That's a wrap
• The 77th Primetime Emmy Awards: HBO Max’s medical drama “The Pitt” beat out “Severance,” the most nominated show at this year’s Emmys, with a win for best drama series and a lead acting award for Noah Wyle.
• More big winners: Seth Rogen’s Apple TV+ series skewering Hollywood execs, “The Studio,” had a huge night, including a win for best comedy and an acting win for Rogen. Netflix’s weighty crime drama “Adolescence” dominated in the limited series categories.
• Speeches on the clock: Host Nate Bargatze challenged winners to limit acceptance speeches to 45 seconds, adding or subtracting $1,000 from a planned donation to the Boys & Girls Club for every second under or over that mark. Bargatze ultimately said the charity would receive $350,000 — despite an on-screen counter dipping into the red by the close of the show.
Catch up on some of tonight's most memorable Emmys moments
Our live coverage of the 2025 Emmy Awards has come to a close.
If you’re looking to catch up on the night as it happened, you can read our full recap of the awards show here.
Here’s a quick rundown of some standout moments:
• “The Studio” makes history: Seth Rogen’s Apple TV+ hit picked up more awards in a single Emmys cycle than any other comedy series. Check it out if you haven’t — it’s an amusing send-up of Hollywood execs with loads of self-aware cameos. Our only regret here is no onstage shout-out to “Sal Sapperstein.”
• Noah Wyle and “The Pitt”: The HBO Max drama wouldn’t be what it is without Wyle, who has been working in fictional hospitals longer than some of this year’s Emmy nominees have been alive. It felt like something of a culmination to see him accepting his Emmy for outstanding lead actor in a drama. Then “The Pitt” beat out “Severance” for best drama series, capping a big night.
• Colbert gets his flowers: Chants of “Stephen, Stephen, Stephen,” rained down when “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” won the Emmy for outstanding talk series for the first time. Earlier this summer, Colbert announced that his show will end next year after being canceled by CBS — a controversial move.
• The donation counter: This was a great bit. Host Nate Bargatze challenged winners to limit acceptance speeches to 45 seconds, adding or subtracting $1,000 from a planned donation to the Boys & Girls Club for every second under or over that mark. Bargatze ultimately said the charity would receive $350,000 — despite an on-screen counter dipping into the red by the close of the show.
Correction: A previous version of this post misstated the streaming service that “The Pitt” appears on. The show streams on HBO Max.
Photos: Here's a behind-the-scenes look at tonight's show
Thanks for spending the evening with us as we brought you the latest on the big winners and standout moments of the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards.
As we wind down our coverage, here’s one more peek inside the room at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles:
In case you missed it: Britt Lower dropped an Easter egg for "Severance" fans during her speech
Britt Lower won the best lead actress in a drama Emmy for her work in “Severance,” the dystopian workplace thriller from Apple TV+ — and she gave the show’s fans something fun to chew on when she accepted the award.
The back of what appeared to be Lower’s notes for a speech had the words “Let me out” written on the back.
Without spoiling anything for those who are still considering giving the show a try, “Severance” centers on a team of employees who undergo a procedure that renders them unable to remember what happens during the workday, halving them into what the characters call an “innie” office worker, and an “outie” at home.
The line was a nod to a moment featuring Lower’s character. Good fun!
CNN’s Sara Stewart contributed reporting to this post.
The biggest star of the night? The money counter
It was a night of ups and downs that thankfully, and finally, ended up in the positive, when first-time Emmys host Nate Bargatze announced that the Boys & Girls Club of America would be receiving a donation of $350,000.
His strategy for the night worked, for the most part: Who needs music to play winners off when they had a money counter to keep them on track?
Bargatze’s plan started off with his announcement at the top of the show that he was going to donate $100,000 to the charity, and either subtract money from that total every time a winner went over their allotted time of 45 seconds during an acceptance speech — or add money back if they kept it under that time limit. The lark had stars hilariously trying to beat the clock, or make offhanded remarks about how they went over.
Hollywood, for the most part, loves the kids and John Oliver was super fast with his remarks, which helped make up for some of the deficit due to some of the longer-winded winners. That caused Bargatze to quip that Oliver had “won enough.”
“The Studio’s” writing team had a smoothly well-choreographed acceptance speech which also cost Bargatze some money.
