The 2026 Emmys kick off Saturday at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, with the first of three nights of trophies being handed out.
Night 1 covers 49 categories and focuses primarily on unscripted programs, including documentaries, reality and game shows, variety specials, and short form series. Best Variety Series Writing is here too, one of five races the TV Academy moved off the Sept. 14 primetime telecast on NBC.
Nights 1 and 2 won’t air live, but will be edited into a single broadcast, the 78th Emmy Awards (Creative Arts), airing Sept. 12 on FXX at 8 p.m. ET/PT and streaming on Hulu the next day.
Last year’s unscripted ceremony belonged to SNL50: The Anniversary Special, which took home seven trophies. The Traitors was next with four, and it’s back again with six nominations. This year, Saturday Night Live, The Oscars, and the Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny lead the Night 1 field, with RuPaul’s Drag Race and The Late Show With Stephen Colbert close behind.
Two of Saturday night’s races are already settled. The TV Academy announced its juried winners on Aug. 12, with The Masked Singer and The Traitors sharing Best Costumes for Variety, Nonfiction or Reality Programming and the virtual reality game Crafting Crimes taking Best Innovation in Emerging Media Programming. Juried categories are decided by a panel of professionals rather than the full membership, and can produce one winner, several, or none.
Below is the complete list of Night 1 winners, updating live as they’re announced starting at 5 p.m. PT.
BEST DOCUMENTARY OR NONFICTION SERIES
The American Revolution
Mr. Scorsese
Rafa
Sean Combs: The Reckoning
The Yogurt Shop Murders
BEST DOCUMENTARY OR NONFICTION SPECIAL
John Candy: I Like Me
Marty, Life Is Short
Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!
My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay
Ocean With David Attenborough
BEST HOSTED NONFICTION SERIES OR SPECIAL
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
Tucci in Italy
EXCEPTIONAL MERIT IN DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING
The Librarians
The Tale of Silyan
BEST STRUCTURED REALITY PROGRAM
Antiques Roadshow
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Love Is Blind
Queer Eye
Shark Tank
BEST UNSTRUCTURED REALITY PROGRAM
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
Love on the Spectrum
RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked
Summer House
Welcome to Wrexham
BEST GAME SHOW
Celebrity Family Feud
Jeopardy!
The Price Is Right
Wheel of Fortune
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
BEST VARIETY SPECIAL (LIVE)
The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
83rd Annual Golden Globes
68th Annual Grammy Awards
The Oscars
78th Annual Tony Awards
BEST VARIETY SPECIAL (PRE-RECORDED)
Dave Chappelle: The Unstoppable…
The Muppet Show
Nikki Glaser: Good Girl
Taylor Swift|The Eras Tour|The Final Show
Wicked: One Wonderful Night
BEST SHORT FORM COMEDY, DRAMA OR VARIETY SERIES
Bad Thoughts
Colbert Before Air
The Daily Show: Desi Lydic Foxsplains
The Randy Rainbow Show
SubwayTakes With Kareem Rahma
BEST SHORT FORM NONFICTION OR REALITY SERIES
Hacks: Bit by Bit
Inside the Pitt
Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette — A Love Untold
Shrinking — In It Together
This Is a Gardening Show
BEST EMERGING MEDIA PROGRAM
Blumhouse Enhanced Cinema
Uncanny Alley: A New Day
The World of Fallout
BEST INNOVATION IN EMERGING MEDIA PROGRAMMING
[winner] — Crafting Crimes
BEST HOST FOR A REALITY OR REALITY COMPETITION PROGRAM
RuPaul Charles, RuPaul’s Drag Race
Alan Cumming, The Traitors
Kristen Kish, Top Chef
Ariana Madix, Love Island USA
Jeff Probst, Survivor
BEST GAME SHOW HOST
Steve Harvey, Celebrity Family Feud
Ken Jennings, Jeopardy!
Colin Jost, Pop Culture Jeopardy!
