Bad Bunny makes Emmy history with 2026 Super Bowl halftime show

Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl LX halftime show made Emmy history on Saturday, September 5, becoming the first Spanish-language program to win outstanding live variety special.

The production, titled “The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny,” aired on NBC and won seven awards during the first night of the Creative Arts Emmys in Los Angeles. Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, received recognition both as the lead performer and as a producer.

The result made the show only the second Super Bowl halftime performance to win the category. The first was the 2022 production led by Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar and 50 Cent. Jay-Z, Desiree Perez, Jesse Collins and Dave Meyers were producers on both shows.

Bad Bunny’s production also won for music direction, direction of a variety special, sound mixing, choreography for variety or reality programming, lighting design, and technical direction and camerawork. Miguel Gandelman received his first Primetime Emmy for music direction, while Hamish Hamilton won again for directing a variety special.

The awards add to a landmark year for the Puerto Rican artist. Seven months earlier, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS became the first Spanish-language album to win the Grammy for album of the year. His television work brought another Emmy victory when the season 51 premiere of Saturday Night Live, which he hosted, won for makeup in a variety, nonfiction or reality program.