2025 Emmys: ‘The Pitt’ and ‘The Studio’ win top awards

The “Modern Family” and “Griselda” star was slated to present the lead actor in a limited series, anthology series or movie category. But when it came time, Brittany Snow and Malin Akerman of “The Hunting Wives” stepped in, eventually handing the trophy to Stephen Graham for “Adolescence.”

So where was Sofia Vergara?She posted on Instagram that she suffered an eye allergy right before leaving for the Emmys, adding a selfie with a swollen eye and video of her flushing her eye with water.

“Didnt make it to the Emmys but made it to the ER,” she wrote. “sorry I had to cancel!”

She had a sense of humor about it, attaching three laughing emojis and one “weary face” emoji.

We’ve moved from the Peacock Theater to the Los Angeles Convention Center. The first party stop of the night, the Governors Gala, is off to a calming start. Two violinists are playing as winners and losers stream into the post-show gala.

Partygoers are holding up their camera phones to capture the galaxy of studded lighting bulbs surrounding a giant Emmy statuette. The drinks are flowing at crowded bar stations.

The most popular place is in a corner where partygoers are lined up to pose in front of a floral wall, carefully arranging themselves for Instagram-worthy humblebrags. The noshing is top-notch with choices ranging from Moroccan braised beef to harissa chicken skewers along with offerings from celeb chefs Jet Tila, Lee Anne Wong and Mei Lin. The dessert tables are groaning with sundaes and old school delight Ding Dongs. The statue engraving station’s early visitors include Hannah Einbinder.

The Governors Gala following the Emmys features an elaborate menu for the 3,500 guests.

Held at the Los Angeles Convention Center, the gala is produced by Sequoia Productions. A press release delved into the menu, some of which you can sample (figuratively) below:

Drinks

• The Director’s Cut: an “elevated” Old Fashioned
• The Showrunner: an espresso martini variation
• The Nominee Nightcap: a Scotch spritz
• wines from Decoy Wines and Franciacorta
• FIJI water

Food: Offerings from celebrity chefs Jet Tila, Mei Lin and Lee Anne Wong include takes on sesame shrimp toast and chicken wraps, along with creations requiring some eye-popping numbers

• 400 pounds (181 kilograms) of shrimp
• 400 pounds (181 kilograms) of tuna
• 44 quarts (41 liters) of coconut milk
• 21,000 assorted market berries
• 300 pounds (136 kilograms) of shaved prime ribeye filling 3,000 cheesesteak hoagie rolls
• More than 16,000 culinary man hours in preparation
• 14,500 samples of “LA’s most iconic desserts”

The Emmys ended up being a family affair for best guest actor in a comedy winner and presenter Bryan Cranston. His daughter, Taylor Dearden, plays Dr. Mel King in newly crowned Emmy drama champ, “The Pitt.”

About three minutes, which is quite decent for an awards show. Nate Bargatze’s kid-inflected threats might have helped. Last year’s show ran eight minutes over — but the January Emmys* last year actually finished three minutes early.

* It’s been two years since we were in the middle of the Hollywood strikes!

11:03 p.m.: $350,000

“The number, I’ll be honest with you, was embarrassing,” Bargatze said before announcing the total, which had jumped from -$60,000. The math might not be mathing, but the kids are alright (and snacking on ice cream onstage).

It’s been 35 years since “Law & Order” started and Mariska Hargitay, Tony Goldwyn, Christopher Meloni, Ice-T and S. Epatha Merkerson gathered for an epic, generation-spanning reunion. Oh, and also presenting the biggest award of the night. “Law & Order” won outstanding drama series in 1997.

After decades of playing a doctor on TV, lead actor in a drama series winner Noah Wyle told the AP earlier this year that he thinks he could perform some actual medical procedures.

“Whether I have the intestinal fortitude to do some of this stuff is another matter.” Wyle added that given how long he’s been a TV doctor, he could have a medical degree by now. “I’m either the worst student, or the best actor-doctor around.”

Accepting his Emmy, he thanked medical workers going off or coming on shift.

“What a dream this has been,” Wyle said, contemplating his statuette.

Colman Domingo didn’t win this year for “The Four Seasons,” but the actor did take the stage to present lead actor in a drama series. Domingo won a guest actor Emmy in 2022 for his turn in “Euphoria.”

10:54 p.m.: -$60,000

Things aren’t looking up, with six minutes technically left in the show.

“We’re already in debt. We f----- over the Boys & Girls,” Seth Rogen said, inviting anyone else from the show to speak if they wanted as the ticker plunged deeper into the negatives.

