The Television Academy has set the roster of 2025 Emmy categories that will be awarded over three nights, September 6 and 7 (Creative Arts Emmy Awards) and September 14 (Emmy Awards, live on CBS and Paramount+).
There are no changes to the primary telecast, which will again feature 25 categories, with Outstanding Writing For a Variety Series in the lineup this year as part of it alternating with Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special between the Creative Arts and main ceremony.
As usual, there is some category shifts between the two nights of Creative Emmys that will collectively give out 98 awards. This year, they include all Casting fields being awarded together versus spread over both nights last year. The focus on scripted and unscripted programming has been alternating between the two ceremonies, with the Guest Starring and Television Movie categories moving from Sunday last year to Saturday as docu and reality fare takes center stage Sunday.
Here is the breakdown:
2025 Creative Arts Emmy Awards Categories
Saturday, September 6
*Listed in alphabetical order
- OUTSTANDING ANIMATED PROGRAM
- OUTSTANDING CASTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
- OUTSTANDING CASTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
- OUTSTANDING CASTING FOR A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE
- OUTSTANDING CHARACTER VOICE-OVER PERFORMANCE
- OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY FOR SCRIPTED PROGRAMMING
- OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE
- OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR A SERIES (HALF-HOUR)
- OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR A SERIES (ONE HOUR)
- OUTSTANDING CONTEMPORARY COSTUMES FOR A SERIES
- OUTSTANDING CONTEMPORARY COSTUMES FOR A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE
- OUTSTANDING CONTEMPORARY HAIRSTYLING
- OUTSTANDING CONTEMPORARY MAKEUP (NON-PROSTHETIC)
- OUTSTANDING FANTASY/SCI-FI COSTUMES
- OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
- OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
- OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
- OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
- OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN ANIMATION
- OUTSTANDING MOTION DESIGN
- OUTSTANDING MUSIC COMPOSITION FOR A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES, MOVIE OR SPECIAL (ORIGINAL DRAMATIC SCORE)
- OUTSTANDING MUSIC COMPOSITION FOR A SERIES (ORIGINAL DRAMATIC SCORE)
- OUTSTANDING MUSIC SUPERVISION
- OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL MAIN TITLE THEME MUSIC
- OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL MUSIC AND LYRICS
- OUTSTANDING PERFORMER IN A SHORT FORM COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES
- OUTSTANDING PERIOD OR FANTASY/SCI-FI HAIRSTYLING
- OUTSTANDING PERIOD OR FANTASY/SCI-FI MAKEUP (NON-PROSTHETIC)
- OUTSTANDING PERIOD COSTUMES
- OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
- OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR A MULTI-CAMERA COMEDY SERIES
- OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR A SINGLE-CAMERA COMEDY SERIES


- OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE
- OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR A NARRATIVE CONTEMPORARY PROGRAM (ONE HOUR OR MORE)
- OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR A NARRATIVE PERIOD OR FANTASY PROGRAM (ONE HOUR OR MORE)
- OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR A NARRATIVE PROGRAM (HALF-HOUR)
- OUTSTANDING PROSTHETIC MAKEUP
- OUTSTANDING SOUND EDITING FOR A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES (HALF-HOUR)
- OUTSTANDING SOUND EDITING FOR AN ANIMATED PROGRAM
- OUTSTANDING SOUND EDITING FOR A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES (ONE HOUR)
- OUTSTANDING SOUND EDITING FOR A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES, MOVIE OR SPECIAL
- OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES (HALF-HOUR) AND ANIMATION
- OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES (ONE HOUR)
- OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE
- OUTSTANDING SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS IN A SEASON OR A MOVIE
- OUTSTANDING SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS IN A SINGLE EPISODE
- OUTSTANDING STUNT COORDINATION FOR COMEDY PROGRAMMING
- OUTSTANDING STUNT COORDINATION FOR DRAMA PROGRAMMING
- OUTSTANDING STUNT PERFORMANCE
- OUTSTANDING TELEVISION MOVIE
- OUTSTANDING TITLE DESIGN
Sunday, September 7
*Listed in alphabetical order
