2026 Creative Arts Emmys winners: Mariska Hargitay, Bad Bunny and 'The Traitors' among big winners

Jimmy Kimmel also picked up the Emmy for Outstanding Host for a Game Show for 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'

The 2026 Creative Arts Emmy Awards have honoured a wide range of television's behind-the-scenes talent, with The Traitors, Bad Bunny, Mariska Hargitay and Jimmy Kimmel among the biggest winners.

The two-night ceremony took place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on September 5 and September 6, ahead of the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards on September 14. The Creative Arts ceremony recognises achievements across reality, variety, documentary, animation and technical categories.

Bad Bunny's The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny emerged as one of the night's biggest successes, winning seven awards from its nine nominations. The wins included Outstanding Variety Special (Live), Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special, Outstanding Music Direction, Outstanding Choreography, Outstanding Sound Mixing, Outstanding Lighting Design and Outstanding Technical Direction and Camerawork.

The wins gave Bad Bunny his first Emmy Award and made his Super Bowl halftime performance the most-awarded programme of the first night of the Creative Arts ceremony. The special also became only the third Super Bowl halftime show to win Outstanding Variety Special (Live).

The Traitors was another major winner, taking home six awards. Alan Cumming secured his third consecutive Emmy for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Programme, while the series also won in categories including Outstanding Directing for a Reality Programme and Outstanding Production Design for a Variety or Reality Programme.

Mariska Hargitay also had a memorable night thanks to her documentary My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay. The Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star won two Emmys for the project, including Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Programme and Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special.

Jimmy Kimmel picked up the Emmy for Outstanding Host for a Game Show for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, while Jeopardy! won Outstanding Game Show.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert also performed strongly, collecting five awards. Among its wins was Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series, while the programme also took home awards for directing, lighting, picture editing and technical direction and camerawork.

Other notable winners included The Muppet Show, which won Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded), and Love on the Spectrum, which took home Outstanding Unstructured Reality Series as well as awards for picture editing and casting.

The Creative Arts Emmy Awards will be edited into a combined broadcast airing on FXX on September 12, while the main 78th Primetime Emmy Awards, hosted by Hargitay, will take place on September 14.