the Golden Girls, with several U.S. singers performing the theme song, Thank You for Being a Friend, in the series’ iconic kitchen, now turning 40 years old. The second was a tribute to Gilmore Girls, with its stars Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel reunited on stage, standing on the porch of their famous TV house to present an award. Later, near the end of the ceremony, came the homage to Law & Order.

Cris Abrego, the president of the Television Academy, made a case for public television, explaining that many small local stations have been lost due to a lack of congressional funding — prompting boos from the audience toward Congress.

“Television and the artists who make it do more than reflect society. They shape our culture,” said the first Latino to lead the Academy. “In moments like this, neutrality is not enough. You must be voices for connection, inclusion, empathy, because we know that culture doesn’t come from the top down. It rises from the bottom up.”

He continued: “With that diversity comes a strength, imagination and courage our industry needs to move forward. So let’s do that together. Let’s keep telling stories, and let’s make sure that culture is not a platform for the privileged, but a public good for all.”

It was one of the few political speeches of the night.

The ceremony itself lacked surprises and standout moments. What stood out most in the show hosted by Nate Bargatze was a countdown clock designed to keep winners from speaking for more than 45 seconds: it started with $100,000 earmarked for a children’s charity. But if anyone on stage went over time, money was deducted — $1,000 per second. Despite live donations during the broadcast, the total plunged into the red, down to negative $60,000. In the end, it climbed back up to $350,000, thanks to contributions from the host and CBS. Because, in the end, it’s the spectacle that counts.

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