Creative arts emmys 2026 coverage is underway as the 78th Emmy Awards continue with the second of two Creative Arts ceremonies in Los Angeles. The first night took place September 5 at the Peacock Theater at L.A. LIVE, where the Television Academy recognized achievements across reality, variety, documentary, nonfiction and other television categories.
The opening ceremony produced several major winners. The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny led the night with seven awards. The Traitors followed with six, while The Late Show With Stephen Colbert collected five.
The second ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, September 6. It will recognize additional artistic and technical achievements across scripted television, animation, acting and other categories.
The two ceremonies will later be combined into a single television presentation. That program is scheduled to air September 12 on FXX at 8 p.m. ET/PT and will become available to stream on Hulu the following day.
Creative Arts Emmys Shine Spotlight on Behind-the-Scenes Excellence
Creative Arts Emmys 2026 Continue in Los Angeles
The 2026 Creative Arts ceremonies are taking place at the Peacock Theater at L.A. LIVE in downtown Los Angeles.
This year’s Emmy schedule separates the Creative Arts presentations across September 5 and September 6. The arrangement allows the Television Academy to recognize a large number of specialized television achievements before the main Emmy telecast on September 14.
The Creative Arts ceremonies cover areas that include:
- Reality programming
- Documentary and nonfiction television
- Variety programming
- Game shows
- Hosting
- Casting
- Cinematography
- Editing
- Production design
- Costumes
- Makeup and hairstyling
- Sound
- Visual effects
- Animation
- Guest acting
- Supporting performances
- Music and lyrics
These categories highlight the work of performers and production professionals who help create television programs but do not always receive the same attention during the main Emmy broadcast.
Bad Bunny Leads the First Night
The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny became the biggest winner of the opening Creative Arts ceremony.
The production earned seven Emmy Awards, giving Bad Bunny his first Primetime Emmy win.
The result was one of the most notable moments of the night. The Super Bowl halftime show combines live performance, choreography, music, stage production, lighting and numerous technical disciplines.
Its seven victories demonstrated the broad range of work recognized by the Creative Arts Emmys.
The program also won Outstanding Variety Special (Live), placing it among the most highly recognized productions of the first ceremony.
For Bad Bunny, the awards added an Emmy to an already significant entertainment career.
The Traitors Wins Six Awards
The Traitors was another dominant production during the opening night.
The Peacock reality competition series earned six Emmy Awards.
Alan Cumming also won Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program for his work on the series.
The victory marked another Emmy success for Cumming in the category and reinforced The Traitors as one of the strongest reality contenders at the 2026 awards.
The show’s wins also extended beyond its host. Production and technical categories contributed to its overall total.
Its performance was one of the clearest indications of the strength of reality television during the first Creative Arts ceremony.
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Collects Five
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert had one of the strongest showings among variety programs.
The CBS late-night series earned five Creative Arts Emmy Awards during the first night.
Among its victories were awards for writing and directing, along with recognition for editing and technical production.
The show’s performance was particularly notable in the variety categories because it received recognition across multiple aspects of production rather than relying on a single award.
Colbert’s program has remained a prominent contender in the variety field, and its five wins gave it a substantial presence during the opening ceremony.
The related digital program Colbert Before Air also won Outstanding Short Form Comedy, Drama or Variety Series.
Mariska Hargitay Wins Two Emmys
Mariska Hargitay entered the 2026 Emmy weekend with an unusual position. She is both a winner during the Creative Arts ceremonies and the host of the main Emmy telecast.
Hargitay won two awards for My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay.
The documentary focuses on her mother, actress Jayne Mansfield.
Hargitay received the Emmy for Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program. The film also won Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special.
The victories are significant because Hargitay is scheduled to host the 78th Emmy Awards on September 14.
Her two Creative Arts wins therefore arrive shortly before she takes the stage for the main ceremony.
Hargitay previously won an Emmy for her acting work on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Her 2026 documentary victories recognize a different area of her television career.
The Muppet Show Earns Four Awards
The Muppet Show was another major winner on the opening night.
The production collected four awards, including Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded).
The recognition highlights the continuing television presence of the Muppets and the production work involved in creating a modern variety special.
The Creative Arts categories gave the program opportunities to receive recognition for elements that are separate from traditional acting or writing awards.
Its four wins placed The Muppet Show among the leading productions of the first night.
Love on the Spectrum Takes Three
Netflix’s Love on the Spectrum also performed strongly.
The reality series won three awards during the opening ceremony.
Its victories included Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program, Outstanding Picture Editing for Reality Programming and Outstanding Casting for a Reality Program.
The results recognize several different stages of the show’s production.
Casting establishes the participants and personalities at the center of the series. Editing then shapes hours of recorded material into finished episodes. The program’s overall category win recognizes the completed reality production.
The three victories made Love on the Spectrum one of the night’s leading unscripted winners.
Jimmy Kimmel Wins for Game Show Hosting
Jimmy Kimmel also received an Emmy during the first ceremony.
He won Outstanding Host for a Game Show for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.
The victory marked his second consecutive win in the category.
