The first round of winners for the 2026 Emmy Awards has been revealed!
The Creative Arts Emmy Awards kicked off this year’s Emmys season on Saturday night (September 5) with the first of two nights, celebrating the best of unscripted programs, including documentaries, reality and game shows, variety specials, and short-form series.
Night one covers 49 categories in unscripted, variety, and more, while night two will cover scripted programming and more of the technical and artistic categories on Sunday (September 6).
Following the results of the first night, we’ve got a full roundup of all the winners!
Keep reading below to find out who won Emmys on night one of the 2026 Creative Arts Emmy Awards…
2026 Creative Arts Emmy Awards Night One Winners Revealed
BEST DOCUMENTARY OR NONFICTION SERIES
The American Revolution
Mr. Scorsese – WINNER
Rafa
Sean Combs: The Reckoning
The Yogurt Shop Murders
BEST DOCUMENTARY OR NONFICTION SPECIAL
John Candy: I Like Me
Marty, Life Is Short
Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!
My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay – WINNER
Ocean With David Attenborough
BEST HOSTED NONFICTION SERIES OR SPECIAL
The Daily Show Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: Give the Man a Prize
Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates Jr.
My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman
The Reluctant Traveler With Eugene Levy
Tucci in Italy – WINNER
EXCEPTIONAL MERIT IN DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING
The Librarians – WINNER
The Tale of Silyan
BEST STRUCTURED REALITY PROGRAM
Antiques Roadshow – WINNER
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
Love Is Blind
Queer Eye
Shark Tank
BEST UNSTRUCTURED REALITY PROGRAM
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
Love on the Spectrum – WINNER
RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked
Summer House
Welcome to Wrexham
BEST GAME SHOW
Celebrity Family Feud
Jeopardy! – WINNER
The Price Is Right
Wheel of Fortune
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire
BEST VARIETY SPECIAL (LIVE)
The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny – WINNER
83rd Annual Golden Globes
68th Annual Grammy Awards
The Oscars
78th Annual Tony Awards
BEST VARIETY SPECIAL (PRE-RECORDED)
Dave Chappelle: The Unstoppable…
The Muppet Show – WINNER
Nikki Glaser: Good Girl
Taylor Swift|The Eras Tour|The Final Show
Wicked: One Wonderful Night
BEST SHORT FORM COMEDY, DRAMA OR VARIETY SERIES
Bad Thoughts
Colbert Before Air – WINNER
The Daily Show: Desi Lydic Foxsplains
The Randy Rainbow Show
SubwayTakes With Kareem Rahma
BEST SHORT FORM NONFICTION OR REALITY SERIES
Hacks: Bit by Bit
Inside the Pitt – WINNER
Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette — A Love Untold
Shrinking — In It Together
This Is a Gardening Show
BEST EMERGING MEDIA PROGRAM
Blumhouse Enhanced Cinema
Uncanny Alley: A New Day – WINNER
The World of Fallout
BEST INNOVATION IN EMERGING MEDIA PROGRAMMING
Crafting Crimes – WINNER
BEST HOST FOR A REALITY OR REALITY COMPETITION PROGRAM
RuPaul Charles, RuPaul’s Drag Race
Alan Cumming, The Traitors – WINNER
Kristen Kish, Top Chef
Ariana Madix, Love Island USA
Jeff Probst, Survivor
BEST GAME SHOW HOST
Steve Harvey, Celebrity Family Feud
Ken Jennings, Jeopardy!
Colin Jost, Pop Culture Jeopardy!
Jimmy Kimmel, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire – WINNER
Martin Short, Match Game
BEST NARRATOR
David Attenborough, A Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough
David Attenborough, Ocean With David Attenborough
Jodie Foster, Breakdown: 1975
Werner Herzog, Ghost Elephants
Octavia Spencer, Lost Women of Alaska – WINNER
BEST PERFORMER IN A SHORT FORM COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES
Kim Estes, “Big Law”
Desi Lydic, “The Daily Show: Desi Lydic Foxsplains” – WINNER
Randy Rainbow, “The Randy Rainbow Show”
BEST CASTING FOR A REALITY PROGRAM
The Amazing Race
Love on the Spectrum – WINNER
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Survivor
Top Chef
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY FOR VARIETY OR REALITY PROGRAMMING
The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny – WINNER
2025 MTV Video Music Awards
The Oscars
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Wicked: One Wonderful Night
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR A NONFICTION PROGRAM
My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay
Ocean With David Attenborough – WINNER
The Tale of Silyan
Tucci in Italy
The Yogurt Shop Murders
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR A REALITY PROGRAM
The Amazing Race
Love on the Spectrum
Survivor
The Traitors – WINNER
Welcome to Wrexham
BEST COMMERCIAL
“Backstory” — Levi’s
“Backyard Legends” — adidas World Cup
“A Critter Carol” — Apple
“I’m Not Remarkable” — Apple – WINNER
“Why Do It” — Nike
“Your Way Out” — Coinbase
BEST COSTUMES FOR VARIETY, NONFICTION OR REALITY PROGRAMMING
The Masked Singer – WINNER
The Traitors – WINNER
BEST DIRECTING FOR A DOCUMENTARY/NONFICTION PROGRAM
Marty, Life Is Short
Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!
Mr. Scorsese
My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay – WINNER
Sean Combs: The Reckoning
BEST DIRECTING FOR A REALITY PROGRAM
The Amazing Race
Love on the Spectrum
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Top Chef
The Traitors – WINNER
BEST DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY SERIES
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert – WINNER
Saturday Night Live
BEST DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY SPECIAL
The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny – WINNER
Dave Chappelle: The Unstoppable…
Taylor Swift|The Eras Tour|The Final Show
78th Annual Tony Awards
Wanda Sykes: Legacy
BEST HAIRSTYLING FOR A VARIETY, NONFICTION, OR REALITY PROGRAM
The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
Dancing With the Stars
RuPaul’s Drag Race – WINNER
Saturday Night Live
Wicked: One Wonderful Night
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN/LIGHTING DIRECTION FOR A SERIES
Dancing With the Stars
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert – WINNER
Saturday Night Live
The Voice
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN/LIGHTING DIRECTION FOR A SPECIAL
The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny – WINNER
68th Annual Grammy Awards
The Oscars
78th Annual Tony Awards
Wicked: One Wonderful Night
BEST MAKEUP FOR A VARIETY, NONFICTION OR REALITY PROGRAM
Dancing With the Stars
The Oscars
Saturday Night Live – WINNER
BEST MUSIC COMPOSITION FOR A DOCUMENTARY/NONFICTION OR REALITY PROGRAM (ORIGINAL DRAMATIC SCORE)
High Horse: The Black Cowboy
John Candy: I Like Me – WINNER
Kingdom
Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!
Ocean With David Attenborough
Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age
BEST MUSIC DIRECTION
The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny – WINNER
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
The Oscars
Saturday Night Live
Wicked: One Wonderful Night
BEST PICTURE EDITING FOR A NONFICTION PROGRAM
John Candy: I Like Me
Marty, Life Is Short
Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!
Mr. Scorsese
Sean Combs: The Reckoning – WINNER
BEST PICTURE EDITING FOR A STRUCTURED REALITY OR COMPETITION PROGRAM
The Amazing Race
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Survivor
The Traitors – WINNER
The Voice
BEST PICTURE EDITING FOR AN UNSTRUCTURED REALITY PROGRAM
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
Deadliest Catch
Love on the Spectrum – WINNER
RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked
Welcome to Wrexham
BEST PICTURE EDITING FOR VARIETY PROGRAMMING
The Muppet Show – WINNER
Nikki Glaser: Good Girl
Ramy Youssef: In Love
Taylor Swift|The Eras Tour|The Final Show
Wanda Sykes: Legacy
BEST PICTURE EDITING FOR VARIETY PROGRAMMING (SEGMENT)
The Daily Show
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert – WINNER
Saturday Night Live, “Home Alone”
Saturday Night Live, “MAHAspital (The New Pitt)”
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR A VARIETY OR REALITY SERIES
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Saturday Night Live
The Traitors – WINNER
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR A VARIETY SPECIAL
The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny
68th Annual Grammy Awards
The Muppet Show – WINNER
The Oscars
78th Annual Tony Awards
BEST SOUND EDITING FOR A NONFICTION OR REALITY PROGRAM
Billy Joel: And So It Goes
John Candy: I Like Me
Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!
Ocean With David Attenborough – WINNER
World War II With Tom Hanks
BEST SOUND MIXING FOR A NONFICTION PROGRAM
Billy Joel: And So It Goes – WINNER
John Candy: I Like Me
Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!
Ocean With David Attenborough
Tucci in Italy
BEST SOUND MIXING FOR A REALITY PROGRAM
The Amazing Race
Deadliest Catch
RuPaul’s Drag Race
The Voice
Welcome to Wrexham – WINNER
BEST SOUND MIXING FOR A VARIETY SERIES OR SPECIAL
The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny – WINNER
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
The Muppet Show
The Oscars
Taylor Swift|The Eras Tour|The Final Show
BEST TECHNICAL DIRECTION AND CAMERAWORK FOR A SERIES
The Daily Show
Dancing With the Stars
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert – WINNER
Saturday Night Live
BEST TECHNICAL DIRECTION AND CAMERAWORK FOR A SPECIAL
The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny – WINNER
The Oscars
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction 2025
Taylor Swift|The Eras Tour|The Final Show
Wicked: One Wonderful Night
BEST WRITING FOR A NONFICTION PROGRAM
The American Revolution
The Daily Show Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: Give the Man a Prize – WINNER
The Reluctant Traveler With Eugene Levy
BEST WRITING FOR A VARIETY SERIES
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert – WINNER
BEST WRITING FOR A VARIETY SPECIAL
Chris Fleming: Live at the Palace
The Muppet Show – WINNER
Nikki Glaser: Good Girl
The Oscars
Wanda Sykes: Legacy
How to watch the Creative Arts Emmys
Night 1 and 2 of the Creative Arts Emmys will not air live, but will be edited into a single broadcast, airing on Saturday, September 12 on FXX at 8pm ET and will be available for streaming on Hulu the next day.
The 2026 Primetime Emmys, hosted by Mariska Hargitay, who just won two Emmys as seen above, will be airing LIVE on NBC and Peacock on Monday, September 14. Check out the full list of nominations here!
Posted To:2026 Emmy Awards Emmy Awards Television
