Emmys 2025: ‘Adolescence’ and ‘The Studio’ lead the race for top honors

The 77th Primetime Emmy Awards are shaping up to be a showdown between Netflix's hard-hitting teen saga "Adolescence" and Apple TV+'s Hollywood satire "The Studio", with both shows tipped to sweep the night's biggest prizes.

Critics and pundits agree that "Adolescence" is the runaway favorite for Best Limited Series. The four-part drama, which follows the chilling story of a 13-year-old accused of murdering a classmate, has already dominated pop culture conversations, racking up 140 million views in its first three months. Its ambitious single-take episodes and unflinching commentary on toxic masculinity have made it, in Vanity Fair's words, "inconceivable to lose come Emmy night."

Meanwhile, Apple's "The Studio", starring and co-created by Seth Rogen, enters as the favorite for Best Comedy Series. A biting yet affectionate send-up of the movie industry, the show has already collected nine technical Emmys and boasts a record-tying 23 nominations — the most ever for a comedy in a single year.

The night's biggest suspense lies with the Best Drama Series category, where Apple's sci-fi thriller "Severance" — returning with 27 nominations — faces off against HBO's surprise hit "The Pitt". While Severance has long been considered the frontrunner, "The Pitt", a gripping medical drama set during one harrowing hospital shift, has built powerful momentum with critics and audiences alike.

Actors Adam Scott ("Severance") and Noah Wyle ("The Pitt") are also locked in a heated contest for Best Actor in a Drama Series.

Producers say this year's ceremony, hosted by comedian Nate Bargatze, will aim to celebrate television rather than stir controversy. Bargatze has even pledged $100,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America — deducting $1,000 for every second a winner's acceptance speech runs over the allotted 45 seconds.

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The Emmys will broadcast live from Los Angeles' Peacock Theater on Monday, September 15, airing on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.