Sunday, August 9, 2026

Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime Show leads Outstanding Variety Special (Live) at the Emmys


I'm revisiting Drink to Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime Show's Emmy nominations on National Piña Colada Day for this week's Sunday entertainment feature.
I begin with Gold Derby reporting Bad Bunny bouncing towards the Emmys as his Super Bowl halftime show scores unprecedented 9 nominations...
As Gold Derby predicted in January, the Puerto Rican superstar — whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio — scored a nomination Wednesday for Best Variety Special (Live) for his sizzling, much-scrutinized halftime show at Sunday's Super Bowl LX between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots. The special was one of the most-nominated programs, receiving nine total bids, including Production Design for a Variety Special, Choreography for Variety or Reality Programming, Directing for a Variety Special, Hairstyling for a Variety, Nonfiction or Reality Program, Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Special, Music Direction, Sound Mixing for a Variety Series or Special, and Technical Direction and Camerawork for a Special. That marks a record for a halftime show.
People listed Bad Bunny's competitors for Best Variety Special (Live).
The milestone comes after the performance drew a staggering 128.2 million viewers, making it the fourth-most-watched Super Bowl halftime show in history. The show is also nominated for Outstanding Variety Special (Live), where it will compete against four major awards ceremonies: the 83rd Annual Golden Globe Awards, the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, the Oscars and the 78th Annual Tony Awards.
I'm not going to handicap this category today; Gold Derby has its prediction page for the Creative Arts Emmy Awards up, but no one seems to have made a prediction in this category. When enough predictions have been tallied, I'll return to this category. On the other hand, the Super Bowl Halftime Show is leading the odds for Variety Special Directing and Music Direction; Gold Derby is not making predictions in the craft categories. I'll look at those when I examine Gold Derby's prediction for Variety Special (Live).
Every expert and editor along with 94.7% of users have chosen The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny, to use its official name, to win. The Oscars follow with 2.6% of users, then the 83rd Annual Golden Globe Awards and 78th Annual Tony Awards tie at 1.3%; no one is picking the 68th Annual Grammy Awards.

Now for the rest of the show's nominations from 78th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special
  • The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny – Hamish Hamilton (NBC)
  • Dave Chappelle: The Unstoppable... – Rikki Hughes (Netflix)
  • Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour: The Final Show – Glenn Weiss (Disney+)
  • 78th Annual Tony Awards – Glenn Weiss (CBS)
  • Wanda Sykes: Legacy – Julie Dash (Netflix)
Once again, every expert and editor plus 94.3% of users have Hamish Hamilton taking home the statuette. Glenn Weiss for both Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour: The Final Show and 78th Annual Tony Awards ties himself at 2.9% each, so he has a combined 6.8% chance, while no one thinks Rikki Hughes for Dave Chappelle: The Unstoppable... and Julie Dash for Wanda Sykes: Legacy have a chance.
Outstanding Music Direction
  • The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny – Miguel Gandelman (NBC)
  • The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Series Finale" – Louis Cato (CBS)
  • The Oscars – Michael Bearden (ABC)
  • Saturday Night Live: "Host: Jack Black" – Lenny Pickett, Leon Pendarvis, Eli Brueggemann, and Maddie Rice (NBC)
  • Wicked: One Wonderful Night – Stephen Oremus (NBC)
For the third and final time, every expert and editor along with 90.1% of users think The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny will win, giving Miguel Gandelman an Emmy. Wicked: One Wonderful Night notched 9.1% of users, The Oscars 0.8%, and the rest of the field earned no votes at all.

Follow over the jump for the craft categories.

Outstanding Production Design for a Variety Special
  • The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny – Bruce Rodgers, Shelley Rodgers, Lily Rodgers, Julio Himede, and Leticia Leon (NBC)
  • The 68th Annual Grammy Awards – Julio Himede, Kristen Merlino, Gloria Lamb, Ellen Jaworski, Scott Welborn, and Kaydee Lavorin (CBS)
  • The Muppet Show – Denise Pizzini, Chet Maxwell, Robert Aguirre, and Bethany Barton (Disney+)
  • The Oscars – Misty Buckley, Alana Billingsley, John Zuiker, and Jonathan Stoller-Schoff (ABC)
  • 78th Annual Tony Awards – Steve Bass, Star Theodos Kahn, and Aaron Black (CBS)
Normally, I'd go with The Oscars, last year's winner, but the halftime show's set design was so elaborate and detailed that I think it will win.