The award came against a field that included Steve Harvey, Ken Jennings, Colin Jost and Martin Short.
Jeopardy! also won Outstanding Game Show, giving the long-running quiz program another major Emmy achievement.
Together, the two results highlighted the continuing strength of established American game shows at the 2026 Emmys.
Other Important Night 1 Results
Several additional programs received recognition during the first Creative Arts ceremony.
Mr. Scorsese won Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series.
My Mom Jayne won the top documentary special award.
Tucci in Italy received the award for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special.
Antiques Roadshow won Outstanding Structured Reality Program.
The Librarians won the award for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking.
The first night also recognized performers and creators in short-form and emerging-media categories.
Octavia Spencer won Outstanding Narrator for Lost Women of Alaska.
Desi Lydic won Outstanding Performer in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series for The Daily Show: Desi Lydic Foxsplains.
Inside the Pitt won Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction or Reality Series.
These results demonstrate how broadly the Creative Arts ceremonies cover television.
Night 2 Takes Place September 6
The second Creative Arts ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, September 6, at the Peacock Theater.
Night 2 focuses on another group of categories, including awards connected to scripted programming, animation, acting and technical television production.
The scheduled categories include guest acting, supporting acting in limited or anthology programming, cinematography, sound, makeup, hairstyling, visual effects and other craft areas.
The Television Academy has announced presenters for the second ceremony, including Noah Wyle, Wendi McLendon-Covey and Daveed Diggs.
Other presenters are also scheduled to participate.
Because the second ceremony is taking place on September 6, confirmed winners from that event should be distinguished from nominees and announced presenters when reporting the latest results.
That distinction matters for readers following the awards in real time.
I Love Lucy Receives the Inaugural Legacy Award
One of the major events scheduled for the second Creative Arts ceremony is a special tribute to I Love Lucy.
The classic sitcom has been selected as the first recipient of the Television Academy’s Legacy Award.
The new honor recognizes a television program that has made a profound generational impact and continues to hold importance for audiences, culture and the television industry.
I Love Lucy premiered on CBS in 1951.
Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz starred as Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, becoming two of the most recognizable figures in television history.
The series also changed the way sitcoms were produced.
Ball and Arnaz helped establish the three-camera production method filmed before a live studio audience. That approach became an important model for television comedy.
The series also played a major role in the development of television syndication.
The Legacy Award comes 75 years after the show’s premiere, making the tribute especially significant during the 2026 Emmy season.
Why the Creative Arts Categories Matter
The Creative Arts Emmys recognize television work that audiences often see without knowing who created it.
A finished episode depends on many specialists.
Cinematographers establish the visual appearance of a production. Editors determine how individual scenes come together. Production designers build the environments seen on screen.
Sound teams create the audio experience. Makeup and hairstyling teams help establish characters and settings. Costume designers shape the visual identity of performers.
Visual-effects artists can create environments and images that would otherwise be impossible to film.
The Emmy categories give these professionals their own opportunity for recognition.
The awards also demonstrate how television has expanded beyond traditional scripted series. Reality shows, documentaries, game shows, short-form productions and emerging media now occupy a major part of the television landscape.
How to Watch the 2026 Creative Arts Emmys
The two Creative Arts ceremonies are being combined into one edited television presentation.
The 78th Emmy Awards (Creative Arts) will air Saturday, September 12, on FXX at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
The presentation will also be available to stream on Hulu the following day.
This format gives viewers an opportunity to see highlights and winners from both Creative Arts nights in one program.
The main 78th Emmy Awards will follow on Monday, September 14.
That ceremony will air live on NBC at 8 p.m. ET and 5 p.m. PT. Peacock will also carry the live broadcast and provide on-demand access.
Mariska Hargitay is scheduled to host the main ceremony.
What the First Night Means for the Emmy Season
The opening ceremony established several clear winners in reality, variety and nonfiction television.
Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl production led with seven awards. The Traitors followed with six. The Late Show With Stephen Colbert collected five, while The Muppet Show earned four.
Love on the Spectrum finished with three.
Hargitay’s two awards added another major personal milestone to the weekend.
The results also showed that Emmy recognition extends well beyond the programs and stars usually associated with the main television broadcast.
The September 5 ceremony recognized directors, editors, hosts, narrators, production teams, designers and other television professionals.
The second night will add another set of winners before the Creative Arts presentation reaches television audiences on September 12.
Creative Arts Emmys 2026: The Latest Picture
As of September 6, the 2026 Creative Arts awards have already produced several major stories.
The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny is the leading winner from Night 1 with seven awards.
The Traitors has six, while The Late Show With Stephen Colbert has five.
The Muppet Show follows with four, and Love on the Spectrum has three.
Mariska Hargitay’s two victories for My Mom Jayne are also among the weekend’s standout achievements.
Night 2 is scheduled for September 6 and will add awards from additional scripted, animation, acting and technical categories.
The combined Creative Arts presentation will then air September 12 on FXX, giving viewers a single opportunity to watch highlights from both ceremonies.
The 2026 Emmy season is officially underway, and the Creative Arts winners are already giving television fans plenty to celebrate and discuss.