Kendrick Lamar and Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson are among the 2025 Primetime Emmy nominees for outstanding music direction. Lamar is nominated for The Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show Starring Kendrick Lamar, alongside co-nominee Tony Russell. Questlove is nominated for SNL50: The Homecoming Concert, alongside co-nominee James Poyser.
The other nominees in the category are Rickey Minor for The Kennedy Center Honors; Michael Bearden for The Oscars; and Lenny Pickett, Leon Pendarvis, Eli Brueggemann for SNL50: The Anniversary Special.
Gabe Hilfer had three of the six nominations for outstanding music supervision. He’s nominated for his work on The Studio, The White Lotus and The Righteous Gemstones (the latter alongside DeVoe Yates). Ariel Marx had two of the six nominations for outstanding music composition for a limited or anthology series, movie or special. He’s nominated for his work on both Black Mirror and Dying for Sex. Cristobal Tapia de Veer received two nominations in different categories for his work on The White Lotus.
Two SNL alums are competing for outstanding original music and lyrics. Adam Sandler is nominated for “Adam Sandler’s Song: 50 Years,” which he co-wrote with Dan Bulla for SNL50: The Anniversary Special. Kristen Wiig is competing with “Harper and Will Go West,” which she cowrote with Sean Douglas and Josh Greenbaum for Harper and Will Go West. The latter song was shortlisted for an Oscar for best original song late last year, but wasn’t nominated.
First-round voting in the Primetime Emmys runs from Aug. 18 to 27. The Creative Arts Emmys will be will be presented over two nights, Saturday, Sept. 6, and Sunday, Sept. 7, at the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live. Highlights from the two ceremonies will air Saturday, Sept. 13, at 8 p.m. PT on FXX.
The Primetime Emmys will be telecast live coast-to-coast on Sunday, Sept. 14, from 8 to 11 p.m. ET on CBS and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+. Comedian Nate Bargatze is hosting for the first time.
Here’s the complete list of nominees in the seven music categories:
Outstanding Music Direction
The Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show Starring Kendrick Lamar • FOX • Roc Nation, DPS, Jesse Collins Entertainment and pgLang; Kendrick Lamar, Tony Russell, Music Directors
The Kennedy Center Honors • CBS • Done + Dusted in association with Rok Productions; Rickey Minor, Music Director
The Oscars • ABC • Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; Michael Bearden, Music Director
SNL50: The Anniversary Special • NBC • SNL Studios in association with Universal Television and Broadway Video; Lenny Pickett, Leon Pendarvis, Eli Brueggemann, Music Directors
SNL50: The Homecoming Concert • Peacock • SNL Studios in association with Universal Television and Broadway Video; James Poyser, Music Director, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Music Director
Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score)
Andor • “Who Are You?” • Disney+ • Lucasfilm Ltd.; Brandon Roberts, Composer
Based on a True Story • “Relapse” • Peacock • UCP, Aggregate Films, and Parasox; Sherri Chung, Composer
Cobra Kai • “Blood In Blood Out” • Netflix • Sony Pictures Television for Netflix; Leo Birenberg, Zach Robinson, Composers
Severance • “Cold Harbor” • Apple TV+ • Fifth Season in association with Apple; Theodore Shapiro, Composer
The Studio • “The Missing Reel” • Apple TV+ • Lionsgate Television in association with Apple; Antonio Sánchez, Composer
The White Lotus • “Amor Fati” • HBO | Max • HBO in association with Rip Cord and MC Pictures; Cristobal Tapia de Veer, Composer
Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special (Original Dramatic Score)
Black Mirror • “Hotel Reverie” • Netflix • Broke & Bones for Netflix; Ariel Marx, Composer
Black Mirror • “USS Callister: Into Infinity” • Netflix • Broke & Bones for Netflix; Daniel Pemberton, Composer
Dying For Sex • “It’s Not That Serious” • FX on Hulu • 20th Television; Ariel Marx, Composer
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story • “Spree” • Netflix • Ryan Murphy Productions for Netflix; Thomas Newman, Julia Newman, Composers
The Penguin • “After Hours” • HBO | Max • HBO in association with Acid and Tender Productions, 6th & Idaho Motion Picture Company, Dylan Clark Productions, Chapel Place Productions, Zobot Projects, DC Studios, and Warner Bros. Television; Mick Giacchino, Composer
The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat • Hulu • Searchlight Pictures presents A Temple Hill production; Kathryn Bostic, Composer
Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special (Original Dramatic Score)
The Americas • “Andes” • NBC • BBC Studios Natural History Unit in association with Universal Television Alternative Studio; Hans Zimmer, Anže Rozman, Kara Talve, Composers
Chef’s Table • “José Andrés” • Netflix • Boardwalk Pictures and David Gelb Planetarium for Netflix; Duncan Thum, David Bertok, Composers
Leonardo Da Vinci • PBS • Florentine Films & WETA; Caroline Shaw, Composer
Planet Earth: Asia • “Beneath the Waves” • BBC America • A BBC Studios Natural History Unit production co-produced with BBC America and ZDF for BBC; Jacob Shea, Laurentia Editha, Composers
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story • HBO | Max • DC Studios presents in association with HBO Documentary Films and CNN Films in association with Words+Pictures, a Passion Pictures and Misfits Entertainment production in association with Jenco Films; Ilan Eshkeri, Composer
Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics
Agatha All Along • “Circle Sewn With Fate” / “Unlock Thy Hidden Gate” / Song Title: “The Ballad of the Witches’ Road” • Disney+ • Marvel Television; Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez, Music & Lyrics
Andor • “Who Are You?” / Song Title: “We are the Ghor (Planetary Anthem)” • Disney+ • Lucasfilm Ltd.; Nicholas Britell, Tony Gilroy, Music & Lyrics
The Boys • “We’ll Keep the Red Flag Flying Here” / Song Title: “Let’s Put the Christ Back in Christmas” • Prime Video • Amazon MGM Studios, Sony Pictures Television with Kripke Enterprises, Original Film, and Point Grey Pictures; Christopher Lennertz, Music & Lyrics
SNL50: The Anniversary Special • Song Title: “Adam Sandler’s Song: 50 Years” • NBC • SNL Studios in association with Universal Television and Broadway Video; Adam Sandler, Dan Bulla, Music & Lyrics
Will & Harper • Song Title: “Harper and Will Go West” • Netflix • A Netflix Documentary / A Wayfarer Studios Film / A Delirio Films Production / A Gloria Sanchez Production; Sean Douglas, Kristen Wiig, Music & Lyrics; Josh Greenbaum, Lyrics
Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music
Dept. Q • Netflix • A Netflix Series / A Left Bank Pictures Production, Carlos Rafael Rivera, Scott Frank, Composers
Dune: Prophecy • HBO | Max • HBO presents a Legendary Television production in association with Flying Life Productions, