Seth Rogen won his first Emmy on Monday night, taking Best Actor in a Comedy Series for his work on Apple TV+’s The Studio at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles.
Rogen, 43, accepted the award at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles shortly after the ceremony began, saying he had not prepared remarks because he “could not wrap [his] head around this happening.” He described a childhood memory of buying a used bowling trophy and thanked his wife, his mother, the cast and crew of The Studio, and his agents and managers.
In The Studio, Rogen plays Matt Remick, the newly appointed head of a legacy Hollywood movie studio navigating the clash between art and commerce. He prevailed in a competitive comedy field that included Adam Brody for Nobody Wants This, Jason Segel for Shrinking, Martin Short for Only Murders in the Building and Jeremy Allen White for The Bear.
Jean Smart won Best Actress in a Comedy Series for her leading role in Hacks, marking her third Emmy in that category. The 74-year-old actress, who hobbled to the stage because of a summer knee injury, thanked her cast and crew and closed her remarks with a plea to the industry and audience: “Let’s be good to each other.” Her performance as Deborah Vance, a legendary Las Vegas comic who forms a fraught mentorship with a younger writer, has been a recurring presence among Emmy winners and nominees in recent seasons.
Comedian Nate Bargatze made his Emmy-hosting debut. He opened the show with a sketch featuring Saturday Night Live cast members Bowen Yang, Mikey Day and James Austin Johnson and said in pre-show interviews he planned to avoid “mean” jokes. Bargatze, who was nominated in variety categories for his special Your Friend, Nate Bargatze, served as a light-touch emcee for the ceremony broadcast live on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.
The evening also underscored the breadth of this year’s television field. Apple TV+’s Severance led all programs with 27 nominations, while Colin Farrell’s HBO series The Penguin received 24. Apple’s The Studio and HBO’s The White Lotus (season three) tied with 23 nominations apiece. The Last of Us followed with 16 nominations, and both Andor and Hacks received 14.
The ceremony highlighted the increasingly porous line between film and television. Filmmakers Martin Scorsese and Ron Howard each earned their first acting Emmy nominations for guest appearances on The Studio, and Harrison Ford received his first Emmy nomination for his role in Apple TV+’s Shrinking.
Several other notable wins punctuated the night. Shawn Hatosy won Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series for The Pitt. Merritt Wever took Best Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her work on Severance. In comedy guest categories, Bryan Cranston won Best Guest Actor for The Studio and Julianne Nicholson won Best Guest Actress for Hacks.
The Academy’s nominations and winners reflected a wide range of storytelling and platforms across streaming services and traditional networks. The ceremony proceeded over a three-hour broadcast that combined awards, performances and cameo presentations from a roster of movie and television stars who appeared to present honors.
Industry observers pointed to the evening as further evidence of television’s continuing attraction for film talent and the sustained competitiveness of streaming services. For Rogen, the win capped a season in which The Studio drew attention for its satire of Hollywood and its roster of guest stars; for Smart, the award reinforced a multi-year run of recognition for her portrayal of a complex, aging performer.
As the show concluded, producers and nominees alike framed the night as both a celebration of television’s variety of voices and a showcase for the ongoing crossover of film and television talent. Rogen’s acceptance — equal parts surprise and gratitude — illustrated the personal stakes that still accompany awards recognition in an industry in the midst of rapid change.