Bad Bunny wins first Emmy ever, sets all-time record with seven wins for Super Bowl Halftime Show

Bad Bunny won his first Primetime Emmy. The award came at night one of the Creative Arts Emmys, held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

The Puerto Rican star, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, took home the trophy for Outstanding Variety Special (Live). He won it for ‘The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny,’ which aired on NBC. He was credited as both lead performer and producer. And, he did not attend the ceremony.

A record-setting show

The halftime show received nine Emmy nominations this year. That is more than any Super Bowl halftime show in history. It went on to win seven awards, also a new record for the category.

This makes it the most-awarded Super Bowl halftime show in Emmy history. It surpasses the 2022 hip-hop halftime show starring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, and Kendrick Lamar, which won three Emmys.

It is also the second Super Bowl halftime show ever to win the top prize in the Outstanding Variety Special (Live) category. The 2022 hip-hop show was the first.

Beyond the top award, Bad Bunny’s halftime show also won:

– Outstanding Music Direction

– Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special

– Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Variety Series or Special

– Outstanding Choreography for Variety or Reality Programming

– Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Special

– Outstanding Technical Direction and Camerawork for a Special

Who else won

Hamish Hamilton won for directing. Miguel Gandelman won for music direction. Choreographers Charm La’Donna and Karina Ortiz won for their work on the show.

Shawn Carter, known as Jay-Z, was an executive producer on the halftime show. He also served as executive producer on the 2022 hip-hop halftime show. This makes him a two-time winner in the category. Desiree Perez and Jesse Collins also served as executive producers on both winning shows.

Historical context

The show is the first Spanish-language program to win Outstanding Variety Special (Live). It also beat out four other major awards shows nominated in the same category this year: the Golden Globes, the Grammy Awards, the Oscars, and the Tony Awards.

Bad Bunny performed at Super Bowl LX alongside guests Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin. The game took place on February 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

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