The 2025 Emmy Awards brought a mix of expected victories and surprising upsets, with Adolescence, Severance, Hacks, and The Studio emerging as the night’s biggest winners. Meanwhile, Somebody Somewhere scored a surprise recognition, and The Pitt managed to break through to claim best drama.
In the drama categories, The Pitt secured the top prize for best drama series, with Noah Wyle also taking lead actor for his performance. Severance remained a critical favorite, with Britt Lower winning lead actress and Tramell Tillman taking supporting actor, adding to the show’s tally. Katherine LaNasa picked up supporting actress for The Pitt, while Dan Gilroy took home the writing award for Andor. Directing honors in the category went to Adam Randall for Slow Horses.
Comedy was dominated by The Studio, which won best comedy series, lead actor for Seth Rogen, and directing for Rogen as well. The show also picked up a writing win, while co-stars Kathryn Hahn and Catherine O’Hara received nominations. Hacks also performed strongly, with Jean Smart winning lead actress in a comedy and Hannah Einbinder earning supporting actress. Jeff Hiller from Somebody Somewhere surprised many by winning supporting actor, beating out established names like Harrison Ford and Ebon Moss-Bachrach.
Adolescence emerged as the standout in the limited series field, winning best limited or anthology series, lead actor for Stephen Graham, supporting actress for Erin Doherty, supporting actor for Owen Cooper, and writing for Jack Thorne and Graham. Philip Barantini also won directing for the series, cementing it as one of the year’s most awarded shows. Cristin Milioti (The Penguin) took lead actress in the limited category, while competition from Black Mirror, Dying for Sex, and Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story was largely shut out.
In variety and specials, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver continued its streak with wins for both scripted variety series and writing. The Late Show With Stephen Colbert won best talk series, while SNL 50: The Anniversary Special picked up the prize for live variety special.
Reality competition saw The Traitors taking the award, beating long-standing juggernauts like RuPaul’s Drag Race and Survivor.
Overall, the 2025 Emmys reflected both the dominance of returning prestige dramas like Severance and the industry’s willingness to embrace newer players such as The Pitt and The Studio. Adolescence’s sweep across multiple categories reinforced the strength of limited series storytelling, while a surprise nod to Somebody Somewhere highlighted the Academy’s capacity for left-field recognition.