Outstanding Choreography for Variety or Reality Programming (Juried)
  • The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny: "Casita Medley" / "EoO" / "Nuevayol" – Charm La'Donna and Karina Ortiz (NBC)
  • 2025 MTV Video Music Awards: "Tate McRae Performance" – Robbie Blue (CBS)
  • The Oscars: "Golden" – Mandy Moore (ABC)
  • RuPaul's Drag Race: "Versatile" / "Stimulate" / "What's in a Ball?" – Jamal Sims (MTV)
  • Wicked: One Wonderful Night: "The Wizard and I" – Christopher Scott (NBC)
I'll wait until I after examine the nominees for Outstanding Variety Special (Recorded) and Outstanding Reality Competition Program to make a call. Until then, enjoy HUNTR/X - KPop Demon Hunters | Golden | Full Performance | Live @ The Oscars Awards 2026.

Audrey Nuna, Ejae and Rei Ami From HUNTR/X KPop Demon Hunters Perform Golden Live @ The 98th Academy Awards Oscars 2026
That was even better than I expected. Will it win? Stay tuned.
Outstanding Hairstyling for a Variety, Nonfiction, or Reality Program (Juried)
  • The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny – Brian Steven Banks, Mariah Montes, Maaliq Amadeus Elliott, Shian Banks, Yvette Shelton, Iraina Crenshaw, Nikki Wright, and Paula Ashby (NBC)
  • Dancing with the Stars: "Disney Night" – Kimi Messina, Marion Rogers, Joe Matke, Florence Witherspoon, Jerilynn Stephens, Amber Nicholle Maher, Brittany Spaulding, and Regina Rodriguez (ABC)
  • RuPaul's Drag Race: "The Rate-a-Queen Talent Show, Part 2" – Suzette Boozer, and Henry Sanchez (MTV)
  • Saturday Night Live: "Host: Glen Powell" – Jodi Mancuso, Cara Hannah, Inga Thrasher, Amanda Duffy Evans, Chad Harlow, Gina Ferrucci, Jennifer Serio, and Katie Beatty (NBC)
  • Wicked: One Wonderful Night – Edward Morrison, R'riyana Kline, Tiffany Bloom, Lillie S. Frierson, Cyndra Dunn, Sharif Poston, Lisa Long, and Deborah Pierce (NBC)
This is the first category I think Bad Bunny's team will lose, as it's competing against SNL, winner of the past two years.
Outstanding Lighting Design / Lighting Direction for a Special
  • The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny – Al Gurdon, Ben Green, Harry Forster, Mark Humphrey, Eric Marchwinski, Alen Sisul, Lee Spencer, and Jason Rudolph (NBC)
  • 68th Annual Grammy Awards – Noah Mitz, Madigan Stehly, William Gossett, Hannah Kerman, Andy O'Reilly, Patrick Boozer, Ryan Tanker, Erin Anderson, Matt Benson, Matthew Cotter, Terrance Ho, and Guy Jones (CBS)
  • The Oscars – Robert A. Dickinson, Noah Mitz, Ryan Tanker, William Gossett, Jeff Behm, Tyler Ericson, Hannah Kerman, Andy O'Reilly, Akash Bartlett, Guy Jones, Kevin Faust, and Terrance Ho (ABC)
  • 78th Annual Tony Awards – Robert A. Dickinson, Ed McCarthy, Tyler Ericson, Madigan Stehly, Harry Sangmeister, Chris Moeller, Jason Rudolph, JM Hurley, and Ka Lai Wong (CBS)
  • Wicked: One Wonderful Night – Bryan Klunder, Noah Mitz, Andrew O'Reilly, Patrick Boozer, Ryan Healey, Alen Sisul, Mike Hankowsky, and Jason Rudolph (NBC)
The Grammy Awards won last year, so it could repeat. I'll reserve my final judgment until after I blog about recorded variety specials.
Outstanding Makeup for a Variety, Nonfiction, or Reality Program
  • Dancing with the Stars: "Disney Night" – Julie Socash, Angela Moos, Brian Sipe, Vance Hartwell, Josh Foster, Alison Gladieux, Sarah Benjamin Hall, and Donna Bard (ABC)
  • The Oscars – Bruce Grayson, Brielle McKenna, Rochelle Uribe, Julie Hassett, Jeong-Hwa Kim Fonkalsrud, Schuron Womack, Jill Cady, and Michelle deMilt (ABC)
