Cranston, Andrews, and Nicholson Shine at Creative Arts Emmys

Bryan Cranston, Julie Andrews and Julianne Nicholson were among the winners at night one of the 2025 Creative Arts Emmy Awards.

The annual two-day Creative Arts Emmy Awards kicked off its first night on Saturday at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles.

At the star-studded award ceremony, Cranston, 69, took home the award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance in The Studio.

The Apple TV+ series also topped the list of winners with nine, followed by HBO Max’s The Penguin with eight and Apple TV+’s Severance with six awards.

Nicholson won the Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy for her Dance Mom appearance in the hit series Hacks after going up against Olivia Colmon, Jamie Lee Curtis, Cynthia Erivo, Robby Hoffman and Zoe Kravitz. 

Curtis and Kravitz were two of the many standout, fan-favorite performances that lost out on trophies at the annual award ceremony. 

Bryan Cranston was among the many winners at night one of the 2025 Creative Arts Emmy Awards; pictured December 2024 in Beverly Hills

Bryan Cranston was among the many winners at night one of the 2025 Creative Arts Emmy Awards; pictured December 2024 in Beverly Hills

At the star-studded award ceremony, Cranston, 69, took home the award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance in The Studio

At the star-studded award ceremony, Cranston, 69, took home the award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance in The Studio

For his award-winning role in The Studio, Cranston beat out four other guest actors who played fictionalized versions of themselves on the show: Martin Scorsese, Dave Franco, Anthony Mackie and Ron Howard. 

The category was mostly made up of The Studio nominees while the lone outsider was Jon Bernthal, who received a nod for his performance in season three of Hulu’s The Bear. 

Last year, Bernthal won the Emmy in the same category for his appearance in the second season. 

In the Hollywood satire show, Cranston portrayed Continental Studios executive Griffin Mill, earning his flowers for his performance in the episode CinemaCon. 

This is Cranston’s first Emmy win since the conclusion of Breaking Bad, in which he is famous for his iconic portrayal of Walter White and won four times in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series category.

The Malcolm in the Middle star is now a seven-time Emmy winner — while he holds a total of 16 Emmy nominations over the span of his career — and has now taken home his first Emmy for a comedy performance. 

Julie Andrews was named the winner of Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance for her work in an episode of the hit Netflix drama Bridgerton. 

Other nominees in the category include Hank Azaria for his work in The Simpsons, Maya Rudolph in Big Mouth, Alan Tudyk in Andor, Jeffrey Wright in What If…? and Steven Yeun in Invincible. 

Julie Andrews was named the winner of Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance for her work in an episode of the hit Netflix drama Bridgerton; pictured March 2023 in Los Angeles

Julie Andrews was named the winner of Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance for her work in an episode of the hit Netflix drama Bridgerton; pictured March 2023 in Los Angeles

The film and Broadway legend, 89, took home the award for her voiceover work as Lady Whistledown in season eight's third episode titled Into the Light

The film and Broadway legend, 89, took home the award for her voiceover work as Lady Whistledown in season eight’s third episode titled Into the Light

Julianne Nicholson was the Emmy winner in the category of Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series

Julianne Nicholson was the Emmy winner in the category of Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series

In season four of Hacks, Nicholson's standout comedic performance as Mary Alice or Dance Mom earned her her flowers

In season four of Hacks, Nicholson’s standout comedic performance as Mary Alice or Dance Mom earned her her flowers

She could also take home two more awards this year as she is also nominated in the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for Paradise in addition to Hacks again

She could also take home two more awards this year as she is also nominated in the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for Paradise in addition to Hacks again

The film and Broadway legend, 89, took home the award for her voiceover work as Lady Whistledown in season eight’s third episode titled Into the Light. 

She previously was nominated in the same category and for the same voiceover role in both 2021 and 2022 in Bridgerton as well as 2023 in the spinoff Queen Charlotte.

Julianne Nicholson was the Emmy winner in the category of Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. 

Her fellow nominees included Olivia Colman and Jamie Lee Curtis from The Bear as well as Cynthia Erivo from Poker Face. 

Robby Hoffman also received a nod for her performance in Hacks as well as Zoe Kravitz’s dramatic, exaggerated portrayal of herself in The Studio. 

In season four of Hacks, Nicholson’s standout comedic performance as Mary Alice or Dance Mom earned her her flowers. 

She previously won an Emmy for her appearance in Mare of Easttown in 2021.

