On September 14, 2025, the 77th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards took place in Hollywood, celebrating a plethora of celebrities who have dedicated their lives to television. The awards highlighted many fan favorites like The Late Night Show with Stephen Colbert, as well as newer pieces of media like Adolescence and Arcane.
One of the most jarring moments during the awards show was the crushing sweep of the new hit Netflix show, Adolescence. Starring Owen Cooper, Adolescence is a psychological drama following Jamie Miller, a 13-year-old boy who is accused of murdering one of his classmates. The role of Jamie Miller was Cooper’s debut in television. Adolescence went on to win a whopping eight Emmys, including Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series. Owen Cooper also won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, making history as the youngest male Emmy winner ever. Sophomore Ella Kessler shares her thoughts on Adolescence and Cooper’s performance, “I like how it was, going on constantly, and like the kid had really good, true emotions.”
Another notable and bittersweet moment that occurred during the ceremony was The Late Night Show with Stephen Colbert winning Outstanding Talk Series. In mid-July this past summer, CBS announced that Stephen Colbert was being taken off the air in May 2026 due to financial reasons; however, many speculate the real cause is due to pressure from the Trump administration. This is believed to be true, with evidence of comments Colbert made regarding Paramount’s 16 million dollar settlement with Donald Trump. Many were outraged about the show’s cancellation and saw his Emmy win as well-deserved. Junior Alex Marvin shared his thoughts about Colbert’s win: “Yeah, he’s been on the air for a long time and had a big contribution to television.”
The show had a series of other noteworthy events, like Nate Bargatze’s donation gag to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, pledging $100,000 to the organization but threatening to increase or decrease the donation depending on how long the winners’ speeches were. The joke ended up backfiring on Bargatze when the donation ended up falling into negative numbers. However, with assistance from CBS, Bargatze and CBS donated a total of $350,000 to the organization. Political statements were also made during the show, with Hannah Einbinder using her acceptance speech to advocate for Palestinians and to criticize U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Einbinder wore a “Cease Fire!” pin and ended her acceptance speech with “F*** ICE and free Palestine.”
The 77th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards had a series of impactful, record-breaking, and heartwarming moments that highlighted the different aspects and roles of the television industry and those that make television what it is today.