  • Saturday Night Live: "Host: Bad Bunny" – Louie Zakarian, Jason Milani, Amy Tagliamonti, Young Bek, Joanna Pisani, Madison Bermudez, and Waltaya Culmer (NBC)
SNL won the past two years, so it's my favorite.
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Variety Series or Special
  • The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny – Thomas Holmes, Alex Guessard, Dave Natale, Christian Schrarder, Thomas Pesa, and Pablo Munguia (NBC)
  • The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Series Finale" – Jim Murray, Harvey Goldberg, Greg Allen, and Alan Bonomo (CBS)
  • The Muppet Show – Christopher Neely, John Chamberlin, Sean Madsen, Jordan McClain, Sanaa Kelley, Sam Sgriccia, and David Michel-Rudy (Disney+)
  • The Oscars – Paul Sandweiss, Tommy Vicari, Biff Dawes, Steve Genewick, Pablo Munguia, Patrick Baltzell, Mike Parker, Tom Pesa, John Perez, Shane O'Connor, and Kristian Pedregon (ABC)
  • Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour: The Final Show – David Payne and John Ross (Disney+)
I'd say this is between Bad Bunny and Taylor Swift. May the bigger pop star win!
Outstanding Technical Direction and Camerawork for a Special
  • The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny – Rod Wardell, Eric Becker, Dylan Sanford, Rob Balton, Danny Bonilla, Keith Dicker, Sean Flannery, Jeremy Freeman, Kevin French, Helena Jackson, Martin Kitchen, Bettina Levesque, David Plakos, Matt Roe, Jofre Rosero, Keyan Safyari, Monte Seaborn, Matt Trujillo, Brad Zerbst, Scott Acosta, Santiago Benet, Gilberto Cruz, Robert Smith, Cody Taylor, Kevin Denning, Andrew Moore, Rick Compeau, Su-Jeng Sang, Chris Hill, Matt Conrad, and Adam Lighterman (NBC)
  • The Oscars – Eric Becker, John Pritchett, Kenneth Shapiro, Rod Wardell, Shaun Harkins, Danny Bonilla, Nathanial Havholm, Bobby del Russo, Helena Jackson, Sean Flannery, Dave Kanehann, Jay Kulick, Adam Margolis, David Plakos, Jofre Rosero, Keyan Safyari, Dylan Sanford, Matt Trujillo, Suzie Weis, Mark Whitman, Easter Xua, Scott Marshall, and Tore Livia (ABC)
  • Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction 2025 – Eric Becker, Dylan Sanford, David Rudd, Jofre Rosero, Easter Xua, Nathanial Havholm, John Porter, Sean Flannery, Zachariah Jones, Dave Levisohn, Kary D'Alessandro, Jeff Johnson, Rob Palmer, David Eastwood, Danny Bonilla, Danny Webb, Keith Dicker, Chad Smith, David Plakos, and Jeremy Freeman (ABC)
  • Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour: The Final Show – Eric Becker, Brett Turnbull, Danny Bonilla, Mike Dinsmore, Chris Ferguson, Josh Fisch, Sean Flannery, Freddie Frederick, Shane Geddes, Manny Gutierrez, Jonny Harkins, Shaun Harkins, Christopher Johnson, Jeff Johnson, Ian Kerr, Jay Kulick, Tore Livia, Gallant Ly, Adam Margolis, Steve Martyniuk, Rob Palmer, Karin Pelloni, David Plakos, Carly Plett, Tim Quigley, Brian Reason, Paul Sapsis, Kate Smith, Jim van Dijk, Victor Wong, and Rich York (Disney+)
  • Wicked: One Wonderful Night – Brandon Smith, Brett Turnbull, Rob Palmer, Karin Pelloni, Bobby del Russo, Cary Symmons, Dean Clish, Jorge Ferris, Suzanne Ebner, Andrew Georgeopoulos, Danny Bonilla, Chad Smith, Jonny Harkins, Alex Hernandez, Rob Vuona, Scott Acosta, Randy Gomez Jr., Jeremy Freeman, and Tim Farmer (NBC)
I'm holding off until I examine the recorded variety specials to call this, too.

That's a wrap for today. Stay tuned to see if I continue my awards show coverage tomorrow or post something more serious.

Previous posts about the 2026 Primetime and Creative Arts Emmy Awards
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