Catherine Zeta-Jones, 55, drew attention on the red carpet at the 2025 Emmy Awards when she arrived in a semi-sheer black gown and opted to go braless beneath the dress.
The Welsh actress' look came as the television industry's annual awards ceremony recognized nominees and revealed winners across drama, comedy, limited and reality programming. Major contenders for drama included Andor, The Diplomat, The Last of Us, Paradise, The Pitt, Severance, Slow Horses and The White Lotus.
Severance, which led many conversations coming into the night, secured multiple acting wins. Tramell Tillman won Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his work on Severance, while Merritt Wever took home the Emmy for Best Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her guest turn on the same show. Katherine LaNasa won Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for The Pitt, and Shawn Hatosy won Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his appearance on The Pitt.
The White Lotus and The Penguin were among the most-nominated programs of the year, with The Penguin collecting 24 nominations and The White Lotus receiving 23. The nominations list for Best Drama Series underscored the breadth of prestige television, with Sci‑Fi and prestige streaming dramas sitting alongside traditional and limited-format storytelling.
In comedy, Jean Smart won Best Actress in a Comedy Series for Hacks. Seth Rogen was awarded Best Actor in a Comedy Series for The Studio. The night also honored guest performers: Bryan Cranston won Best Guest Actor in a Comedy Series, and Julianne Nicholson was named Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her appearance on Hacks.
Reality programming drew its own set of honors. Queer Eye won Outstanding Structured Reality Program, while Love On The Spectrum took the prize for Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program. Alan Cumming was named Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program for The Traitors.
Acting nominations featured a mix of established and emerging performers. Best Actor in a Drama Series nominees included Sterling K. Brown for Paradise, Gary Oldman for Slow Horses, Pedro Pascal for The Last of Us, Adam Scott for Severance and Noah Wyle for The Pitt. Best Actress in a Drama Series nominees ranged from Kathy Bates, 77 — the oldest acting nominee this year, for Matlock — to Sharon Horgan, Britt Lower, Bella Ramsey and Keri Russell.
Limited and anthology series also attracted prominent names. Colin Farrell, Stephen Graham and Jake Gyllenhaal were among nominees for Best Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, while Cate Blanchett, Meghann Fahy and Michelle Williams were among those competing for Best Actress in the category.
Behind the camera, writing and directing nominations reflected the diversity of storytelling on television. Nominees for Best Writing for a Drama Series included Dan Gilroy for Andor and Mike White for The White Lotus; directing nods went to creators and filmmakers such as Janus Metz for Andor and Ben Stiller for Severance. In comedy, nominees for directing included Ayo Edebiri for The Bear and Lucia Aniello for Hacks.
The red carpet fashion and the winners announced at the ceremony together highlighted both the glamour and the competitive field of contemporary television. Several programs that led the nomination tallies translated that recognition into awards across acting, guest performance and technical categories, while other high-profile nominees left the night without trophies.
The Emmys continued to reflect the fragmented landscape of TV viewing, with streaming services, premium cable and broadcast series all represented among nominees and winners. As viewers and industry members parse the results, attention will turn to how networks and platforms leverage awards momentum into programming decisions and promotional pushes for the coming season.
Zeta-Jones, who has been a regular presence at major industry events in recent years, walked the carpet amid the night's attention to both fashion and the awards themselves. Her appearance underscored the continuing crossover between film‑trained actors and prestige television, a trend mirrored by many of the evening's nominees and winners.