SNL50 Shines at Creative Arts Emmys Night 2 (Full Winner List)

Saturday Night Live Dominates at Creative Arts Emmys

Saturday Night Live (SNL) and the SNL50 specials made a significant impact during Night 2 of the Creative Arts Emmys, securing 11 categories—far more than any other nominee. Given that Lorne Michaels' long-running comedy institution has already been the most nominated program in Primetime Emmy Awards history with 372 nods, it was anticipated that TV Academy voters would celebrate its milestone fiftieth season across various formats.

The SNL wins on Sunday included production design for a variety series, lighting design, sound mixing, technical direction/camera work, and writing. However, the show wasn’t entirely invincible. The SNL50 special lost the best documentary or nonfiction series award to HBO Max’s "100 Foot Wave," which also won for cinematography. Another HBO program, "Pee-wee As Himself," claimed three victories, including best documentary/nonfiction series, placing it just behind Peacock’s "The Traitors," which earned four wins, including Alan Cumming’s second consecutive Emmy for reality TV host.

A Historic Win for The Late Show

"The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" finally ended its streak of leaving the Emmys empty-handed by winning best directing for a variety series. Despite this win, the show was canceled by CBS in July, described as a "financial decision" mere days after Colbert criticized CBS's $16 million settlement with President Donald Trump. Still, the win marked a positive note for the show before its conclusion.

Other notable mentions include Barack Obama, who added a third Emmy to his collection for narrating Netflix's "Our Oceans." Additionally, Netflix's "Conan O'Brien: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor" won best pre-recorded variety special. The Kennedy Center had selected O'Brien as this year's honoree before the hostile takeover, when he replaced longtime employees with his allies. HBO Max's "Conan O'Brien Must Go" also won on Sunday for hosted nonfiction series or special.

Highlights from Night 1

Night 1 of the Creative Arts Emmys focused mainly on scripted programming, with "The Studio" emerging as the top winner with nine awards. It now holds a strong position heading into the Primetime Emmys ceremony on September 14, which will air live on CBS and Paramount+ at 8 p.m. EST / 5 p.m. PST. Nights 1 and 2 of the CAE will be edited into a single broadcast that will air on Saturday, September 13, at 8 p.m. PST on FXX.

Complete List of Winners

• Outstanding Casting for a Reality Program: Love on the Spectrum, Netflix
• Outstanding Choreography for Variety or Reality Programming: The 67th Grammy Awards, CBS
• Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program: 100 Foot Wave, HBO Max
• Outstanding Cinematography for a Reality Program: The Traitors, Peacock
• Outstanding Commercial: Brian Cox Goes To College, Uber One for Students
• Outstanding Costumes for Variety, Nonfiction or Reality Programming (Juried): Beyoncé Bowl, Netflix
• Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program: Matt Wolf, Pee-wee as Himself, Peacock
• Outstanding Directing for a Reality Program: The Traitors, Peacock
• Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series: Jim Hoskinson, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, CBS
• Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special: Liz Patrick, SNL 50, NBC
• Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series: 100 Foot Wave, HBO Max
• Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special: Pee-wee As Himself, HBO Max
• Outstanding Emerging Media Program: SNL 50th The Anniversary Special: Immersive Experience, NBC
• Outstanding Innovation in Emerging Media Programming (Juried): White Rabbit Shibuya Film
• Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking: Patrice: The Movie, Hulu
• Outstanding Game Show: Jeopardy!, ABC
• Outstanding Hairstyling for a Variety, Nonfiction or Reality Program: SNL50: The Anniversary Special, NBC
• Outstanding Host for a Game Show: Jimmy Kimmel, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, ABC
• Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program: Alan Cumming, The Traitors, Peacock
• Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special: Conan O'Brien Must Go, HBO Max
• Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Series: Saturday Night Live, NBC
• Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Special: 67th Annual Grammy Awards, CBS
• Outstanding Makeup for a Variety, Nonfiction or Reality Program: SNL50: The Anniversary Special, NBC
• Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special (Original Dramatic Score): Chef's Table, Netflix
• Outstanding Music Direction: The Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show Starring Kendrick Lamar, Fox
• Outstanding Narrator: Barack Obama, Our Oceans, Netflix
• Outstanding Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Program: Pee-wee as Himself, HBO Max
• Outstanding Picture Editing for a Structured Reality or Competition Program: The Traitors, Peacock
• Outstanding Picture Editing for an Unstructured Reality Program: Welcome to Wrexham, FX
• Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming: Cunk on Life, Netflix
• Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming (Segment): SNL 50: The Anniversary Special, NBC
• Outstanding Production Design for a Variety Special: The Oscars, ABC
• Outstanding Production Design for a Variety or Reality Series: Saturday Night Live, NBC
• Outstanding Short Form Comedy, Drama or Variety Series: The Daily Show Desi Lydic Foxplains, Comedy Central
• Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction or Reality Series: Adolescence, The Making of Adolescence, Netflix
• Outstanding Sound Editing for a Nonfiction or Reality Program: Music By John Williams, Disney
• Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Nonfiction Program: Beatles '64, Disney
• Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Reality Program: Welcome to Wrexham, FX
• Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Variety Series or Special: SNL 50: The Anniversary Special, NBC
• Outstanding Structured Reality Program: Queer Eye, Netflix
• Outstanding Technical Direction and Camerawork for a Series: Saturday Night Live, NBC
• Outstanding Technical Direction and Camerawork for a Special: SNL 50: The Anniversary Special, NBC
• Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program: Love on the Spectrum, Netflix
• Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded): Conan O'Brien: The Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, Netflix
• Outstanding Writing for a Nonfiction Program: The Daily Show Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: MAGA: The Next Generation
• Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special: SNL50: The Anniversary Special, NBC