When a win for Netflix’s hit drama “Adolescence” caused the counter to drop to $36,000, he joked “That was a show called ‘Adolescence’ that did that to adolescents.”
Not that the host was a total stickler.
He put money back on the books after 15-year-old Owen Cooper made history, and went over the 45 seconds allotted, with his supporting actor in a limited or anthology series win for his role in “Adolescence.”
Still, at the end of the show Bargatze announced that the number had gotten “embarrassing” so CBS was kicking in $100,000 and he was upping his ante to $250,00, for the grand total of $350,00 for the kids.
Well done, all around.
CNN’s Sandra Gonzalez contributed to this report
The "Law & Order" tribute was paired with best drama Emmy
“DUN DUN.”
We defy you to not hear that sound while reading this.
The Emmys brought out Mariska Hargitay, Ice-T, S. Epatha Merkerson, Tony Goldwyn and Christopher Meloni to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the perennial “Law & Order” franchise.
“SUV” star Ice-T joked that it’s the sound that plays when Hargitay calls his phone, and of course it had to be noted that the actress has found herself involved in some actual police work in real life.
The original “Law & Order” began in 1990, racking up six Primetime Emmys, and it has produced over 500 episodes along with numerous spinoffs over the years.
It’s only natural that the longevity of “Law & Order” has resulted in a wealth of guest stars. The SAG Awards had some fun with that fact earlier this year, when presenter Keke Palmer suggested any actor in the room who had appeared in at least one episode of the show take a drink. As fellow presenter Colman Domingo said, “This whole room would be lit!”
"The Pitt" has won the Emmy for outstanding drama series, capping a big night
Medical drama “The Pitt” has won outstanding drama series at this year’s Emmys, beating out a field that included “Severance,” which entered the night with the most nominations.
“This is insane. Thank you so much to the Academy,” show creator R. Scott Gemmill said during his acceptance speech.
Gemmill thanked the show’s star, Noah Wyle, calling him his “secret weapon.” Wyle had taken home the Emmy for outstanding lead actor minutes prior.
Gemmill dedicated the Emmy to all health care workers.
“The Pitt” streams on HBO Max, which like CNN is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.
Noah Wyle is an Emmy winner for the first time
Noah Wyle has won his first Emmy in a closely watched race for the outstanding lead actor in a drama series award, earning recognition for his portrayal of Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch.
“What a dream this has been. Oh my goodness,” he said while accepting his award.
Wyle went on to recognize the rest of the category’s nominees, his family, cast and crew, and HBO Max and Warner Bros. Discovery, which is also CNN’s parent company.
The “ER” actor stars in and executive produces “The Pitt.” The HBO Max series follows emergency department staff at Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center as they navigate the challenges of a single 15-hour hospital shift.
CNN’s Maureen Chowdhury and Sandra Gonzalez contributed reporting.
Oh no! The money is in the red
The show is about to end and Emmys host Nate Bargatze joked that it’s been a great night for him because “honestly I think I made money.”
He’s donating money based on acceptance speech length and it’s down to MINUS $60,000 since winners have gone over.
We’ll see how things end, since we started the night with Bargatze pledging $100k to the Boys & Girls Club and some of those boys and girls are actually in the room. Awkward!
Seth Rogen is back on stage: "The Studio" wins best comedy series
A dream night for “The Studio” continues: Seth Rogen’s Apple TV+ series just took home the Emmy for best comedy series.
“I really appreciate it. In all honesty to everyone who watched — I’ll do my best my attempt at sincerity here — if you watched our show, if you appreciated our show, you voted for our show, especially, thank you very much. I’m legitimately embarrassed by how happy this makes me,” Rogen said.
He then thanked the cast and crew of the show. He also acknowledged Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, who is seated in the audience.
“And to be standing up here with all these people. These are the best people I know and to have them spend their days with me, working with me, is truly like one of the greatest honors of my life,” Rogen said.
"Adolescence" has become one of the stories of the night
“Adolescence” is racking up the awards. Perhaps unsurprisingly at this point in the evening, it just took home the Emmy for outstanding limited or anthology series, after having a dominant evening in other categories recognizing the format.
Stephen Colbert wins an Emmy and the crowd absolutely erupts
Chants of “Stephen, Stephen, Stephen” rained down when “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” won outstanding talk series.
