The 2026 Emmy Awards season has officially begun and the first batch of trophies has already found their winners. The Creative Arts Emmys, held ahead of the main Primetime ceremony, have kicked off the celebrations with a packed night recognising the work behind some of television’s biggest shows, reality programmes, documentaries and variety specials.
Several familiar names and popular titles had a strong start this year. The Traitors, Love on the Spectrum, The Muppet Show and The Late Show With Stephen Colbert were among the programmes to collect multiple honours while Bad Bunny’s Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show also picked up major awards.
The Creative Arts Emmys are being held over two nights, with more categories set to be announced before the Primetime Emmys on September 14. The ceremonies cover a huge range of television categories such as reality, documentary, variety, casting, choreography, cinematography and several technical and creative fields.
Here is the complete list of winners from the first night of the 2026 Creative Arts Emmys, category by category.
Outstanding Casting For A Reality Program
Winner: Love on the Spectrum
Outstanding Choreography For Variety Or Reality Programming
Winner: The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
Outstanding Cinematography For Nonfiction Program
Winner: Ocean With David Attenborough
Outstanding Cinematography For Reality Program
Winner: The Traitors
Outstanding Commercial
Winner: “I’m Not Remarkable” – Apple
Outstanding Directing For A Documentary/Nonfiction Program
Winner: My Mom Jayne: A Film By Mariska Hargitay
Outstanding Directing For A Reality Program
Winner: The Traitors – Let The Cards Fall As They Will
Outstanding Directing For A Variety Series
Winner: The Late Show With Stephen Colbert – The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Series Finale
Outstanding Directing For A Variety Special
Winner: The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Series
Winner: Mr. Scorsese
Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Special
Winner: My Mom Jayne: A Film By Mariska Hargitay
Outstanding Emerging Media Program
Winner: Uncanny Alley: A New Day
Exceptional Merit In Documentary Filmmaking
Winner: The Librarians
Outstanding Game Show
Winner: Jeopardy!
Outstanding Hairstyling For A Variety, Nonfiction Or Reality Program
Winner: RuPaul’s Drag Race – Rate-A-Queen Talent Show, Part 2
Outstanding Host For A Game Show
Winner: Jimmy Kimmel, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire
Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality Competition Program
Winner: Alan Cumming, The Traitors
Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special
Winner: Stanley Tucci, Tucci In Italy
Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction For A Series
Winner: The Late Show With Stephen Colbert – The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Series Finale
Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction For A Special
Winner: The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
Outstanding Makeup For A Variety, Nonfiction Or Reality Program
Winner: Saturday Night Live – Host: Bad Bunny
Outstanding Music Composition For A Documentary/Nonfiction Or Reality Program
Winner: John Candy: I Like Me
Outstanding Music Direction
Winner: The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
Outstanding Narrator
Winner: Octavia Spencer, Lost Women Of Alaska – The Missing
Outstanding Performer In A Short Form Comedy Or Drama Series
Winner: Desi Lydic, The Daily Show: Desi Lydic Foxsplains
Outstanding Picture Editing For A Nonfiction Program
Winner: Sean Combs: The Reckoning
Outstanding Picture Editing For A Structured Reality or Competition Program
Winner: The Traitors – The Death Conga
Outstanding Picture Editing For An Unstructured Reality Program
Winner: Love On The Spectrum – Episode 4
Outstanding Picture Editing For Variety Programming
Winner: The Muppet Show
Outstanding Picture Editing For Variety Programming (Segment)
Winner: The Late Show With Stephen Colbert – The Late Show closes out its storied run at the Ed Sullivan Theater with help from Paul McCartney and Elvis Costello
Outstanding Production Design For A Variety Special
Winner: The Muppet Show
Outstanding Production Design For A Variety Or Reality Series
Winner: The Traitors – The Black Banquet
Outstanding Short Form Comedy, Drama Or Variety Series
Winner: Colbert Before Air
Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction or Reality Series
Winner: Inside The Pitt
Outstanding Sound Editing For A Nonfiction Or Reality Program
Winner: Ocean With David Attenborough
Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Nonfiction Program
Winner: Billy Joel: And So It Goes
Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Reality Program
Winner: Welcome To Wrexham – Do A Wrexham
Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Variety Series Or Special
Winner: The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
Outstanding Structured Reality Program
Winner: Antiques Roadshow
Outstanding Technical Direction And Camerawork For A Series
Winner: The Late Show With Stephen Colbert – The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Series Finale
Outstanding Technical Direction And Camerawork For A Special
Winner: The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program
Winner: Love On The Spectrum
Outstanding Variety Special (Live)
Winner: The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded)
Winner: The Muppet Show
Sabrina Carpenter — Executive Producer/Performer
Outstanding Writing For A Nonfiction Program
Winner: The Daily Show Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers The Pulse: Give The Man A Prize
Outstanding Writing For A Variety Series
Winner: The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
Outstanding Writing For A Variety Special
Winner: The Muppet Show
Also Read: Emmys 2026: Bad Bunny Makes History As Super Bowl Halftime Show Wins 7 Awards
