The 2025 Emmy Awards were a night of wins and heartfelt speeches, with two shows in particular, Netflix’s drama series Adolescence and the comedy series The Studio, taking home a large portion of the night’s top honors. Adolescence won a total of eight awards, with six coming from the main ceremony, while The Studio made history with a record-breaking 13 wins across both the Primetime and Creative Arts Emmy's.
One of the most profound victories of the evening was 15-year-old Owen Cooper's win for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series for his role in Adolescence. Cooper became the youngest ever male Emmy winner, breaking a record that had stood since 1973. In a previous Netflix interview, he had shared that his interest in acting began around age 10, surprising his parents as he had always wanted to be a footballer. His casting director, Shaheen Baig, praised his "astonishing" and "truly remarkable performance," noting that his improvised tape "felt very natural."
Stephen Graham, who won Outstanding Lead Actor for his role in Adolescence, reflected on the show's powerful impact. He recounted an encounter with a viewer who thanked him for helping to open a dialogue between a father and son. Graham said the show's "main key ingredient is to try and open doors to our children and have conversations, and I think we've achieved that." Director Philip Barantini echoed this sentiment, explaining that the show was developed to tackle issues like "toxic masculinity and incel culture." He expressed his pride, saying that the cast and crew were all "on the same page, on the same train, going in the same direction on the project, then it's magical."
The night also saw wins for Noah Wyle for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his work in The Pitt, and Stephen Colbert for Outstanding Talk Series for The Late Show, despite its recent cancellation. Wyle described The Pitt as a "love letter to first responders," saying the show was designed to highlight "the aggregate toll that these shifts have taken on them since Covid." Colbert, meanwhile, shared his love for his show, stating, "I love what we do... I'm going to savour every day of it... I want to land this plane beautifully, and I got nothing else on my mind."
There were notable moments beyond the awards themselves. Cristin Milioti won her first Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series for her role in The Penguin, and in her speech, she revealed, "This show was a bright spot for me." Hannah Einbinder, who won Outstanding Supporting Actress for Hacks, used her acceptance speech to voice her support for Palestine. She later clarified backstage that she feels it is her "obligation - as a Jewish person - to distinguish Jews from the state of Israel."
Here are the list of winners in all categories:
Outstanding drama series
The Pitt (HBO Max)
Outstanding comedy series
The Studio (Apple TV+)
Outstanding limited or anthology series
Adolescence (Netflix)
Outstanding lead actor in a drama series
Noah Wyle - The Pitt (HBO Max)
Outstanding lead actress in a drama series
Britt Lower - Severance (Apple TV+)
Outstanding lead actor in a comedy series
Seth Rogen - The Studio (Apple TV+)
Outstanding lead actress in a comedy series
Jean Smart - Hacks (HBO Max)
Outstanding lead actor in a limited or anthology series or movie
Stephen Graham - Adolescence (Netflix)
Outstanding lead actress in a limited or anthology series or movie
Cristin Milioti - The Penguin (HBO Max)
Outstanding supporting actor for one drama series
Tramell Tillman - Severance (Apple TV+)
Outstanding supporting actress for one drama series
Katherine LaNasa - The Pitt (HBO Max)
Outstanding supporting actor for comedy series
Jeff Hiller - Somebody Somewhere (HBO Max)
Outstanding supporting actress for comedy series
Hannah Einbinder - Hacks (HBO Max)
Outstanding supporting actor for limited or anthology series or movie
Owen Cooper - Adolescence (Netflix)
Outstanding supporting actress for limited or anthology series or movie
Erin Doherty - Adolescence (Netflix)
Outstanding reality competition programme
The Traitors (NBC)
Outstanding scripted variety series
Last Week Tonight wit John Oliver (HBO Max)
Outstanding talk series
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS)
Outstanding writing for a drama series
Dan Gilroy - Andor
Outstanding writing for a comedy series
Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Peter Huyck, Alex Gregory, Frida Perez - The Studio
Outstanding writing for a limited or anthology series or movie
Jack Thorne, Stephen Graham - Adolescence
Outstanding directing for a drama series
Adam Randall, Slow Horses
Outstanding directing for a comedy series
Seth Rogen, The Studio
Outstanding directing for a limited or anthology series or movie
Philip Barantini, Adolescence
Outstanding writing for a variety series
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Outstanding variety special (live)
SNL50: The Anniversary Special (NBC)