HBO’s Game of Thrones was a force to be reckoned with at the 2016 Emmys, sweeping the top drama categories. This year, with a week to go before the big awards ceremony on Sunday, Sept. 17, the Television Academy announced the first batch of the winners for the Creative Arts Emmys — and with Thrones out of the running due to a later-than-usual premiere schedule, who was given room to shine?
This first night of Emmy winner glitz and glitter (the rest of the Creative Arts awards will be revealed Sunday) focused on honoring the best in animation, variety, reality and documentary programming. Bob’s Burgers picked up its second win for Outstanding Animated Program, while James Corden earned a statuette for Outstanding Variety Special for his 2017 Carpool Karaoke primetime special. Leah Remini also earned a prize: Scientology and the Aftermath won for Outstanding Informational Series or Special. Saturday Night Live, RuPaul’s Drag Race, and Born This Way, too, were among the night’s big winners.
The Academy announced the winners for the juried prizes ahead of Saturday’s announcements. Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation went to AdultSwim’s Samurai Jack and Disney XD’s Wander Over Yonder: The End of the Galaxy, Outstanding Motion Design went to ABC’s Beyond Magic and Netflix’s 13th, and Outstanding Innovation in Interactive Programming went to PEARL.
See the full list from the first of night of Creative Arts winner announcements below.
Outstanding Host for a Reality/Reality-Competition Program: RuPaul Charles, RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)
Outstanding Special Class Program: 70th Annual Tony Awards (CBS)
Outstanding Choreography: TIE — Mandy Moore, Dancing With the Stars (ABC), and Travis Wall, So You Think You Can Dance (Fox)
Outstanding Structured Reality Program: Shark Tank (ABC)
Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program: United Shades of America With W. Kamau Bell (CNN)
Outstanding Picture Editing for an Unstructured Reality Program: Life Below Zero (National Geographic)
Outstanding Writing for a Nonfiction Program: Ava DuVernay and Spencer Averick, 13th (Netflix)
Outstanding Sound Mixing for Nonfiction Program (Single or Multi Camera): The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years (Hulu)
Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special: 13th (Netflix)
Outstanding Character Voiceover Performance: Seth MacFarlane, Family Guy (Fox)
Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series: Planet Earth II (BBC America)
Outstanding Music Direction: Taking the Stage: African American Music and Stories That Changed America (ABC)
Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media Within an Unscripted Program: The Oscars (ABC)
Outstanding Interactive Program: Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (HBO)
Outstanding Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Program: O.J.: Made in America (ESPN)
Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program: Planet Earth II (BBC America)
Outstanding Directing for a Nonfiction Program: O.J.: Made in America (ESPN)
Outstanding Short Form Animated Program: Adventure Time (Cartoon Network)
Outstanding Animated Program: Bob’s Burgers (Fox)
Governor’s Award: ITVS
Outstanding Makeup for a Multi-Camera Series or Special (Non-Prosthetic): Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Outstanding Production Design for a Variety, Nonfiction Event or Award Special: Hairspray Live! (NBC)
Outstanding Sound Editing for a Nonfiction Program (Single or Multi Camera): The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years (Hulu)
Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics: 13th, “Letter to the Free,” performed by Common (Netflix)
Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction or Reality Series: Viceland at the Women’s March (Viceland)
Outstanding Informational Series or Special: Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath (A&E)
Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video Control for a Limited Series, Movie or Special: Hairspray Live! (NBC)
Outstanding Narrator: Meryl Streep, Five Came Back
Outstanding Production Design for a Variety, Nonfiction, Reality, or Reality Competition Series: Saturday Night Live
Outstanding Hairstyling for a Multi-Camera Series or Special: Hairspray Live! (NBC)
Outstanding Cinematography for a Reality Program: Bruce Ready, Born This Way (A&E)
Outstanding Picture Editing for a Structured or Competition Reality Program: RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)
Outstanding Costumes For Variety, Nonfiction Or Reality Programming: Zaldy Goco and Perry Meek, RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)
Outstanding Casting for a Reality Program: Sasha Alpert and Megan Sleeper, Born This Way (A&E)
Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Variety Special: Super Bowl LI Halftime Show Starring Lady Gaga (Fox)
Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special: Glenn Weiss, The Oscars (ABC)
Outstanding Variety Special: Carpool Karaoke Primetime Special 2017 (CBS)
Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special: Full Frontal With Samantha Bee Presents Not The White House Correspondents’ Dinner (TBS)
Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking: LA 92 (National Geographic)
The Creative Arts Emmys will air Saturday, Sept. 16, at 8 p.m. on FXX. The 69th annual Primetime Emmy Awards, hosted by Stephen Colbert, will take place on Sunday, Sept. 17, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles and will be broadcast live nationwide on CBS.
