2025 Emmy Winners: 'The Studio' and 'Adolescence' Take Top Prizes

The 2025 Emmy Awards: A Fast-Paced Celebration of Excellence

The 2025 Emmy Awards were marked by a unique blend of humor, speed, and an impressive array of winners. Host Nate Bergatze set the tone early in the CBS telecast by joking that any winner who exceeded their 45-second speech would lose $1,000 from a planned $100,000 donation to the Boys and Girls Club of America. While this was clearly a comedic gag, the real-time subtraction of money displayed on screen had a noticeable effect on the winners’ remarks. Seth Rogen, Tramell Tillman, and Jean Smart kept their speeches brief, while late-night host John Oliver delivered his in under 20 seconds.

Beyond the humorous setup, the ceremony moved at a brisk pace for another reason: many of the same shows continued to dominate the awards. This trend highlighted the consistent quality and recognition of certain programs across multiple categories.

Comedy Categories: Dominance of “The Studio”

Seth Rogen’s comedy series “The Studio” was a clear standout in the comedy categories. It swept nearly all the comedy awards, taking home statues for Best Comedy Series, Best Actor (Rogen), Best Directing, and Best Writing. The show’s success underscored its impact and popularity among both critics and audiences.

Other notable wins in the comedy category included:

• Best Actress in a Comedy Series: Jean Smart for “Hacks”
• Best Actor in a Comedy Series: Seth Rogen for “The Studio”
• Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Hannah Einbinder for “Hacks”
• Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: Ebon Moss-Bachrach for “The Bear”
• Best Directing for a Comedy Series: “The Studio” for “The Oner”
• Best Writing for a Comedy Series: “The Studio” for “The Promotion”

Drama Categories: Variety and Excellence

In the drama categories, there was more variety in the winners. HBO Max’s medical drama “The Pitt” took home Outstanding Drama, Actor (Noah Wyle), and Supporting Actress (Katherine LaNasa). Apple TV’s thriller “Severance” won Outstanding Actress (Britt Lower) and Supporting Actor (Tramell Tillman). Other notable wins included:

• Outstanding Drama Series: “The Pitt”
• Actress in a Drama Series: Britt Lower for “Severance”
• Lead Actor in a Drama Series: Noah Wyle for “The Pitt”
• Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Katherine LaNasa for “The Pitt”
• Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: Tramell Tillman for “Severance”
• Directing for a Drama Series: “Slow Horses” for “Hello Goodbye”
• Writing for a Drama Series: “Andor” for “Welcome to the Rebellion”

Limited or Anthology Series: “Adolescence” Takes Center Stage

Netflix’s limited series “Adolescence” made a strong impression, winning six out of seven awards in the limited series categories. The only award it didn’t win was Best Actress in a Limited Series, as it wasn’t nominated. Other notable wins in this category included:

• Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series: “Adolescence”
• Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series: Stephen Graham for “Adolescence”
• Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series: Cristin Milioti for “The Penguin”
• Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series: Erin Doherty for “Adolescence”
• Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series: Owen Cooper for “Adolescence”
• Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series: “Adolescence” directed by Philip Barantini
• Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series: “Adolescence” written by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham

Reality and Variety Categories: Honoring Live Performances

The reality and variety categories featured a mix of live performances and scripted shows. “The Traitors” won Outstanding Reality Competition Program, while “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” took home the award for Outstanding Scripted Variety Series. The “SNL50: The Anniversary Special” was recognized with the Outstanding Variety Special (Live) award.

Additional Notable Wins

Other notable awards included:

• Outstanding Talk Show: “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”
• Outstanding Reality Competition Program: “The Traitors”
• Outstanding Scripted Variety Series: “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver”
• Outstanding Variety Special (Live): “SNL50: The Anniversary Special”
• Writing for a Variety Series: “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”

These awards reflected the diversity and excellence of television programming across various genres and formats. The 2025 Emmys not only celebrated the achievements of the industry but also showcased the dynamic and evolving landscape of television.