Jimmy Kimmel, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
Martin Short, Match Game
BEST NARRATOR
David Attenborough, A Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough
David Attenborough, Ocean With David Attenborough
Jodie Foster, Breakdown: 1975
Werner Herzog, Ghost Elephants
Octavia Spencer, Lost Women of Alaska
BEST PERFORMER IN A SHORT FORM COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES
Kim Estes, “Big Law”
Desi Lydic, “The Daily Show: Desi Lydic Foxsplains”
Randy Rainbow, “The Randy Rainbow Show”
BEST CASTING FOR A REALITY PROGRAM
The Amazing Race
Love on the Spectrum
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Survivor
Top Chef
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY FOR VARIETY OR REALITY PROGRAMMING
The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
2025 MTV Video Music Awards
The Oscars
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Wicked: One Wonderful Night
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR A NONFICTION PROGRAM
My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay
Ocean With David Attenborough
The Tale of Silyan
Tucci in Italy
The Yogurt Shop Murders
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR A REALITY PROGRAM
The Amazing Race
Love on the Spectrum
Survivor
The Traitors
Welcome to Wrexham
BEST COMMERCIAL
“Backstory” — Levi’s
“Backyard Legends” — adidas World Cup
“A Critter Carol” — Apple
“I’m Not Remarkable” — Apple
“Why Do It” — Nike
“Your Way Out” — Coinbase
BEST COSTUMES FOR VARIETY, NONFICTION OR REALITY PROGRAMMING
[winner] — The Masked Singer
[winner] — The Traitors
BEST DIRECTING FOR A DOCUMENTARY/NONFICTION PROGRAM
Marty, Life Is Short
Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!
Mr. Scorsese
My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay
Sean Combs: The Reckoning
BEST DIRECTING FOR A REALITY PROGRAM
The Amazing Race
Love on the Spectrum
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Top Chef
The Traitors
BEST DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY SERIES
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
Saturday Night Live
BEST DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY SPECIAL
The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
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
The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
Dancing With the Stars
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Saturday Night Live
Wicked: One Wonderful Night
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN/LIGHTING DIRECTION FOR A SERIES
Dancing With the Stars
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
Saturday Night Live
The Voice
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN/LIGHTING DIRECTION FOR A SPECIAL
The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
68th Annual Grammy Awards
The Oscars
78th Annual Tony Awards
Wicked: One Wonderful Night
BEST MAKEUP FOR A VARIETY, NONFICTION OR REALITY PROGRAM
Dancing With the Stars
The Oscars
Saturday Night Live
BEST MUSIC COMPOSITION FOR A DOCUMENTARY/NONFICTION OR REALITY PROGRAM (ORIGINAL DRAMATIC SCORE)
High Horse: The Black Cowboy
John Candy: I Like Me
Kingdom
Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!
Ocean With David Attenborough
Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age
BEST MUSIC DIRECTION
The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
The Oscars
Saturday Night Live
Wicked: One Wonderful Night
BEST PICTURE EDITING FOR A NONFICTION PROGRAM
John Candy: I Like Me
Marty, Life Is Short
Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!
Mr. Scorsese
Sean Combs: The Reckoning
BEST PICTURE EDITING FOR A STRUCTURED REALITY OR COMPETITION PROGRAM
The Amazing Race
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Survivor
The Traitors
The Voice
BEST PICTURE EDITING FOR AN UNSTRUCTURED REALITY PROGRAM
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
Deadliest Catch
Love on the Spectrum
RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked
Welcome to Wrexham
BEST PICTURE EDITING FOR VARIETY PROGRAMMING
The Muppet Show
Nikki Glaser: Good Girl
Ramy Youssef: In Love
Taylor Swift|The Eras Tour|The Final Show
Wanda Sykes: Legacy
BEST PICTURE EDITING FOR VARIETY PROGRAMMING (SEGMENT)
The Daily Show
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
Saturday Night Live, “Home Alone”
Saturday Night Live, “MAHAspital (The New Pitt)”
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR A VARIETY OR REALITY SERIES
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Saturday Night Live
The Traitors
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR A VARIETY SPECIAL
The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
68th Annual Grammy Awards
The Muppet Show
The Oscars
78th Annual Tony Awards
BEST SOUND EDITING FOR A NONFICTION OR REALITY PROGRAM
Billy Joel: And So It Goes
John Candy: I Like Me
Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!
Ocean With David Attenborough
World War II With Tom Hanks
BEST SOUND MIXING FOR A NONFICTION PROGRAM
Billy Joel: And So It Goes
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
The Amazing Race
Deadliest Catch
RuPaul’s Drag Race
The Voice
Welcome to Wrexham
BEST SOUND MIXING FOR A VARIETY SERIES OR SPECIAL
The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
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
The Daily Show
Dancing With the Stars
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
Saturday Night Live
BEST TECHNICAL DIRECTION AND CAMERAWORK FOR A SPECIAL
The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
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
The American Revolution
The Daily Show Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: Give the Man a Prize
The Reluctant Traveler With Eugene Levy
BEST WRITING FOR A VARIETY SERIES
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
BEST WRITING FOR A VARIETY SPECIAL
Chris Fleming: Live at the Palace
The Muppet Show
Nikki Glaser: Good Girl
The Oscars
Wanda Sykes: Legacy
