Bad Bunny Wins First Emmy for Super Bowl Performance

Record-Breaking Performance and Historical Wins

During the first night of the Creative Arts Emmys held at the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live in Los Angeles, Bad Bunny secured the award for outstanding variety special (live). The Puerto Rican superstar was honored as both the lead performer and a producer for The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny. This victory marks a significant milestone as it is the first Spanish-language program to win in this specific category.

The halftime show swept all seven categories in which it was nominated, making it the most-awarded Super Bowl halftime show in Emmy history. It surpassed the 2022 hip-hop show, which previously held the record with three wins. In addition to the top program Emmy, the special earned trophies for:

• Outstanding music direction

• Outstanding directing for a variety special (awarded to Hamish Hamilton)

• Outstanding sound mixing for a variety series or special

• Outstanding choreography for variety or reality programming

• Outstanding lighting design/lighting direction for a special

• Outstanding technical direction and camerawork for a special

There is a slight discrepancy in the historical record across sources; according to Source 1 and Source 2, this is only the second Super Bowl halftime show to win the top program Emmy, following the 2022 performance starring Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. However, Source 3 states it is the third halftime show to clinch the category. The show also resulted in another Emmy for executive producer Shawn Carter (Jay-Z), who previously won for the Super Bowl LVI and Super Bowl LIX performances.

Production Excellence and Nominees

The production team behind the record-breaking special included executive producers Desiree Perez and Jesse Collins, as well as co-executive producer Dave Meyers. The program faced stiff competition in the outstanding variety special (live) category, defeating other high-profile nominees including the 83rd Annual Golden Globes, the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, The Oscars, and the 78th Annual Tony Awards.

Director Hamish Hamilton’s win for the special marks his third directing Emmy in the past four years. His previous wins include co-directing the Super Bowl Halftime Show starring Rihanna in 2023 and directing the Oscars in 2024. Additionally, while Bad Bunny does not personally receive the award, the Season 51 opener of Saturday Night Live that he hosted won for outstanding makeup for a variety, nonfiction or reality program.

Recognition for Music Megastars

The ceremony also saw pop star Sabrina Carpenter win her first Primetime Emmy as an executive producer and performer for the Disney+ reboot of The Muppet Show. The special won for outstanding variety special (pre-recorded), beating out Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour | The Final Show. Other nominees in that category included Dave Chappelle: The Unstoppable…, Nikki Glaser: Good Girl, and Wicked: One Wonderful Night.

Other music-related wins included The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, which took home five awards during its final season run. Two of these awards were for episodes featuring rock icons Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello, and Bruce Springsteen. The Billy Joel documentary Billy Joel: And So It Goes won for outstanding sound mixing for a nonfiction program, while the 50 Cent-produced Diddy documentary Sean Combs: The Reckoning won for outstanding picture editing for a nonfiction program.

Historical Achievements and Special Honors

On the second night of the awards, Julie Andrews became the oldest woman to win a Primetime Emmy at age 90 (turning 91 in October). She won outstanding character voice-over performance for her role in Bridgerton. This win narrowly surpassed the record held by her friend Carol Burnett. The Television Academy also presented its first-ever Legacy Award to the landmark sitcom I Love Lucy, which celebrates its 75th anniversary next month.

Posthumous honors were also awarded, with Rob Reiner winning outstanding guest actor in a comedy series for his role on The Bear. In the animation category, South Park secured its sixth win for outstanding animated program, with executive producers Trey Parker and Matt Stone being recognized shortly after their induction into the Television Academy Hall of Fame.

Multiple Award-Winning Programs

• Widow’s Bay: 8 awards

• The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny: 7 awards

• DTF St. Louis: 6 awards

• The Traitors: 6 awards

• The Late Show With Stephen Colbert: 5 awards

• Spider-Noir: 5 awards

• The Muppet Show: 4 awards

Artist Background and Context

Bad Bunny, whose work is primary categorized within the Latin and Hip Hop genres, has seen significant critical success recently. This Emmy win comes seven months after he became the first artist to win Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards for a Spanish-language album, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS. According to verified artist data, the act was formed in 1994. The 78th Emmy Awards telecast is scheduled to air live on NBC on September 14, hosted by Mariska Hargitay, who also won two awards during the Creative Arts ceremonies for her film My Mom Jayne.