Most Memorable Emmy Moments, From Stephen Colbert’s Standing Ovation and History-Making Wins to Iconic Reunions
The 2025 Emmy Awards saw laughter, tears and plenty of memorable moments throughout the ceremony Sunday night. From The Late Show With Stephen Colbert receiving a standing ovation and Severance star Tramell Tillman and Adolescence breakout Owen Cooper making history with their wins, to Gilmore Girls, Everybody Loves Raymond and Law & Order reunions, The Hollywood Reporter is highlighting some of the night’s unforgettable moments below.
As it embarks on its final season, CBS’ Late Show With Stephen Colbert took home its first Emmy for best talk series. The show beat out Jimmy Kimmel Live! and last year’s winner, The Daily Show. It’s the first win ever for a broadcast late-night show for best talk series — a category that’s existed since 2015. Prior to that, the last network show to win the Emmy for best variety, music or comedy series was The Late Show With David Letterman in 2002. Even before presenter Bryan Cranston announced The Late Show’s win, the audience at the Peacock Theater gave the show a standing ovation, which continued as Colbert and members of the show’s team took the stage. Read more. — Rick Porter
Hannah Einbinder took home her first Emmy on Sunday for best supporting actress in a comedy series for her role in Hacks at the 2025 awards ceremony. After being presented the award by Reba McEntire and Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman, Einbinder took to the stage, where she said it’s “punk rock” to win an Emmy. “Thank you so much, wow! I’m thinking out loud here — I was just really committed to the personal narrative that I have that it was actually cooler to continue to lose. I was pretty committed to that, had to be, right? But this is cool, too. This is also punk rock!” she said in her acceptance speech. Read more. — Carly Thomas
Severance star Tramell Tillman made history, becoming the first Black man to ever win the best supporting actor in a drama series Emmy. Tillman, who this year received his first Emmy nomination and win, was nominated alongside Zach Cherry (Severance), James Marsden (Paradise), John Turturro (Severance), Sam Rockwell (The White Lotus), Jason Isaacs (The White Lotus) and Walton Goggins (The White Lotus). During his acceptance speech, Tillman, who stars as Milchick in the Apple TV+ series, said, “You remember what you want to remember. You make time for what you want to make time for, do the work, show up, and most importantly, for the love of God, don’t embarrass me in public.” Read more. — Beatrice Verhoeven
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Nate Bargatze poked fun at the TV industry and some nominees during the opening moments of the show. The first-time Emmy host opened with a sketch in which he portrayed television inventor Philo Farnsworth explaining the all-too-real and baffling ways the medium would be used in the future. Also starring SNL castmembers Bowen Yang, Mikey Day and James Austin Johnson, the sketch was a variation on Bargatze’s beloved “Washington’s Dream” sketch from his debut hosting Saturday Night Live last year. Read more. — James Hibberd
Adolescence breakout Owen Cooper made history as the youngest-ever male Emmy winner in any acting category. At just 15, the British star becomes the first of his age to manage such a feat after winning best supporting actor in a limited/anthology series or TV movie. The previous record holder was Scott Jacoby, who was 16 years old when he won a Primetime Emmy in 1973 for his role in That Certain Summer. “Standing up here…wow this is so surreal” Cooper said while picking up the award in downtown Los Angeles. “Tonight proves that if you listen and you focus and you step out of your comfort you can achieve anything in life.” Read more. — Lily Ford
Survivor, the most-watched Emmys series of all the 2025 nominees, had a hand in dishing out the award for scripted variety series to Last Week Tonight With John Oliver. Jeff Probst, series host and executive producer, held tribal council on stage with a fully equipped mini Survivor set, where cardboard cutouts of John Oliver and Lorne Michaels sat, awaiting their fate. “During Survivor‘s 25 years on CBS, 50 seasons of our show with the world watching contestants must outwit, outplay and outlast the competition until one takes up the prize,” he began. “Tonight is no different. The two tribes that both have dug deep in their quest, and here there is no immunity to protect them.” Read more. — McKinley Franklin
It was a time for reunions during the 2025 Emmys. Gilmore Girls stars Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel took the stage on a set that replicated their Stars Hollow home in the series. The former co-stars, who famously played mother and daughter Lorelai and Rory in the WB show, honored the 25th anniversary of the series that lasted for seven seasons and the revival Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. “Twenty-five years ago, a show called Gilmore Girls apparently took the season of fall hostage,” Graham said. (Based on several years of streaming data, fall is when a lot of people watch Gilmore Girls on Netflix.) Read more. — Lexy Perez
The Pitt took home the best drama series Emmy, and showrunner R. Scott Gemmill dedicated the trophy to health-care workers and first responders. “I have the best producing partners and friends in the world, John Wells and Noah Wyle — I don’t know where he is,” Gemmill said on stage, looking for Wyle, who had just won the best drama actor award for the show. “Our secret weapon, Dr. Joe Sachs, who else? Our friends, our families. And I want to dedicate this, on behalf of everyone, to all the health-care workers, frontline first responders. Respect them, protect them, trust them.” Read more. — Beatrice Verhoeven
The 77th Emmy Awards, hosted by Nate Bargatze, aired live from the Peacock Theater at L.A. LIVE in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday, Sept. 14. Check out all the red carpet arrivals and 2025 Emmy winners.
