Tomorrow is Emmy night, and maybe because the winners feel so obvious (without taking away their merit), there’s been little buzz. But don’t be fooled: it’s still a huge party night in Hollywood.

In recent years, the Academy has split the celebration into two parts. First come the Creative Arts Emmys, which honor technical and behind-the-scenes categories — production design, editing, costume design, makeup, sound mixing, choreography, directing — along with documentaries, reality shows, and game shows. This ceremony takes place a week earlier and isn’t broadcast live. The second part, the Primetime Emmys, is reserved for the most high-profile categories (Best Series, Actor, Actress, Directing, and Writing) and features the glamorous live broadcast we’re accustomed to.

This division explains why so many special guests — and even winners — are absent from the main ceremony. That was the case for Julianne Nicholson, who won Guest Actress in a Comedy for Hacks, and Bryan Cranston (just as I predicted), who took Guest Actor in a Comedy for The Studio.

Similarly, Merritt Wever was recognized as Guest Actress in a Drama for Severance, and Shawn Hatosy won Guest Actor in a Drama for The Pitt. These awards shine at the Creative Arts Emmys because, during the live Primetime broadcast, the airtime is reserved for the most popular categories. It’s not a “downgrade,” but rather a chance to give room for speeches, tributes, and spotlights that would otherwise be squeezed into a packed live show.

This past Sunday night, 47 awards were handed out, with SNL 50 leading the pack with 7 wins, followed by The Traitors (4) and Pee-wee as Himself (3). Love on the Spectrum and Queer Eye won for Outstanding Unstructured and Structured Reality Program, respectively, while Alan Cumming was named Best Host for The Traitors.

Another symbolic moment was Barack Obama’s win for narrating Our Oceans — despite being a no-show. And really, only in the United States could a former president be collecting Emmys! Obama had already won one back in 2022 and follows in the footsteps of Jimmy Carter, who earned multiple statues as an executive producer of documentaries. Oscars, however, remain out of reach for any president so far.

Jeopardy! won Outstanding Game Show, and Jimmy Kimmel took home the award for Game Show Host for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.

The night also featured heartfelt moments, with Marlee Matlin and Nyle DiMarco presenting awards alongside sign language interpreters, and Love on the Spectrum stars Tanner Smith and Connor Tomlinson getting to hand out a few trophies themselves.

Did you know…?
Barack Obama isn’t the only U.S. president to win an Emmy. Jimmy Carter won several as an executive producer of documentaries, and even Dwight Eisenhower received an honorary Emmy back in 1956, at the height of the Cold War.

The Oscars, however, remain untouched — only in America would a former president share a trophy shelf with Meryl Streep!

Some of the Winners

PROSTHETIC MAKEUP
The Penguin

PERIOD OR FANTASY/SCI-FI MAKEUP (NON-PROSTHETIC)
House of the Dragon

PERIOD COSTUMES
Bridgerton

CONTEMPORARY COSTUMES FOR A SERIES
The Studio

CONTEMPORARY COSTUMES FOR A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE
The Penguin

FANTASY/SCI-FI COSTUMES
Andor

PERIOD OR FANTASY/SCI-FI HAIRSTYLING
Bridgerton

CONTEMPORARY HAIRSTYLING
The Penguin

CASTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
The Pitt

GUEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Bryan Cranston – The Studio

CASTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
The Studio

CASTING FOR A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE
Adolescence

CHARACTER VOICE-OVER PERFORMANCE
Julie Andrews – Bridgerton