Bad Bunny’s The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny dominated the first night of the Creative Arts Emmys on Saturday, September 5, capturing seven awards at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, according to Billboard. The Puerto Rican superstar won his first Primetime Emmy as both the lead performer and a producer, taking home the trophy for outstanding variety special (live) as reported by Telegraph India.
Bad Bunny Halftime Show Dominates Night One with Seven Wins
The achievement marks only the second time a Super Bowl Halftime Show has won the top program Emmy, following the 2022 hip-hop show starring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, and 50 Cent, which won four years ago according to Billboard. With its seven total trophies, the broadcast surpassed the 2022 hip-hop show’s three wins to become the most-awarded Super Bowl halftime show in Emmy history as detailed by Billboard. Additionally, it stands as the first Spanish-language program to win outstanding variety special (live) according to Billboard.
Full List of Category Victories for the Production
Beyond the top program award, the production secured victories across multiple technical and creative categories during the Saturday ceremony. Miguel Gandelman won outstanding music direction, noting logistical hurdles in preparation: The hardest part for me was catching Benito on tour. I had to record the band, so I had to go to Colombia. I had to go to Chile,
according to Variety.
Hamish Hamilton earned the award for outstanding directing for a variety special for his work on the halftime show, marking his third win in the category in four years as noted by Billboard. Additional wins for the broadcast included:
- Outstanding choreography for variety or reality programming (Charm La’Donna, Karina Ortiz), reported by Variety
- Outstanding production design for a variety special (Bruce Rodgers), reported by Variety
- Outstanding sound mixing for a variety series or special, reported by Billboard
- Outstanding lighting design/lighting direction for a special, reported by Billboard
- Outstanding technical direction and camerawork for a special, reported by Billboard
Broader Context and Additional Night One Honors
The night’s victories arrived seven months after Bad Bunny became the first artist to win the Grammy for album of the year for a Spanish-language album, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS,
according to Telegraph India. With his latest win, the musician is now halfway to EGOT status, needing only an Oscar and a Tony, as reported by Telegraph India.
Saturday night’s ceremony covered 49 unscripted, reality, documentary, and variety categories, serving as the first of three events leading up to the 78th Emmy Awards broadcast on September 12 on FXX and streaming on Hulu, according to Goldderby. Other notable winners from the evening included Sabrina Carpenter, who won her first Emmy for outstanding variety special (pre-recorded) for The Muppet Show, and Octavia Spencer, who won outstanding narrator for Lost Women of Alaska.