2025 Emmys Shocks: ‘The White Lotus’ Shut Out, Colin Farrell’s ‘The Penguin’ Snubbed, and More Surprises

The 2025 Emmy Awards took place on Sunday, September 14, live from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles and aired on CBS and Paramount+.

The night saw top shows like Severance, The Penguin, The Studio, The White Lotus, and The Last of Us competing for major honors, with several big wins and surprising snubs shaping the ceremony, here’s everything that you missed that might shock you.

1. Underdog Triumphs as LaNasa Beats Out ‘White Lotus’ Powerhouse Cast

The 2025 Emmys kicked off with a major upset when Katharine LaNasa took home Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. She beat out four cast members from The White Lotus season 3, Carrie Coon, Aimee Lou Wood, past winner Natasha Rothwell, and favorite Parker Posey. The award marked LaNasa’s first nomination and her first win, earned for playing Dana Evans in HBO’s The Pitt.

2. Former Emmy Darling Leaves Ceremony Empty-Handed

Amid the surprises at the 2025 Emmys, some shows faced unexpected losses, none bigger than The Bear. Despite receiving 13 nominations for its fourth season, a jump of nine from last year, the show walked away empty-handed, ending its impressive Emmy streak. Previously, even with fewer nominations, The Bear had dominated the Comedy categories, making this shutout all the more shocking.

3. Tramell Tillman Stuns, Beats Four ‘White Lotus’ Contenders for Best Supporting Actor

The Emmy Awards saw both Best Supporting Actor and Actress in a Drama go to surprising first-time winners. Tramell Tillman, known for his role as Seth Milchick in Severance, took home Best Supporting Actor, marking his first-ever nomination and win. He beat out his own co-stars John Turturro and Zach Cherry, along with three nominees from The White Lotus, including Jason Isaacs, Sam Rockwell, and fan favorite Walton Goggins.

4. ‘The Pitt’ Tops the Emmys, Edging Out Severance for Best Drama

The Pitt was considered a strong contender for Outstanding Drama Series, but most experts expected Severance to take the top prize. However, the night surprised many when Noah Wyle won his first Lead Actor Emmy for playing Dr. Michael Robinavitch, and the show went on to claim Best Drama Series.

Widely praised as one of the most realistic medical dramas ever, The Pitt was a deserving winner. Still, outlets like Deadline, Variety, and The Hollywood Reporter had pegged it as the runner-up to Severance, making its victory one of the night’s biggest shocks.

5. Britt Lower Stuns, Tops Kathy Bates for Best Drama Actress

Britt Lower took home Best Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Helly R, beating out frontrunner Kathy Bates from Matlock. Her win set the tone for Severance stars, coming shortly after Tramell Tillman scored his first Emmy on his very first nomination in the supporting category.

6. Stephen Graham Dominates Colin Farrell to Claim Lead Actor in a Limited Series

The race for Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series was tight between Oscar nominee Colin Farrell, who played Oswald Cobb in HBO’s The Penguin, and Stephen Graham. Graham ultimately won for his role in Netflix’s Adolescence, which also took home Outstanding Limited Series, just moments after his individual win.

Some argued Farrell might have been more deserving, given The Penguin’s eight-episode run compared to the four episodes of Adolescence. While Farrell spent extensive time in makeup for his role, Graham had significant on-screen presence throughout his series, which helped him secure the award.

7. Hannah Einbinder Finally Scores Emmy Victory on Fourth Try for Hacks

Hannah Einbinder watched her Hacks co-star Jean Smart win her fourth Emmy for Lead Actress in a Comedy Series as Deborah Vance. Later in the night, Einbinder celebrated her own milestone, taking home her first Emmy for Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Ava Daniels, a role that had earned her four nominations. Her win also ended Catherine O’Hara’s shot at the award for The Studio.

8. Owen Cooper Makes History as Youngest Male Acting Emmy Winner

Owen Cooper made history at the Emmys on Sunday by becoming the youngest male acting winner ever, across all categories.

He had already held the record as the youngest male acting nominee. While his win in the Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series category wasn’t unexpected, it’s a record that may stand for a long time. Even more remarkable, this Emmy-winning role in Netflix’s Adolescence was his first professional acting credit. Filmed when he was just 14, the 15-year-old from England is off to an incredible start in his career.

9. Jeff Hiller Stuns, Beats Harrison Ford and Ebon Moss Bachrach for Comedy Supporting Actor

Hiller beat out heavyweights like Harrison Ford (Shrinking), Ike Barinholtz (The Studio), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear), creating one of the night’s most unexpected moments. Hiller starred in all three seasons of HBO’s critically loved but often overlooked Somebody Somewhere, which wrapped its final season last year. While some may see it as a snub, Hiller’s victory was a welcome surprise and a well-deserved underdog win.

10. Adam Randall Takes Home First Emmy for Directing, Outshines Mike White and Ben Stiller

The trend of first-time Emmy winners continued with Adam Randall, who earned his first Emmy for directing Apple TV+’s Slow Horses. He beat out top directors from popular dramas, including Ben Stiller and Jessica Lee Gagné (Severance), John Wells and Janus Metz (The Pitt), and Mike White (The White Lotus). Most experts had Randall ranked low in their predictions, making his victory one of the more surprising wins of the night.

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