Creative Arts Emmys 2026: Who won what?

The 78th Creative Arts Emmy Awards handed out 102 trophies over two nights at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, honoring the technical, unscripted and specialty categories that don't make the main Primetime telecast.

The two ceremonies will be edited into a single broadcast on FXX, early reports point to September 12, though one recap listed September 14, streaming on Hulu the next day. The televised Primetime Emmys follow on Monday, September 14, hosted by Mariska Hargitay.

Night One was fronted by Colin Hanks, Julianne Hough, Wanda Sykes and Julie Chen Moonves. Night Two brought in Noah Wyle, Wendi McLendon-Covey and Daveed Diggs, plus a special tribute to "I Love Lucy" and the debut of the "Legacy" award for shows with lasting cultural impact.

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2026 Creative Arts Emmy Awards: Night One Winners

Best Documentary or Nonfiction Series

Winner: Mr. Scorsese

Other nominees:

• The American Revolution
• Rafa
• Sean Combs: The Reckoning
• The Yogurt Shop Murders

Best Documentary or Nonfiction Special

Winner: My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay

Other nominees:

• John Candy: I Like Me
• Marty, Life Is Short
• Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!
• Ocean With David Attenborough

Best Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special

Winner: Tucci in Italy

Other nominees:

• The Daily Show Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: Give the Man a Prize
• Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates Jr.
• My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman
• The Reluctant Traveler With Eugene Levy

Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking

Winner: The Librarians

Other nominee:

• The Tale of Silyan

Best Structured Reality Program

Winner: Antiques Roadshow

Other nominees:

• Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
• Love Is Blind
• Queer Eye
• Shark Tank

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Best Unstructured Reality Program

Winner: Love on the Spectrum

Other nominees:

• America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
• RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked
• Summer House
• Welcome to Wrexham

Best Game Show

Winner: Jeopardy!

Other nominees:

• Celebrity Family Feud
• The Price Is Right
• Wheel of Fortune
• Who Wants to Be a Millionaire

Best Variety Special (Live)

Winner: The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny

Other nominees:

• 83rd Annual Golden Globes
• 68th Annual Grammy Awards
• The Oscars
• 78th Annual Tony Awards

Best Variety Special (Pre-recorded)

Winner: The Muppet Show

Other nominees:

• Dave Chappelle: The Unstoppable…
• Nikki Glaser: Good Girl
• Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour | The Final Show
• Wicked: One Wonderful Night

Best Short Form Comedy, Drama or Variety Series

Winner: Colbert Before Air

Other nominees:

• Bad Thoughts
• The Daily Show: Desi Lydic Foxsplains
• The Randy Rainbow Show
• SubwayTakes With Kareem Rahma

Best Short Form Nonfiction or Reality Series

Winner: Inside the Pitt

Other nominees:

• Hacks: Bit by Bit
• Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette — A Love Untold
• Shrinking — In It Together
• This Is a Gardening Show

Best Emerging Media Program

Winner: Uncanny Alley: A New Day

Other nominees:

• Blumhouse Enhanced Cinema
• The World of Fallout

Best Innovation in Emerging Media Programming

Winner: Crafting Crimes

Best Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program

Winner: Alan Cumming, The Traitors

Other nominees:

• RuPaul Charles, RuPaul’s Drag Race
• Kristen Kish, Top Chef
• Ariana Madix, Love Island USA
• Jeff Probst, Survivor

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Best Game Show Host

Winner: Jimmy Kimmel, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire

Other nominees:

• Steve Harvey, Celebrity Family Feud
• Ken Jennings, Jeopardy!
• Colin Jost, Pop Culture Jeopardy!
• Martin Short, Match Game

Best Narrator

Winner: Octavia Spencer, Lost Women of Alaska

Other nominees:

• David Attenborough, A Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough
• David Attenborough, Ocean With David Attenborough
• Jodie Foster, Breakdown: 1975
• Werner Herzog, Ghost Elephants

Best Performer in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series

Winner: Desi Lydic, The Daily Show: Desi Lydic Foxsplains

Other nominees:

• Kim Estes, Big Law
• Randy Rainbow, The Randy Rainbow Show

Best Casting for a Reality Program

Winner: Love on the Spectrum

Other nominees:

• The Amazing Race
• RuPaul’s Drag Race
• Survivor
• Top Chef

Best Choreography for Variety or Reality Programming

Winner: The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny

Other nominees:

• 2025 MTV Video Music Awards
• The Oscars
• RuPaul’s Drag Race
• Wicked: One Wonderful Night

Best Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program

Winner: Ocean With David Attenborough

Other nominees:

• My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay
• The Tale of Silyan
• Tucci in Italy
• The Yogurt Shop Murders

Best Cinematography for a Reality Program

Winner: The Traitors

Other nominees:

• The Amazing Race
• Love on the Spectrum
• Survivor
• Welcome to Wrexham

Best Commercial

Winner: “I’m Not Remarkable” — Apple

Other nominees:

• “Backstory” — Levi’s
• “Backyard Legends” — adidas World Cup
• “A Critter Carol” — Apple
• “Why Do It” — Nike
• “Your Way Out” — Coinbase

Best Costumes for Variety, Nonfiction or Reality Programming

Winners: The Masked Singer and The Traitors

Best Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program

Winner: My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay

Other nominees:

• Marty, Life Is Short
• Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!
• Mr. Scorsese
• Sean Combs: The Reckoning

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Best Directing for a Reality Program

Winner: The Traitors

Other nominees:

• The Amazing Race
• Love on the Spectrum
• RuPaul’s Drag Race
• Top Chef

Best Directing for a Variety Series

Winner: The Late Show With Stephen Colbert

Other nominees:

• Jimmy Kimmel Live!
• Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
• Saturday Night Live

Best Directing for a Variety Special

Winner: The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny

Other nominees:

• Dave Chappelle: The Unstoppable…
• Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour | The Final Show
• 78th Annual Tony Awards
• Wanda Sykes: Legacy

Best Hairstyling for a Variety, Nonfiction or Reality Program

Winner: RuPaul’s Drag Race

Other nominees:

• The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
• Dancing With the Stars
• Saturday Night Live
• Wicked: One Wonderful Night

Best Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Series

Winner: The Late Show With Stephen Colbert

Other nominees:

• Dancing With the Stars
• Jimmy Kimmel Live!
• Saturday Night Live
• The Voice

Best Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Special

Winner:  The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny 

Other nominees:

• 68th Annual Grammy Awards
• The Oscars
• 78th Annual Tony Awards
• Wicked: One Wonderful Night

Best Makeup for a Variety, Nonfiction or Reality Program

Winner: Saturday Night Live

Other nominees:

• Dancing With the Stars
• The Oscars

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Best Music Composition for a Documentary/Nonfiction or Reality Program (Original Dramatic Score)

Winner: John Candy: I Like Me

Other nominees:

• High Horse: The Black Cowboy
• Kingdom
• Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!
• Ocean With David Attenborough
• Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age

Best Music Direction

Winner: The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny

Other nominees:

• The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
• The Oscars
• Saturday Night Live
• Wicked: One Wonderful Night

Best Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Program

Winner: Sean Combs: The Reckoning

Other nominees:

• John Candy: I Like Me
• Marty, Life Is Short
• Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!
• Mr. Scorsese

Best Picture Editing for a Structured Reality or Competition Program

Winner: The Traitors

Other nominees:

• The Amazing Race
• RuPaul’s Drag Race
• Survivor
• The Voice

Best Picture Editing for an Unstructured Reality Program

Winner: Love on the Spectrum

Other nominees:

• America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
• Deadliest Catch
• RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked
• Welcome to Wrexham

Best Picture Editing for Variety Programming

Winner: The Muppet Show

Other nominees:

• Nikki Glaser: Good Girl
• Ramy Youssef: In Love
• Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour | The Final Show
• Wanda Sykes: Legacy

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Best Picture Editing for Variety Programming (Segment)

Winner: The Late Show With Stephen Colbert

Other nominees:

• The Daily Show
• Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
• Saturday Night Live, “Home Alone”
• Saturday Night Live, “MAHAspital (The New Pitt)”

Best Production Design for a Variety or Reality Series

Winner: The Traitors

Other nominees:

• Jimmy Kimmel Live!
• The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
• RuPaul’s Drag Race
• Saturday Night Live

Best Production Design for a Variety Special

Winner: The Muppet Show

Other nominees:

• The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
• 68th Annual Grammy Awards
• The Oscars
• 78th Annual Tony Awards

Best Sound Editing for a Nonfiction or Reality Program

Winner: Ocean With David Attenborough

Other nominees:

• Billy Joel: And So It Goes
• John Candy: I Like Me
• Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!
• World War II With Tom Hanks

Best Sound Mixing for a Nonfiction Program

Winner: Billy Joel: And So It Goes

Other nominees:

• John Candy: I Like Me
• Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!
• Ocean With David Attenborough
• Tucci in Italy

Best Sound Mixing for a Reality Program

Winner: Welcome to Wrexham

Other nominees:

• The Amazing Race
• Deadliest Catch
• RuPaul’s Drag Race
• The Voice

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Best Sound Mixing for a Variety Series or Special

Winner: The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny

Other nominees:

• The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
• The Muppet Show
• The Oscars
• Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour | The Final Show

Best Technical Direction and Camerawork for a Series

Winner: The Late Show With Stephen Colbert

Other nominees:

• The Daily Show
• Dancing With the Stars
• Jimmy Kimmel Live!
• Saturday Night Live

Best Technical Direction and Camerawork for a Special

Winner: The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny

Other nominees:

• The Oscars
• Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction 2025
• Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour | The Final Show
• Wicked: One Wonderful Night

Best Writing for a Nonfiction Program

Winner: The Daily Show Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: Give the Man a Prize

Other nominees:

• The American Revolution
• The Reluctant Traveler With Eugene Levy

Best Writing for a Variety Series

Winner: The Late Show With Stephen Colbert

Other nominees:

• Jimmy Kimmel Live!
• Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

Best Writing for a Variety Special

Winner: The Muppet Show

Other nominees:

• Chris Fleming: Live at the Palace
• Nikki Glaser: Good Girl
• The Oscars
• Wanda Sykes: Legacy

Juried Winners

The Creative Arts Emmys also announced juried winners in several categories. For Outstanding Costumes for Variety, Nonfiction or Reality Programming, both ‘The Masked Singer’ and ‘The Traitors’ were recognised.

Outstanding Innovation in Emerging Media Programming went to ‘Crafting Crimes’.

In Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation, the winners announced for September 6 were:

• Eyes of Wakanda: Into the Lion’s Den — Uzoma Dunkwu, Character Design
• Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal: Kingdom of Sorrow — David Krentz, Storyboard
• Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal: Vengeance of Death — Scott Wills, Art Direction
• The Mighty Nein: Mote of Possibility — Howard Chen, Background Design
• Star Wars: Visions: The Duel: Payback — Takashi Okazaki, Character Designer

No Emmy was awarded for Outstanding Motion Design.

With Night One setting the pace, the remaining Creative Arts Emmy categories will continue to be handed out before the ceremony culminates with the main Primetime Emmy Awards.