The 2026 Creative Arts Emmys began Saturday with Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl LX halftime show leading the night with seven awards across live television, music and technical categories.
Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance dominated the first night of the Creative Arts Emmys.
The special received recognition for choreography, music direction, sound mixing, lighting, technical direction and camerawork, while Hamish Hamilton won for directing. The haul also gave Bad Bunny his first Emmy as a producer and performer.
The Traitors followed with six victories. Along with Cumming’s hosting award, the Peacock series was recognized for directing, production design, picture editing, cinematography and costumes.
CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert secured five awards, including writing, directing, lighting design and technical direction and camerawork.
Its companion program, Colbert Before Air, also won Outstanding Short Form Comedy, adding another award to the show’s final season campaign. Mariska Hargitay also had a notable night before hosting the main Emmy ceremony.
Her documentary My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay, about her late mother Jayne Mansfield, won both Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program and Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special.
Disney+’s The Muppet Show revival earned four awards, including Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded), writing, production design and picture editing.
Sabrina Carpenter, an executive producer and performer on the special, received her first Emmy through the wins.
Other major winners included Love on the Spectrum with three awards, Mr. Scorsese for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series, and Jeopardy! for Outstanding Game Show.
Night 2 of the Creative Arts Emmys is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 6, with scripted television categories taking the spotlight. The 78th Emmy Awards will follow Monday, Sept. 14, with Hargitay hosting live on NBC and Peacock.
