Primetime Emmys Fast Facts
CNN Editorial Research
(CNN) — Here’s a look at the Primetime Emmy Awards, which recognize television programs and performers.
September 14, 2025 - The 77th annual Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony takes place with Nate Bargatze hosting.
September 15, 2024 - The 76th annual Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony takes place with Dan and Eugene Levy as hosts.
Facts
Emmys are presented by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
Louis McManus, a television engineer, created the Emmy statuette, using his wife’s image as a model.
Emmy Awards are named after “Immy,” an abbreviation for the image orthicon tube, an early camera. It was later changed to “Emmy.”
The first Emmy Awards were presented on January 25, 1949, at the Hollywood Athletic Club and were for Los Angeles programming only. Six awards were given. Tickets to the event were $5.
The first award ever given was for outstanding personality and went to ventriloquist Shirley Dinsdale, for the children’s show, “Judy Splinters.”
Cloris Leachman and Julia Louis-Dreyfus are tied for the most Emmys ever by a performer (8). Ed Asner has won the most Emmys ever by a male performer (7), as of 2025.
In 2018, the Amazon Prime Video series “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” won an Emmy for outstanding comedy. It was the first time a streaming network show won the comedy award.
In 2021, NATAS and the Television Academy announced a realignment of the Primetime and Daytime Emmy Awards, organizing the competitions by content genre rather than airtime.
2025 Winners (in selected categories)
Outstanding Comedy Series:
“The Studio”
Outstanding Lead Actor - Comedy Series:
Seth Rogen, “The Studio”
Outstanding Lead Actress - Comedy Series:
Jean Smart, “Hacks”
Outstanding Supporting Actor - Comedy Series:
Jeff Hiller, “Somebody Somewhere”
Outstanding Supporting Actress - Comedy Series:
Hannah Einbinder, “Hacks”
Outstanding Drama Series:
“The Pitt”
Outstanding Lead Actor - Drama Series:
Noah Wyle, “The Pitt”
Outstanding Lead Actress - Drama Series:
Britt Lower, “Severance”
Outstanding Supporting Actor - Drama Series:
Tramell Tillman, “Severance”
Outstanding Supporting Actress - Drama Series:
Katherine LaNasa, “The Pitt”
Complete list of 2025 winners.
2024 Winners (in selected categories)
Outstanding Comedy Series:
“Hacks”
Outstanding Lead Actor - Comedy Series:
Jeremy Allen White, “The Bear”
Outstanding Lead Actress - Comedy Series:
Jean Smart, “Hacks”
Outstanding Supporting Actor - Comedy Series:
Ebon Moss-Bachrach, “The Bear”
Outstanding Supporting Actress - Comedy Series:
Liza Colón-Zayas, “The Bear”
Outstanding Drama Series:
“Shogun”
Outstanding Lead Actor - Drama Series:
Hiroyuki Sanada, “Shogun”
Outstanding Lead Actress - Drama Series:
Anna Sawai, “Shogun”
Outstanding Supporting Actor - Drama Series:
Billy Crudup, “The Morning Show”
Outstanding Supporting Actress - Drama Series:
Elizabeth Debicki, “The Crown”
Complete list of 2024 winners.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2025 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