- OUTSTANDING CASTING FOR A REALITY PROGRAM
- OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY FOR VARIETY OR REALITY PROGRAMMING
- OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR A NONFICTION PROGRAM
- OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR A REALITY PROGRAM
- OUTSTANDING COMMERCIAL
- OUTSTANDING COSTUMES FOR VARIETY, NONFICTION OR REALITY PROGRAMMING
- OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A DOCUMENTARY/NONFICTION PROGRAM
- OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A REALITY PROGRAM
- OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY SERIES
- OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY SPECIAL
- OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY OR NONFICTION SERIES
- OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY OR NONFICTION SPECIAL
- OUTSTANDING EMERGING MEDIA PROGRAM
- EXCEPTIONAL MERIT IN DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING
- OUTSTANDING GAME SHOW
- OUTSTANDING HAIRSTYLING FOR A VARIETY, NONFICTION OR REALITY PROGRAM
- OUTSTANDING HOST FOR A GAME SHOW
- OUTSTANDING HOST FOR A REALITY OR REALITY COMPETITION PROGRAM
- OUTSTANDING HOSTED NONFICTION SERIES OR SPECIAL
- OUTSTANDING INNOVATION IN EMERGING MEDIA PROGRAMMING
- OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN/LIGHTING DIRECTION FOR A VARIETY SERIES
- OUTSTANDING LIGHTING DESIGN/LIGHTING DIRECTION FOR A VARIETY SPECIAL
- OUTSTANDING MAKEUP FOR A VARIETY, NONFICTION OR REALITY PROGRAM
- OUTSTANDING MUSIC COMPOSITION FOR A DOCUMENTARY SERIES OR SPECIAL (ORIGINAL DRAMATIC SCORE)
- OUTSTANDING MUSIC DIRECTION
- OUTSTANDING NARRATOR
- OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR A NONFICTION PROGRAM
- OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR A STRUCTURED REALITY OR COMPETITION PROGRAM
- OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR AN UNSTRUCTURED REALITY PROGRAM
- OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR VARIETY PROGRAMMING
- OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR VARIETY PROGRAMMING (SEGMENT)
- OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR A VARIETY SPECIAL
- OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR A VARIETY OR REALITY SERIES
- OUTSTANDING SHORT FORM COMEDY, DRAMA OR VARIETY SERIES
- OUTSTANDING SHORT FORM NONFICTION OR REALITY SERIES
- OUTSTANDING SOUND EDITING FOR A NONFICTION OR REALITY PROGRAM
- OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A NONFICTION PROGRAM
- OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A REALITY PROGRAM
- OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A VARIETY SERIES OR SPECIAL
- OUTSTANDING STRUCTURED REALITY PROGRAM
- OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL DIRECTION AND CAMERAWORK FOR A SERIES
- OUTSTANDING TECHNICAL DIRECTION AND CAMERAWORK FOR A SPECIAL
- OUTSTANDING UNSTRUCTURED REALITY PROGRAM
- OUTSTANDING VARIETY SPECIAL (LIVE)
- OUTSTANDING VARIETY SPECIAL (PRE-RECORDED)
- OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A NONFICTION PROGRAM
- OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A VARIETY SPECIAL
2025 Emmy Awards Telecast Categories
*Listed in alphabetical order
- OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
- OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
- OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
- OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE
- OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
- OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
- OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
- OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE
- OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
- OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
- OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE
- OUTSTANDING LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES
- OUTSTANDING REALITY COMPETITION PROGRAM
- OUTSTANDING SCRIPTED VARIETY SERIES
- OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
- OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
- OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE
- OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
- OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
- OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE
- OUTSTANDING TALK SERIES
- OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
- OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
- OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE
- OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A VARIETY SERIES
