Photo credit: Emmy award
The 2026 Emmy winners are already making headlines, with Bad Bunny, The Traitors, Stephen Colbert, Mariska Hargitay and other television favorites taking home trophies during the Creative Arts Emmys.
The 78th Emmy Awards kicked off with the first of two Creative Arts ceremonies at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sept. 5. The events recognize achievements across reality, documentary, variety, short-form and technical categories before the Primetime Emmy Awards take place on Sept. 14.
Among the biggest early winners is Bad Bunny, whose Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show earned seven Emmy Awards. The victory also gave the Puerto Rican superstar his first Emmy.
2026 Emmy winners include Bad Bunny and The Traitors
Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime performance emerged as one of the biggest winners of the early ceremonies. The production collected seven awards across several technical and creative categories.
The Traitors also had a major night, earning multiple awards. Host Alan Cumming won Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program for the third consecutive year.
Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show With Stephen Colbert also scored several victories, including Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series. The win ended Last Week Tonight With John Oliver’s long-running streak in the category.
Full list of 2026 Emmy winners
Here are some of the winners announced during the Creative Arts ceremonies:
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program | Alan Cumming, The Traitors |
| Outstanding Host for a Game Show | Jimmy Kimmel, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire |
| Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program | Love on the Spectrum |
| Outstanding Picture Editing for an Unstructured Reality Program | Love on the Spectrum |
| Outstanding Picture Editing for a Structured Reality or Competition Program | The Traitors |
| Outstanding Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Program | Sean Combs: The Reckoning |
| Outstanding Performer in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series | Desi Lydic, The Daily Show: Desi Lydic Foxsplains |
| Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Series | The Late Show With Stephen Colbert |
| Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Special | The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny |
| Outstanding Hairstyling for a Variety, Nonfiction or Reality Program | RuPaul’s Drag Race |
| Outstanding Makeup for a Variety, Nonfiction or Reality Program | Saturday Night Live |
| Outstanding Emerging Media Program | Uncanny Alley: A New Day |
| Outstanding Innovation in Emerging Media Programming | Crafting Crimes |
| Legacy Award | I Love Lucy |
The Television Academy’s official results confirm that the first night recognized outstanding artistic and technical achievements across variety, reality and nonfiction programming.
Mariska Hargitay wins two Emmys
Mariska Hargitay had a particularly memorable weekend after winning two Emmys for her documentary My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay.
The HBO Max documentary, which explores the life of Hargitay’s mother, Hollywood star Jayne Mansfield, won Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special and Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program.
Hargitay will also have another major role in the Emmy celebrations. She is scheduled to host the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sept. 14.
Jimmy Kimmel earns another Emmy win
Jimmy Kimmel also added another Emmy to his collection after winning Outstanding Host for a Game Show for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.
The victory marks Kimmel’s second consecutive win in the category. He has hosted the ABC game show since 2020.
More 2026 Emmy winners are coming
The Creative Arts ceremonies cover a large number of technical, artistic and unscripted categories, but the biggest Primetime Emmy races have not yet been decided.
The main ceremony will take place Monday, Sept. 14, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. It will air live on NBC and stream on Peacock, with Hargitay serving as host.
Leading nominees include The Pitt, which entered the 2026 Emmys with 25 nominations, followed by Hacks with 24 and Widow’s Bay with 19.
The Primetime ceremony will determine winners in major categories including Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Comedy Series, acting awards, directing and writing.
This list will therefore continue to grow as the 2026 Emmy season reaches its final night.
About the Author
