Bad Bunny Wins His First Primetime Emmy

Bad Bunny has added a first Primetime Emmy to his awards record, winning for the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show during the opening night of the Creative Arts Emmys on September 5.

The Puerto Rican star received the award as both lead performer and producer of The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny. The program won Outstanding Variety Special (Live), giving one of the year’s biggest music broadcasts television’s top prize in its category.

Bad Bunny’s halftime show turns seven nominations into wins

The production entered the Creative Arts ceremony with seven nominations. Its honors extended beyond the program award to music direction, choreography, sound mixing, lighting design, directing and technical direction and camerawork, reflecting the scale of the live performance as much as the celebrity at its center.

Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin appeared as guest performers, while the staging also featured a real wedding and local business owners. That combination of global stars and community-focused details helped the show present Puerto Rican and wider Latino culture to a massive television audience without treating the set as a conventional greatest-hits medley.

The program is only the second Super Bowl halftime show to win the top live-variety Emmy. The earlier winner was the Super Bowl LVI production featuring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar and 50 Cent.

A television milestone beyond the music charts

For Bad Bunny, the Emmy broadens a career already defined by chart success, touring power and a growing presence in film and television. It also recognizes his role behind the scenes: the award was not limited to his performance but included his work as a producer.

The victory places the halftime show among a small group of Super Bowl productions recognized as complete television specials. Its craft awards underline why: the result depended on coordinated live direction, movement, sound, lighting and camera work, all executed within one of broadcasting’s most scrutinized time slots.