The 2025 Emmy Awards marked a historic night for television, with Apple TV+’s comedy series “The Studio” leading the charge by setting numerous new records. The show clinched an astounding 13 Emmys at the Primetime ceremony, breaking the all-time record for most wins by a comedy series, and also surpassing the previous record for a freshman comedy series. Individually, Seth Rogen tied the record for most Emmys won by a single person in one night, joining previous honorees Moira Demos (2016), Amy Sherman-Palladino (2018), and Dan Levy (2020). This achievement surpassed FX’s “The Bear,” which set a record with 10 trophies in 2023.

During the main Sunday ceremony, Seth Rogen secured two significant awards for “The Studio”: lead comedy actor and directing for the episode “The Oner,” the latter shared with Evan Goldberg. This directing win was pivotal, breaking the freshman series record and tying the all-time record for any comedy. Later in the evening, the pilot episode, “The Promotion,” penned by Rogen, Goldberg, Frida Perez, Peter Huyck, and Alex Gregory, earned the award for writing for a comedy series. This win was particularly notable as it made Frida Perez the first Latina ever to win in a comedy writing category and only the second Latino to win as a producer in any top series race in Emmy history, a distinction previously held by Cuban American Celia D. Costas for HBO’s “Angels in America” in 2004. “The Studio” concluded its triumphant night by winning the top prize for outstanding comedy series.

The show’s success began even before the main event, during Night 1 of the Creative Arts ceremony, where it garnered nine awards. These included Bryan Cranston’s win for guest actor in a comedy series, alongside numerous craft and technical categories such as casting, cinematography, music supervision, sound editing, and sound mixing. Many winners from “The Studio” humorously acknowledged Sal Saperstein, the fictional studio executive portrayed by Ike Barinholtz. With an impressive 23 Emmy nominations, “The Studio” not only shattered the record for the most nominations for a freshman comedy (surpassing “Ted Lasso” with 20 nominations in 2021) but also tied the record for the most nominated comedy series ever, alongside “The Bear” which achieved this for its second season in 2024. This marked a banner year for Apple, achieving its highest number of network nominations and featuring the most nominated series of the year, the psychological drama “Severance,” which itself secured six prizes at the Creative Arts ceremony.

Another highlight of the evening was Stephen Graham’s win for lead limited series actor, recognizing his powerful portrayal of Eddie Miller in Netflix’s “Adolescence,” a series he co-created. In an emotional acceptance speech, Graham, who is of Swedish and Jamaican descent, spoke movingly about his humble beginnings, saying, “This kind of thing doesn’t normally happen to a kid like me. I’m just a mixed-race kid from a block of flats in a place called Kirkby.” He expressed profound humility at being acknowledged by his peers and emphasized that “any dream is possible.” He also thanked series co-creator Jack Thorne, his father for nurturing his early education through video shops, and his wife, stating, “I know that without you I would be dead. So from the bottom of my heart, I love you with everything I have.”

“Adolescence” earned Graham his first three Emmy nominations and wins. Beyond his acting award, he and Thorne also received trophies for outstanding limited series and limited series writing. While accepting the limited series award, Graham passionately advocated for equality and respect within production teams, stressing that everyone, “whether or not you are an executive producer from Plan B or you were the fellow that was cleaning the toilets in our Winnebagos, we were all equal. Just look after each other and give your mate a cuddle or a kiss and tell them you love them.” The series also secured awards for supporting limited series actor (Owen Cooper), supporting limited series actress (Erin Doherty), and limited series directing (Philip Barantini). At the preceding Creative Arts Emmys, “Adolescence” was recognized for limited series cinematography, while its companion piece, “Adolescence: The Making of Adolescence,” won for short form nonfiction series. Graham is renowned for his roles in films like Guy Ritchie’s “Snatch” (2000) and Martin Scorsese’s “Gangs of New York” (2002), as well as his iconic portrayal of Andrew “Combo” Gascoigne in “This Is England” and its sequel miniseries, and other notable works such as “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “The Irishman,” “Boardwalk Empire,” and “Peaky Blinders.”

The evening also included a poignant In Memoriam segment, introduced by Phylicia Rashad, known for her role as Clair Huxtable on “The Cosby Show.” Rashad used the platform to pay a heartfelt tribute to her onscreen son, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who played Theo Huxtable. Warner had tragically passed away in July at the age of 54 due to accidental drowning while on vacation with his family in Costa Rica. Rashad remembered him as a “beloved teenager in an iconic television series who the world watched grow into manhood,” and reflected on the lasting impact of all colleagues lost that year. Warner was a co-star with Rashad throughout the entire eight-season run of “The Cosby Show” and also guest-starred in the first two seasons of its spin-off, “A Different World.” On September 12, Tenisha Warner, Malcolm-Jamal’s wife, shared a touching tribute on Instagram, commemorating their anniversary and announcing the launch of “River & Ember” and “The Warner Family Foundation.” These initiatives aim to honor his legacy by nurturing children’s inner light and empowering young artists, embodying the enduring love and creative spirit they shared.