CNN’s Elizabeth Wagmeister is inside the room and is a veteran of covering award shows. She said reaction to the late show host’s win was the loudest she’s ever heard, with people screaming and jumping to their feet before the chants broke out.
Colbert is beloved, but the context is key here: This summer, Colbert announced that his show will end next year.
CBS, which coincidentally is airing tonight’s awards show, cited financial pressures and said the cancellation will take effect in May 2026.
The decision was particularly surprising because “The Late Show” is typically the highest-rated show in late-night. And the timing has raised questions because it came just two weeks after the parent company of CBS, Paramount, settled a lawsuit lodged by President Donald Trump against CBS News.
What Colbert said tonight: The comedian and writer reflected on the show’s message, saying while accepting his award that ten years ago he said that he wanted love to be the main theme. His late show began ten years ago this month.
“At a certain point, and you can guess what that point was, I realized that in some ways we were doing a late night comedy show about loss. And that’s related to love because sometimes you only truly know how much you love something when you get a sense that you might be losing it,” Colbert said.
He thanked CBS and said he hopes that late night talk shows continue even after the cancellation of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”
CNN’s Elizabeth Wagmeister contributed to this report.
The In Memoriam segment began with a tribute to Malcolm-Jamal Warner
“The Cosby Show” star Phylicia Rashad lovingly remembered her onscreen son Malcolm-Jamal Warner Sunday night.
She introduced the In Memoriam segment by saying, “He was a beloved teenager in an iconic television series who the world watched grow into manhood.”
“And like all our friends and colleagues who transitioned this past year, Malcolm-Jamal Warner remains in our hearts,” she added.
Warner, who played teen Theo Huxtable on “Cosby,” died in a drowning accident in Costa Rica in July. He was 54.
Those who have passed would be remembered, Rashad said on Sunday night, “for the way they made us believe in something bigger. The best that is within us.”
“And even though they may no longer be here with us we can all smile knowing that their impact will remain,” she continued. “Knowing that their lasting impressions will continue to live on through story. Knowing that they touched our lives.”
Vince Gill and Lainey Wilson sang Gill’s song of remembrance “Go Rest High on That Mountain” as photos of the multitudes lost in the industry over the past year were displayed.
"Adolescence" is cleaning up in its categories: Stephen Graham notches acting win
“Adolescence” has been dominant this evening in the categories recognizing limited series.
Stephen Graham has now won the outstanding lead actor award for the format.
This is his second Emmy win and third nomination – he won earlier in the evening for outstanding writing for a limited series.
“This kind of thing doesn’t normally happen to a kid like me. I’m just a mixed-race kid from a block of flats in a place called Kirby. So, for me to be here today, in front of my peers and to be acknowledged by you is the utmost humbling thing I could ever imagine in my life and it shows you that any dream is possible,” Graham said during his acceptance speech.
Graham went on to thank the cast and crew of “Adolescence” as well as his family.
Television Academy chair speaks out on Congress defunding CPB
Chair of the Television Academy President Cris Abrego spoke on the Emmys stage regarding the Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s plans to shut down after Congress cut funding earlier this year.
Abrego began his remarks by noting that last week, he presented the Creative Emmys Governor’s Award to the CPB, which was met with a loud round of applause.
He then went on to say that CPB will be closing its doors at the end of the year because Congress “has voted to defund it and silence yet another cultural institution.” The crowd responded with loud “boos” and audible disapproval.
Abrego said that the move is a reminder of “just how much our work here matters, especially right now. At a time when division dominates the headlines, storytelling still has the power to unite us. Television and the artists who make it do more than reflect society, they shape our culture. And at times of cultural regression, they remind us what’s at stake and what can still be achieved.”
More on the cuts: CPB announced last month that it will wind down its operations due to the successful Republican effort to defund local PBS and NPR stations across the country.
The announcement came just over a week after President Donald Trump enacted a rescissions bill clawing back congressionally approved federal funds for public media and foreign aid. Of the $9 billion in canceled funds, $1.1 billion was earmarked for the CPB for the next two years.
CNN’s Liam Reilly and Brian Stelter contributed to reporting.
And "Adolescence" wins again, with Erin Doherty taking home best supporting actress award
Erin Doherty took home the Emmy for best supporting actress in a limited or anthology series for her portrayal of the child psychologist Briony Ariston in “Adolescence.”
