Many of the 2025 Emmy Awards categories went to the projected frontrunners, like The Studio and Adolescence dominating most comedy and limited series races including Outstanding Comedy Series and Limited Series, respectively. Still, there were several upsets and surprises, including the nail-biting Outstanding Drama Series victory for HBO Max’s The Pitt in the final minutes of Sunday’s telecast.
Apple TV+’s Severance was the most nominated program this year with 27 noms versus 13 for The Pitt, giving it the edge in the top drama race. But the medical drama, done on a modest budget — fraction of the cost of the high-concept Severance — had momentum, and last weekend landed the Casting for a Drama Series Emmy alongside The Studio and Adolescence in the comedy and limited series fields. The casting Emmys are considered a relatively reliable predictor of the top series winners.
The Pitt‘s Katherine LaNasa brought another surprise win tonight for Supporting Actress In a Drama Series. She took the Emmy for playing Charge Nurse Dana Evans on the medical drama in her first nomination, beating out four The White Lotus performers, led by Carrie Coon, who had been projected by many pundits to win. (In another surprise, White Lotus was shut out completely tonight.)
Similarly, Severance‘s Britt Lower won for Lead Actress In a Drama Series. She won over Oscar winner Kathy Bates, a 14-time nominee and two-time Emmy winner who had been tipped to triumph for her title role on the CBS drama Matlock.
Adolescence‘s Stephen Graham, a three-time Emmy winner tonight, delivered a mild surprise in the Lead Actor in a Limited Series category. The Penguin’s Colin Farrell had been tipped as a possible winner, but the category had largely been considered a toss-up between the two.
While LaNasa, Lower and Graham still factored into a number of predictions as possible winners, Jeff Hiller of HBO’s Somebody Somewhere did not.
In one of the night’s biggest shockers, Hiller prevailed over the likes of The Studio‘s Ike Barinholtz, Shrinking‘s Harrison Ford and The Bear‘s previous Emmy winner Ebon Moss-Bachrach.
“I feel like I’m going to cry,” a speechless Hiller said onstage.
The drama writing and directing categories also delivered surprises, with neither going to the two series leading the drama series Emmy race this year, Severance and The Pitt.
While Dan Gilroy‘s writing win for Disney+’s Andor over said dramas was considered a surprise, Adam Randall‘s directing victory for Slow Horses was a real shocker.
“I think a lot of people were surprised, it was unexpected,” Gilroy said on stage while accepting his award.
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