There were no thanks for Sal Saperstein. Nearly all the “Studio” winners said that from the stage at the Creative Arts Emmys, a running gag that is a reference to Ike Barinholtz’s character, who gets unexpectedly thanked at the Golden Globes on the show.

“Thank your executives,” Rogen did say.

He then inquired if he would even make the cut.

“If it’s a slow year, no doubt,” Ray Romano said.

Justice for “Single Parents,” we say.

“Everybody Loves Raymond” stars Ray Romano and Brad Garrett are no strangers to the Emmys. Romano won three for the show, twice as actor, once as producer. Garrett also won three times, all for acting. The show is gearing up for its 30th anniversary next year.

10:47 p.m.: -$26,000

No, that isn’t a typo.

Whether you’re a producer or “the fella who was cleaning our toilets in the Winnebagos,” everyone is equal on the set of “Adolescence,” Stephen Graham said.

Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters have appeared in most seasons of Ryan Murphy’s “American Horror Story” and are longtime friends.

“If you really missed me, you’d call your agent and Mr. Murphy over there and get them started on Season 13,” Paulson told Peters.

Presenter Bryan Cranston’s new show “The Studio” has been having a good night (and he even beat Martin Scorsese last week for guest actor in a comedy) but the Emmys will always be Walter White’s. He won four Emmys for that role, three consecutively and that doesn’t even include the “Breaking Bad” drama series wins.

The night’s most popular winner was Stephen Colbert. He received a prolonged and rousing standing ovation for his talk series win. When he was done talking, the crowd got back on its feet.

Colbert’s win also got applause from the press corps backstage.

Colbert, in his thank you scroll, thanked “whoever makes these thank you scrolls.”

Onstage, he also thanked CBS. CBS said they canceled “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” for financial reasons, not for content. But the timing — three days after Colbert criticized the settlement between Trump and Paramount Global, parent company of CBS, over a “60 Minutes” story — led two U.S. senators to publicly question the motives.

The Netflix stars were both dressed in pink, Akerman without her brunette wig from the show.

10:33 p.m.: $52,000

“Their bladders are small, they had two bottles of water, we gotta get this money up,” JB Smoove said.

The audience was asked to hold its applause until the in memoriam segment ended. They applauded for Ozzy Osbourne, Maggie Smith, Loretta Swit and Quincy Jones, among others, anyway.

A reporter backstage asked John Oliver how he felt about the campaign for a Stephen Colbert Emmy, and about Colbert losing tonight. But Colbert’s award is still to come.

Oliver: “I’ll give you two versions. One, that’s terrible that he lost. Two, that’s great he won!”

Six, including the top series awards. For the record, it’s rare the awards show that ends on time.

“A comedian wants nothing more than to follow the in memoriam,” said John Oliver backstage. His team came to the rostrum for questions while it was still going.

“Go Rest High on That Mountain,” which Gill released 30 years ago. Their duet accompanied the in memoriam segment, which featured tributes to the likes of Ozzy Osbourne, Bill Moyers, Michelle Trachtenberg and many more from in all sectors of the industry. Trachtenberg was left out of the Oscars’ segment, prompting outcry.

Phylicia Rashad has had her share of losses this year, including the death of her mother, Vivian Ayers Allen, in August, and Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who played her “Cosby Show” son, in July. Rashad put on a brave face to introduce the in memoriam segment.

Warner, she said, “remains in our hearts.”

The segment was soundtracked by a live performance from Lainey Wilson and Vince Gill.

In case you were very curious, it’s Ernst & Young that’s responsible for tabulating the votes.

Who better to celebrate Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen’s Bob Hope Humanitarian Award than “The Good Place” creator Michael Schur and star Kristen Bell?

OK Larry David would have been good too, but downtown Los Angeles is very far from Santa Monica.

“I’m sure our president would be very good on the show,” “Traitors” host Alan Cumming said backstage. “I’m sure he would have a lot of chaos and sort of, turmoil and treachery, so maybe he’d like to come on and be paid for that, probably better than he gets as president.”

Lots of the audience booed when Television Academy PresidentCris Abrego said the Corporation for Public Broadcasting will close its doors after Congress defunded it. The CPB was the winner of an honorary Emmy.

If her look evokes a tea cozy, it’s a mighty bougie one. The “Adolescence” star joked onstage that Stephen Graham kidded her about her gown looking like a tea cozy. It’s actually a black bell-shaped gown made of a 3D embellished fabric that’s parts silk mousseline, lurex and virgin wool. It’s custom Louis Vuitton.