Hollywood’s most glamorous night in television took place on Sept. 14, and the TV ratings were the highest in years. Heartwarming acceptance speeches, internet-breaking outfits and only the best of celebrity gossip made certain that this year’s Emmy Awards was nothing short of entertaining.
According to Variety, this year’s show holds the most viewership since 2021 and surpassed 7.4 million viewers. Leading streaming services with 142 nominations was HBO Max, followed by Netflix with 120 and Hulu with 80. “The Studio” on Apple TV, “Adolescence” on Netflix and “The Pitt” on HBO Max took home major awards as well as dominating their categories. “The Studio” by Seth Rogan was the real winner, taking home 13 Emmys in the comedy series category.
History was made when 15-year-old Kaine Davis became the youngest Emmy winner for his outstanding performance in “Adolescence.” This was Davis’s first acting role, first nomination and first award win. This win was well deserved for Davis, as his performance in the hit limited series was overwhelmingly impressive. The show was filmed using the “one-shot” rule, meaning each episode was shot in one continuous, uncut clip. Although this was extremely difficult for the actors, Davis was able to execute the role perfectly and earned the award for his efforts. His heartwarming acceptance speech left the audience touched as he expressed his immense gratitude for the people who surround him.
Turning toward the glitz and glam, the red carpet had many impressive outfits. Jenna Ortega stole the show as she stepped out in a see-through, gem-encrusted Givenchy dress. Some critics were fond of her sheer dress, while others found it inappropriate and not fitting for the event. Alongside Ortega with unforgettable pieces on the carpet was Selena Gomez nominated for “Only Murders in the Building” and Kristen Bell for “Nobody Wants This.”. Gomez wore a custom-made, Louis Vuitton, red gown paired with diamond earrings and her then fiancé, now husband, Benny Blanco. Nominee Kristen Bell also turned heads in her Giorgio Armani black and white adorned dress. The open back, spaghetti strap dress was worn along with dangling diamond earrings and a high slick back ponytail.
As with anything in the television industry, there’s always more behind the scenes. This year, critics are buzzing over the broadcast’s ploy to shorten acceptance speeches. Comedian and host of the show, Nate Bargatze, faced scrutiny over the introduction of a Charity Timer for acceptance speeches. The idea in theory is great. Every time a speech went under 45 seconds, money was raised for The Boys and Girls Club, yet its sincerity became debatable as a rapid counter of deducting money appeared on the screen as actors went overtime. It’s safe to say that the idea must have been much better in their heads than in reality, as viewers watched money being continuously taken from the charity in the corner of their screen. Thankfully, The Boys and Girls Club ended up going home with 350,000 dollars in spite of the timer’s negative balance. They might want to re-think this one next year after the controversy it so unnecessarily caused.
Despite controversial red-carpet looks and longwinded celebration speeches, the 2025 Emmy Awards was an unforgettable night celebrating the art of television and all this year’s productions had to offer.
