Kathy Bates, a 77‑year‑old nominee for her leading role in Matlock, drew attention on the red carpet at the 2025 Emmy Awards after reports that she has lost about 100 pounds and has used the prescription drug Ozempic. Bates arrived in a sweeping ball gown, her slimmed figure marking one of the evening's most photographed moments and underscoring her status as the oldest acting nominee this year.
The awards season event also highlighted a field crowded with repeat contenders and surprise entries. Severance, The White Lotus and The Penguin were among the shows earning the most attention from voters: The Penguin collected 24 nominations and The White Lotus scored 23, while Severance was nominated across multiple major drama categories.
Nominees in the drama series race included Andor, The Diplomat, The Last of Us, Paradise, The Pitt, Severance, Slow Horses and The White Lotus. Leading actor nominees in drama ranged from Sterling K. Brown for Paradise to Pedro Pascal for The Last of Us, with Noah Wyle receiving a nomination for his work in The Pitt. Bates faces competition in the drama actress category from Sharon Horgan for Bad Sisters, Britt Lower for Severance, Bella Ramsey for The Last of Us and Keri Russell for The Diplomat.
In limited and anthology categories, contenders included Adolescence, Black Mirror, Dying For Sex, Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story and The Penguin. Colin Farrell, Jake Gyllenhaal and Brian Tyree Henry were among the nominees for lead performances in limited series or movies. The Penguin, in particular, was noted for its high total of nominations across drama and limited‑series categories.
Comedy categories featured Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Hacks, Nobody Wants This, Only Murders in the Building, Shrinking, The Studio and What We Do in the Shadows. Jean Smart won the best actress in a comedy series contention for Hacks, while Seth Rogen took the best actor in a comedy series prize for his work in The Studio. The Bear and Abbott Elementary also secured key nominations for acting, writing and directing.
Several guest and supporting categories recognized a broad array of talent. Winners announced included Shawn Hatosy for guest actor in a drama series and Merritt Wever for guest actress in a drama series. Julianne Nicholson won guest actress in a comedy series. The White Lotus and Severance provided multiple supporting nominations, with actors such as Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Sam Rockwell, Patricia Arquette and Tramell Tillman among those honored.
The ceremony also acknowledged non‑scripted programming and variety. Alan Cumming was named host for The Traitors, which won in the host for a reality or reality competition program category, while Jimmy Kimmel and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire earned recognition in the game show host field. Queer Eye won in the structured reality program category and Love On The Spectrum took the unstructured reality program prize.
Directing and writing nominations spanned both established and emerging creators. Mike White and Janus Metz were among those nominated for drama directing, while Dan Gilroy, Joe Sachs and R. Scott Gemmill received writing nods for their respective drama work. In comedy writing and directing, nominees included Quinta Brunson, Nathan Fielder and Lucia Aniello.
The 2025 Emmy announcements reflect continuing industry interest in prestige streaming and limited‑series storytelling, and they underscore a strong season for ensemble casts and high‑profile filmmakers crossing into television. Bates's red carpet appearance added a personal note to the evening's industry metrics and honors, as the show both celebrated widely nominated series and recognized individual achievements across scripted and unscripted television.
Producers and networks will now look toward the televised awards presentation and subsequent industry season to see how voters reward the heavy nominees and whether televised moments, such as Bates's arrival, influence broader public and critical attention to the nominated programs.