Gavin Brivik and Andrew Bird were giant-slayers on Sunday (Sept. 6) – night two of what were formerly known as the Creative Arts Emmys, which were held at the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live in Los Angeles. The songwriters beat both Lady Gaga and South Park creator Trey Parker to win outstanding original music and lyrics for a song (“Need Someone”) they wrote for the hit drama series The Pitt.
Gaga was nominated for “The Dead Dance,” which she co-wrote with Andrew Watt and Henry Walter Russell (Cirkut) for Wednesday. Parker was nominated for “Christian Woman,” which he wrote for South Park.
Widow’s Boy won in two of the seven music categories. David Fleming won outstanding music composition for a series (original dramatic score) for the Apple TV hit. It’s his second Primetime Emmy. He won two years ago for Jim Henson Idea Man, which was voted outstanding music composition for a documentary series or special (original dramatic score). Toko Nagata won outstanding music supervision for her work on the show. It’s her first Primetime Emmy.
Dave Porter won two Primetime Emmys for the Apple TV hit Pluribus. He won outstanding original main title theme music and outstanding sound mixing for a comedy or drama series (one hour) as a scoring mixer on the show. These are his first Primetime Emmys.
Sean Callery and Sara Barone won outstanding music composition for a limited or anthology series, movie or special (original dramatic score) for their work on Netflix’s The Beast in Me. This is Callery’s fifth Primetime Emmy, following three wins for 24 and one for Marvel’s Jessica Jones. This is Barone’s first win.
Two of the seven music categories were presented on Saturday (Sept. 5) – night one of the 2026 Primetime Emmys. Miguel Gandelman won outstanding music direction for The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny. Tyler Strickland won outstanding music composition for a documentary/nonfiction or reality program for John Candy: I Like Me.
Gandelman is the third person to win outstanding music direction for work on a Super Bowl Halftime Show. Adam Blackstone won four years ago for The Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show Starring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar. Kendrick Lamar and Tony Russell won last year for The Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show Starring Kendrick Lamar.
Here’s a complete list of nominees in the seven music categories across the two nights of the pre-telecast primetime Emmys, with winners marked.
Outstanding Music Direction
WINNER: The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny • NBC • Roc Nation, Rimas, Jesse Collins Entertainment and DPS; Miguel Gandelman, music director
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert • “Series Finale” • CBS • CBS Studios; Louis Cato, music director
The Oscars • ABC • Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; Michael Bearden, music director
Saturday Night Live • “Host: Jack Black” • NBC • SNL Studios in association with Universal Television and Broadway Video; Lenny Pickett, Leon Pendarvis, Eli Brueggemann and Maddie Rice, music directors
Wicked: One Wonderful Night • NBC • Fulwell Entertainment; Stephen Oremus, music director
Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary/Nonfiction or Reality Program (Original Dramatic Score)
High Horse: The Black Cowboy • “F*ck Westerns” • Peacock • Peacock Original, Universal Television Alternative Studio, Resurgent Pictures, Monkeypaw Productions; Raphael Saadiq, composer
WINNER: John Candy: I Like Me • Prime Video • Amazon MGM Studios, El Bear Productions; Tyler Strickland, composer
Kingdom • “Episode 2” • BBC America • A BBC Studios Natural History Unit production co-produced with BBC America; Segun Akinola, composer
Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! • HBO Max • HBO Documentary Films presents an Apatow Production; Jeff Morrow, composer
Ocean With David Attenborough • National Geographic • National Geographic Presents a Silverback Films & Open Planet Studios Production in association with Altitude, All3Media International and Minderoo Pictures, co-produced with Arksen & 10% For The Ocean, Don Quixote Foundation, National Geographic Society and Pristine Seas, Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, Revive Our Ocean; Steven Price, composer
Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age • “The Big Freeze” • Apple TV • BBC Studios in association with Apple; Kara Talve, Anže Rozman and Hans Zimmer, composers
Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics
The Boys • “The Frenchman, The Female, and the Man Called Mother’s Milk” / Song Title: “Raise Him Up” • Prime Video • Amazon; MGM Studios, Sony Pictures Television with Kripke Enterprises, Original Film, and Point Grey Pictures; Christopher Lennertz, music & lyrics; Daveed Diggs, lyrics
Hacks • “EGOT” / Song Title: “Mis Figuritas” • HBO Max • Universal Television in association with Paulilu, First Thought Productions, Fremulon Productions, 3 Arts Entertainment; Carlos Rafael Rivera and David Stal, music & lyrics
WINNER: The Pitt • “12:00 P.M.” / Song Title: “Need Someone” • HBO Max • HBO Max in association with John Wells Productions, R. Scott Gemmill Productions, and Warner Bros. Television; Gavin Brivik, Music; Andrew Bird, music & lyrics
South Park • “The Crap Out” / Song Title: “Christian Woman” • Comedy Central • Comedy Central; Trey Parker, music & lyrics
Spider-Noir • “A Mistake I’ll Never Make Again” / Song Title: “The Devil You Know” • MGM+/Prime Video • Sony Pictures Television, Amazon MGM Studios, Marvel Studios; Warren Oak Felder, Sebastian Kole, Daniel Pemberton, music & lyrics
Wednesday • “Woe Me the Money” / Song Title: “The Dead Dance” • Netflix • A Netflix Series / An MGM Television Production; Lady Gaga, Andrew Watt, Henry Walter Russell, music & lyrics
Outstanding Music Supervision
The Boys • “Blood and Bone” • Prime Video • Amazon MGM Studios, Sony Pictures Television with Kripke Enterprises, Original Film, and Point Grey Pictures; Michelle Johnson and Yvette Metoyer, music supervisors
Hacks • “Finale” • HBO Max • Universal Television in association with Paulilu, First Thought Productions, Fremulon Productions, 3 Arts Entertainment; Matt Biffa, music supervisor
Nobody Wants This • “When Noah Met Joanne” • Netflix • 20th Television in association with Steven Levitan Productions for Netflix; Manish Raval, Tom Wolfe, Jonathan Leahy, music supervisors
Pluribus • “We Is Us” • Apple TV • Sony Pictures Television in association with Apple; Thomas Golubić, music supervisor
Stranger Things • “Chapter Eight: The Rightside Up” • Netflix • Upside Down Pictures & 21 Laps Entertainment for Netflix; Nora Felder, music supervisor
WINNER: Widow’s Bay • “Beach Reads” • Apple TV • Apple Studios / Chum Films; Toko Nagata, music supervisor
Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score)
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms • “In the Name of the Mother” • HBO Max • HBO in association with GRRM and Friendly Wolf Pictures; Dan Romer, composer
Palm Royale • “Maxine Drinks Martinis Now” • Apple TV • Apple Studios; Jeff Toyne, composer
Pluribus • “We Is Us” • Apple TV • Sony Pictures Television in association with Apple; Dave Porter, composer
Slow Horses • “Missiles” • Apple TV • See-Saw Films in association with Apple; Daniel Pemberton and Toydrum, composers
Spider-Noir • “Step Into My Office” • MGM+/Prime Video • Sony Pictures Television, Amazon MGM Studios, Marvel Studios; Kris Bowers and Michael Dean Parsons, composers
WINNER: Widow’s Bay • “Our History” • Apple TV • Apple Studios / Chum Films; David Fleming, composer
Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special (Original Dramatic Score)
All Her Fault • “Episode 7” • Peacock • Peacock Original, Universal International Studios, Carnival Films; Jeff Beal, composer
WINNER: The Beast in Me • “The Beast and Me” • Netflix • 20th Television for Netflix; Sean Callery and Sara Barone, composers
Black Rabbit • “Isle of Joy” • Netflix • Netflix / Aggregate Films / Riff Raff Entertainment / Youngblood Pictures / Automatik; Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans, composers
In the Blink of an Eye • Hulu • Mighty Engine, Searchlight Pictures; Thomas Newman, composer
Washington Black • “If You See My Mama, Whisper Her This…” • Hulu • 20th Television; Cameron Moody, composer
Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music
All Her Fault • Peacock • Peacock Original, Universal International Studios, Carnival Films; Jeff Beal, composer
The Beast in Me • Netflix • 20th Television for Netflix; Sean Callery, composer
The ‘Burbs • Peacock • Peacock Original, UCP, Imagine Entertainment, Out of the Blue Productions, Fuzzy Door; Michael Abels, composer
Murderbot • Apple TV • Paramount Television Studios in association with Apple; Amanda Jones, composer
WINNER: Pluribus • Apple TV • Sony Pictures Television in association with Apple; Dave Porter, composer
