SNL50: The Anniversary Special won the award for outstanding variety special (live) at the 2025 Primetime Emmys, defeating a strong lineup of nominees including The Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show Starring Kendrick Lamar, Beyoncé Bowl, SNL50: The Homecoming Concert, and The Oscars. The ceremony took place on Sunday (Sept. 14) at the Ovation Theater at L.A. Live, with comedian Nate Bargatze as the host.
Lorne Michaels, the show’s longtime executive producer, accepted the award and remarked, “I won this award for the first time 50 years ago, in 1975. I was younger and I had a lot of dreams — and not one of those dreams was that I’d still be doing the same show for the next 50 years; however, here we are. I want to thank NBC and Comcast for their support. The show was two years in the making.” [Editor’s Note: Michaels first won 49 years ago, in 1976.]
This marks the 106th Primetime Emmy that SNL has won in competition, combining both the flagship series and anniversary specials. This total is nearly double that of the runner-up show in total Emmy wins, Game of Thrones, which has received 59 awards. (SNL’s total does not include Hall of Fame citations for the show and its first-season cast.)
This is the third SNL anniversary special to win a top program Emmy. Saturday Night Live: The 25th Anniversary Special won outstanding variety, music or comedy special in 2000, while the Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special secured outstanding variety special in 2015.
It is uncommon for a special based on a regular TV program to win a top program Emmy. Three “Carpool Karaoke” specials from The Late Late Show Starring James Corden won outstanding variety special (pre-recorded) from 2016 to 2019. Additionally, five “Carpool Karaoke” specials received outstanding short-form program awards. The West Wing Documentary Special won outstanding special class program in 2002, while Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear’s All in the Family and The Jeffersons won outstanding variety special (live) in 2019. A similar special, Live in Front of a Studio Audience: All in the Family and Good Times, won in the same category the following year.
Lorne Michaels served as executive producer for SNL50: The Anniversary Special; this marks his 24th Primetime Emmy (excluding his induction into the TV Hall of Fame in 1999).
Although she did not win in the highest-profile variety category, Beyoncé received her first Primetime Emmy for Beyoncé Bowl, awarded prior to the main telecast — a juried award for outstanding costumes for variety, nonfiction or reality programming.
Similarly, despite losing in the highest-profile variety category, Kendrick Lamar won at the Creative Arts Emmys for outstanding music direction alongside Tony Russell.
SNL50: The Anniversary Special showcased several musical performances. Paul Simon and Sabrina Carpenter opened with Simon & Garfunkel’s “Homeward Bound.” Other performances included Miley Cyrus and Brittany Howard collaborating on Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” (also famously recorded by Sinéad O’Connor), Adam Sandler performing “50 Years” (which received an Emmy nomination for outstanding music and lyrics at last weekend’s Creative Arts Emmys), Lil Wayne and The Roots delivering a hip-hop medley, and Paul McCartney concluding with a performance from The Beatles’ iconic album Abbey Road.
Despite winning eight awards at this anniversary special, SNL lost outstanding scripted variety series to Last Week Tonight With John Oliver for the third consecutive year. John Oliver’s program has achieved an outstanding series award for ten consecutive years, having won outstanding variety talk series for seven years before transitioning to its current category where it has now won three straight years.