Merritt Wever was named the winner of the Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series category for her performance in Severance

Merritt Wever was named the winner of the Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series category for her performance in Severance

She received her flowers for her portrayal of Gretchen George in the second season of the hit Apple TV+ thriller, but she was not present at the event; pictured December 2018 in Los Angeles

She received her flowers for her portrayal of Gretchen George in the second season of the hit Apple TV+ thriller, but she was not present at the event; pictured December 2018 in Los Angeles

Shawn Hatosy, 49, won Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his role in The Pitt at the Creative Arts Emmys

Shawn Hatosy, 49, won Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his role in The Pitt at the Creative Arts Emmys

In the HBO Max medical procedural drama, Hatosy (seen on right) played Dr. Jack Abbot, a combat medic working as an attending physician in emergency medicine

In the HBO Max medical procedural drama, Hatosy (seen on right) played Dr. Jack Abbot, a combat medic working as an attending physician in emergency medicine

She could also take home two more awards this year as she is also nominated in the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for Paradise in addition to Hacks once again. 

Merritt Wever was named the winner of the Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series category for her performance in Severance.

In the same category, she was up against Hollywood heavyweights Catherine O’Hara and Kaitlyn Dever for their respective roles in The Last of Us.

The nominees in the category also included Cherry Jones for The Handmaid’s Tale as well as Gwendoline Christie and Jane Alexander also both in Severance.

She received her flowers for her portrayal of Gretchen George in the second season of the hit Apple TV+ thriller, but she was not present at the event so presenter Jamie Lee Curtis accepted the Emmy on her behalf.  

She played Dylan George’s (Zach Cherry) wife in the thriller and was recognized for one of the hit show’s most emotional scenes in the last season. 

Shawn Hatosy, 49, won Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his role in The Pitt at the Creative Arts Emmys.

The category also included nominees Forest Whitaker for Andor, Giancarlo Esposito for The Boys, Jeffrey Wright and Joe Pantoliano for their respective roles in The Last of Us and Scott Glenn for his appearance in The White Lotus.

Jamie Lee Curtis was one of the presenters on the first night of the two-day award ceremony but did not take home a trophy like last year. Like the year before, she was nominated for her role as the neurotic Berzatto matriarch Donna in FX's The Bear. She won her first Emmy last year

Jamie Lee Curtis was one of the presenters on the first night of the two-day award ceremony but did not take home a trophy like last year. Like the year before, she was nominated for her role as the neurotic Berzatto matriarch Donna in FX’s The Bear. She won her first Emmy last year

Kravitz landed her first Emmy nod for The Studio, in which she played an exaggerated, fictional version of herself but was beat out for the coveted trophy

Kravitz landed her first Emmy nod for The Studio, in which she played an exaggerated, fictional version of herself but was beat out for the coveted trophy

In the HBO Max medical procedural drama, Hatosy played Dr. Jack Abbot, a combat medic working as an attending physician in emergency medicine. 

The show earned 13 nominations overall, including one for Noah Wyle for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.

The show itself got a nod for Outstanding Drama Series, and writers Joe Sachs and R. Scott Gemmill and directors Amanda Marsalis and John Wells each were recognized for their work on the hit series.

The second night of the Creative Arts Emmys will take place on Sunday with an additional 49 trophies to be awarded and distributed in the writing, casting, makeup and picture editing categories of this year’s hit TV series. 

Creative Arts Emmys WINNERS night one – acting categories

OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES 

Olivia Colman – The Bear (Hulu) 

Jamie Lee Curtis – The Bear (Hulu) 

Julianne Nicholson – Hacks (HBO Max) – WINNER

Cynthia Erivo – Poker Face (Peacock) 

Robby Hoffman – Hacks (HBO Max) 

Zoë Kravitz – The Studio (Apple TV+)  

OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Jon Bernthal – The Bear (Hulu)

Dave Franco – The Studio (Apple TV+)  

Bryan Cranston – The Studio (Apple TV+) – WINNER

Ron Howard – The Studio (Apple TV+) 

Anthony Mackie – The Studio (Apple TV+) 

Martin Scorsese – The Studio (Apple TV+)  

OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

Jane Alexander – Severance (Apple TV+)  

Merritt Wever – Severance (Apple TV+) – WINNER

Gwendoline Christie – Severance (Apple TV+) 

Kaitlyn Dever – The Last Of Us (HBO) 

Cherry Jones – The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)

Catherine O’Hara – The Last Of Us (HBO) 

OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Giancarlo Esposito – The Boys (Amazon Prime Video) 

Shawn Hatosy – The Pitt (HBO Max) – WINNER

Scott Glenn – The White Lotus (HBO Max) 

Joe Pantoliano – The Last Of Us (HBO) 

Forest Whitaker – Andor (Disney+) 

Jeffrey Wright – The Last Of Us (HBO) 

OUTSTANDING CHARACTER VOICE-OVER PERFORMANCE

Hank Azaria – The Simpsons (Fox)

Julie Andrews – Bridgerton (Netflix) – WINNER

Maya Rudolph – Big Mouth (Netflix)

Alan Tudyk – Andor (Disney+) 

Jeffrey Wright – What If…? (Disney+) 

Steven Yeun – Invincible (Amazon Prime Video)  

 

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