She dedicated her win to her older sister, who she said she “wouldn’t be here without.”
About the show: The unnerving Netflix series explores the disconnect between the lack of awareness of parents and what kids are being exposed to on social media. It starts out as a crime drama, but over the course of four episodes it explores what exactly could have possessed such an innocent-looking boy to allegedly commit murder.
CNN’s Sandra Gonzalez and Harmeet Kaur contributed reporting.
Cristin Milioti wins her first Emmy for her work in "The Penguin"
Cristin Milioti has won outstanding lead actress in a limited series for her role in “The Penguin.”
“I’m so profoundly grateful,” Milioti said while accepting her award.
She said she wrote her acceptance speech on the back of notes from a recent therapy session.
“So don’t look at the back,” she said, to which the audience laughed.
Milioti, who plays the fierce and dangerous Sophia Falcone in the HBO Max series, thanked the show’s cast and crew as well as her family and friends.
“I loved making this show and I loved playing Sophia so much,” she said. “Getting to inhabit this woman was a bright spot for me despite it being very grisly. Playing her felt like flying.”
About the show: “The Penguin” is a hard-boiled look at the gritty criminal underbelly of the Gotham City presented in Matt Reeves’ “The Batman,” and puts actor Colin Farrell’s morally bankrupt villain Oz Cobb at the center.
HBO Max and CNN are both owned by parent company Warner Bros. Discovery.
CNN’s Dan Heching contributed reporting.
Lorne Michaels wins 24th Emmy for outstanding live variety special for "SNL50"
Lorne Michaels has won the Emmy for outstanding live variety special for “SNL50: The Anniversary Special.”
Michaels is noted as having the most Emmy nominations for an individual, primarily for producing “Saturday Night Live”.
He has been nominated for an Emmy a whopping 112 times, and has now won 24 times.
He was presented the award on Sunday by former “Saturday Night Live” cast member and protégée Tina Fey.
“When I won this award for the first time 50 years ago, in 1975, I was younger and I had a lot of dreams about what would happen in my life — and not one of those dreams was that I’d be doing the same show for next 50 years. However, here we are,” Michaels, 80, said during his acceptance speech.
Inside the room: The speech timer is a hit, and commercial breaks get a soundtrack
For those keeping track at home, the Boys & Girls Club donation counter stands at $99,000.
Host Nate Bargatze’s stunt — in which he’s reducing the donation by $1,000 for every second a winner goes over 45 seconds in their acceptance speech — has been going over really well with the stars inside the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, according to CNN’s Elizabeth Wagmeister, who’s inside the show. If winners keep their speeches short, money is added back to the donation pot per every second under 45 seconds.
It’s such a hit that people at the award show are trying to make their speeches extra short, Wagmeister reports. That includes “The Studio” crew, who helped raise the number back to nearly its original total, $100,000, by giving an extremely abbreviated address for their last win. John Oliver also kept things extra brief for the same reason.
More from inside the room: Ever wonder what happens during commercial breaks at the Emmy Awards?
Well, this year songs from popular television shows like “Law & Order,” “Will and Grace” and “Different Strokes” as well as clips from previous Emmys broadcasts are playing in the theater when the award ceremony goes off the air, according to Wagmeister. That’s also been contributing to the fun vibe inside.
We have missed you, "Gilmore Girls!"
Thanks to the Emmys, we don’t have to wait for the reportedly planned “Gilmore Girls” documentary to get a fix of our “coffee, coffee, coffee.”
The awards show presented a set reveal with “Gilmore Girls” stars Alexis Bledel and Lauren Graham on Sunday night.
The pair joked about the limited budget of their beloved show when it was on the air while presenting the award for outstanding writing for a comedy series.
“We saved up all year long to have one snow episode,” Bledel said during the presentation.
“Then ER would wet down their street and wash it all away,” Graham joked.
The award they presented was won by the writing team for “The Studio,” which included Seth Rogen notching his third win of the night.
Fans fell in love with Graham as single mom Lorelai Gilmore and her teen daughter Rory, played by Bledel, making a life for themselves in the fictional town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut on the beloved series, which ran from 2000 to 2007.
"The Studio" wins again — this time for writing in a comedy series
Seth Rogen and the team from his show, “The Studio,” are on a roll.
The Apple TV+ hit just took home its third win of the night, earning the honor for best writing in a comedy series.
