Former President Barack Obama won his second Emmy on the second night of the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, the Associated Press. Obama triumphed in the Best Narrator category for his work on the Netflix documentary series, “Working: What We Do All Day,” a repeat win in a category he previously dominated for narrating a Netflix series on national parks.
The former president, absent from the ceremony at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, outshone formidable contenders such as Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett, Mahershala Ali, and Pedro Pascal in what proved to be the most star-studded category at the Creative Arts Emmys. This two-night event predominantly honors lesser-known artists, crew members, and craftspeople in the television industry.
Meanwhile, John Mulaney won his third Emmy for his writing on the Netflix stand-up special, “Baby J,” where he explored a darker side, delving into his experiences with drug addiction and recovery. Playfully acknowledging his achievement, Mulaney expressed excitement about showing the award to his 2-year-old son, along with the caveat that the special itself is off-limits.
At the age of 90, Carol Burnett took the stage to accept the final award of the weekend, as NBC’s “Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love” earned recognition as the best prerecorded variety special. The comedic icon, who won her first Emmy in 1961 and most recently in 1997, continues to be a stalwart presence in the industry.
The Creative Arts Emmys, spanning Saturday to Sunday, serve as a precursor to the main Emmy ceremony scheduled to air on Fox at 8 p.m. on January 15, hosted by “black-ish” star Anthony Anderson. The delayed awards season is a result of industry-wide strikes among writers and actors. The second night of the Creative Arts Emmys, focusing on reality shows and unscripted TV, coincided with the Golden Globe Awards held in Beverly Hills, somewhat overshadowing the former.
Additional winners included Keke Palmer for Best Game Show Host, “I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson” for Best Short Form Comedy, Drama, or Variety Series, “Queer Eye” for Best Structured Reality Show, and “Welcome to Wrexham” for Best Unstructured Reality Show.
Saturday night’s winners featured Ed Sheeran’s first Emmy for co-writing the song “A Beautiful Game” for “Ted Lasso” on Apple TV+. TV veterans Judith Light and Nick Offerman each earned their first Emmy for guest roles, with Offerman’s win for an episode of “The Last of Us” contributing to the show’s total of eight Creative Arts Emmys and making it a strong contender for the upcoming main ceremony on January 15. An edited version of the two-night ceremony will air on cable channel FXX on January 13.
