The 2025 Emmys are in the books! With some massive upsets and some pure shocks on the night, this year’s ceremony had a lot going for it. With dozens of careers getting validation for years of good work, as well as many other surprises on the night, the 2025 Emmys had something for everyone. We’ve ranked all twenty-six awards handed out, and we hope you find your next great show to check out.
Ranking the Winners of the 2025 Emmys
26. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver — Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series
They’ve won every year since 2016. The Emmys have not had a strong reason to go elsewhere, and we’d be shocked if anyone else takes the mantle in the next few years. Love the show, just nothing new here.
24. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver — Outstanding Scripted Variety Series
This was pretty much a guaranteed win for Last Week Tonight since it’s won every year it’s been eligible in this category. The Jeff Probst presentation was great, but there’s nothing unique or interesting about this win. Hopefully, the Emmys can expand this category to five nominees in the future to make room for some Dropout and original “variety” shows next year.
23. The Traitors — Outstanding Reality Competition Program
While The Traitors still had a very fun Season 3, it’s not quite as strong as the last two seasons. Its competition was relatively weak this year, but it’s nice to see The Traitors continuing its run. Then again, we’re hoping that Survivor 50 could take the top prize next year, so we’re okay with giving Alan Cumming and his team as many of these awards as they can grab this year.
22. Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary Special — Outstanding Variety Special (Live)
It was something of a foregone conclusion that it would win this award. Good for Lorne, but frankly, I feel like the Anniversary Special was the weakest contender in the category. It should have gone to the Homecoming Concert or the Beyoncé Bowl.
21. Jean Smart — Hacks — Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Smart was a no-doubt-about-it winner coming into the night, and it’s difficult to argue against it. She’s stunning on Hacks, she’ll continue to be stunning on Hacks, and she’s going to win this every year until the show is over.
20. Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Peter Huyck, Alex Gregory, and Frida Perez — The Studio — Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
By the time this prize rolled around in the night, The Studio had already broken the record for the most Emmy wins for a comedy series in a single year. Rogen’s four-Emmy night showcased the strength of Apple TV+’s comedy series. Hopefully, this pushes the show onto everyone’s watchlist.
20. Seth Rogen — The Studio — Outstanding Lead Actor for a Comedy Series
Giving the comedic actor his due, the prize for Lead Actor shows just how much the Television Academy loves The Studio. He was able to overtake the wrecking ball that has been Jeremy Allen White and the overdue veteran in Martin Short. The Studio definitely gives Rogen the role he was born to play (because he wrote, directed, and produced it), but also taps into his abilities as an anxiety-riddled physical comedian.
19. The Studio — Outstanding Comedy Series
A dominating night for The Studio made this feel like an award that was as certain as any award in the history of the Emmys. However, The Studio‘s record-setting Emmy haul made its first season the most decorated comedy series in the history of the Television Academy. It was nice to see that honor return to a legitimate comedy, even if it’s about making movies. Rogen and Goldberg’s win as directors is slightly more meaningful than the series crown, but it’s still a big deal to watch a show that lets us fall in love with the people behind the camera.
18. Brit Lower — Severance — Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
One of the most exciting breakouts in Season 1, Lower did not get the awards recognition she was due then. Luckily, the Emmys made the right call this time, giving her the top prize for Lead Actress. Lower is poised to go on quite the run for this series, and we do not expect this to be her last time on stage for Severance in the years to come. What an incredible dual performance.
17. Adam Randall — Slow Horses — Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
Another shocker on the day, Adam Randall was not seen as someone likely to contend. This is now two years in a row that Slow Horses has taken a big prize despite all evidence pointing to a shutout. Randall has been one of Slow Horses‘ best directors, and “Hello, Goodbye” was one of the best episodes of the Emmy season. Thrilled to see the spy show take a top prize like this.
16. Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg — The Studio — Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
Rogen & Goldberg have been working towards this for decades. After developing Superbad, The Boys, Sausage Party, This is the End, and many more, acknowledging the directing duo as filmmakers is huge. They’ve had to fight for this distinction in the DGA, and they cashed in their chips with one of the most technically proficient (and meta-textual) episodes in history.
15. Hannah Einbinder — Hacks — Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
It was something of a travesty that the Emmys had rewarded nearly everyone involved with Hacks… except Einbinder. Jean Smart and the showrunners have multiple Emmys to their names, but Einbinder was empty-handed. The actress has been every bit as critical to the show’s success, with Ava as the second part of the two-hander. Finally, Einbinder gets her due. We’re just glad the Emmys did not wait until the last season of Hacks to do it.
14. Erin Doherty — Adolescence — Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or TV Movie
Another massive win for Adolescence on its way to the Outstanding Limited Series prize, Doherty scored the win for her one-episode starring performance. We predicted this incorrectly, but it’s no surprise that Doherty could walk home with this one. She’s excellent as the therapist speaking to co-star (and fellow Emmy winner) Owen Cooper. Their episode confirmed that Adolescence was the limited series of the year.
13. Owen Cooper — Adolescence — Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or TV Movie
Officially one of the youngest winners in the history of the Emmys, Cooper already feels like an actor we’re going to watch for decades. This might be the first time you’ve met Owen Cooper, but with the talent on display, it certainly will not be the last. Cooper gives one of the best performances in the field.
12. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert — Outstanding Talk Series
Honestly, we were ready to mark this much (much) lower on this list because it felt like a gimme. However, with the announcement of Colbert to present earlier in the night and the cheer for this nomination, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert took on the importance that we wished the show had lived up to over the years. As late-night programming finds itself on the brink, the studio showed its love for a franchise that had run for more than forty years. It felt like a rallying cry within the industry, and hopefully those 200 employees will find themselves with new and exciting opportunities in the very near future.
11. Adolescence — Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series
The showcase series certainly could rank higher on this list as a pure awards player. However, by the time the award came around, its domination was not in doubt. The show so thoroughly took over the categories that it was winning over legitimate movie stars. Netflix has done this a few times now, and while the power of the show is undeniable, we think a few of these other wins are more impressive. Without those wins, this is not the slam dunk Emmy darling it became.
10. Stephen Graham — Adolescence — Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or TV Movie
We do not get actors like Stephen Graham much, which means we get even fewer opportunities to celebrate their brilliance. As a creative mind, a storyteller, and an actor willing to do the literal dirty work, Graham is the perfect kind of character actor who used to show up in B-movies and let you know you’re in good hands. He still does this, but his ability to break down on camera has helped establish him as one of the real showcase performers of his generation. Fingers crossed this puts him on everyone’s radar a little more so that we can continue to celebrate his brilliance.
9. The Pitt — Outstanding Drama Series
One of the few genuine upsets that landed, The Pitt picked up a massive boost from the support for Wyle and LaNasa. However, the Casting award they picked up from the Creative Arts Emmys was far more indicative of the show’s brilliance. The massive ensemble gave the series a dozen different performers for the audience to love. With an unflinching view of an emergency room during COVID and a mass trauma event, The Pitt went places that other shows do not go. It’s the first freshman medical show to win Outstanding Drama since 1970.
8. Dan Gilroy — Andor — Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
Dan Gilroy picks up the win for one of the best runs in Star Wars history. His episodes, “Messenger,” “Who Are You?” and “Welcome to the Rebellion,” made Andor one of the sensations of the year. These episodes are not only powerfully relevant today, but they’re brilliantly scripted. We wish more of Star Wars were this emotional and well-crafted, and the Gilroys’ work reminded us just how powerful the franchise could be. If Tony Gilroy had been included in this award, it would have been a top-three win on the night for us.
7. Katherine LaNasa — The Pitt — Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
While most of the attention for The Pitt coalesced around Noah Wyle, Katherine LaNasa became one of the surprises of the season. The actress gave the show a boost as a no-nonsense nurse who finds herself in the warpath of a monster patient. Her toughness made her pop early in The Pitt, but the ways that LaNasa brought out the vulnerabilities of someone who has devoted their life to saving people were something special. While we’re told to kill aspects of those emotions to survive, LaNasa made Dana Evans into a superwoman.
6. Cristin Milioti — The Penguin — Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or TV Movie
Cristin Milioti has been a TV veteran and delivering Emmy-worthy performances for over a decade. The actress finally gets her acknowledgement from the Emmys with her brilliant and vibrant portrayal of Sofia Falcone. The actress brought all the pain and heartbreak of the character into the role, and watching her lose her hope was a devastating experience. It’s a character that will not be forgotten anytime soon.
5. Noah Wyle — The Pitt — Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
A long-overdue prize for Wyle helped push The Pitt to its Best Series win. Wyle was incredible this season, and with the emotional brilliance on screen, he was once again a revelation. Wyle’s win is the special kind of win that combines the audience’s relationship with the actor, as he reveals new vulnerabilities as a performer. He also gets credit for holding off a brilliant Adam Scott, who wins this award in almost any other year.
4. Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham — Adolescence — Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series
Seeing Thorne and Graham get the much-deserved spotlight after so many years was incredibly cool. Their writing on Adolescence feels even more relevant today than when the show was aired. It’s a warning sign about the radicalization of the internet that is a plea for us to understand just how dangerous this epidemic has become.
3. Philip Barantini — Adolescence — Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or TV Movie
While Seth and Evan pulled off “The Oner” and several episodes with that pacing, Barantini’s direction of Adolescence is unbelievable. Across the four episodes, he captures the anxiety, the intimacy, and the intensity of one of 2025’s best shows. While the Emmys are the first to reward the British series, expect Adolescence and Barantini to continue to rack up prizes over the next six months.
2. Jeff Hiller — Somebody Somewhere — Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Easily the biggest surprise of the night, Hiller shocked with the win here. Frankly, the writing nomination should have been a nod to the show having more support, but Hiller’s win is one of those special moments the Emmys can have. This instantly lands on the shortlist of the best Emmy wins in years, joining Merritt Weaver’s win for Nurse Jackie and Željko Ivanek’s win for Damages.
1. Tramell Tillman — Severance — Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Undeniably my favorite performance of the year, Tramell Tillman’s win is also history-making. The physicality he brings to Severance is unparalleled, with the showcase sequence in “Cold Harbor” with the marching band showing every skill in his toolset. His line readings and subdued emotions are among the most memorable on the show, and it’s frankly an all-time performance. On top of that, he’s the first Black performer to win Supporting Actor in a Drama in the history of the Emmys. Tillman deserved this award, and that’s just a sweet extra fact for the series.
Watch the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards on Paramount+. It starts streaming on September 15, 2025.
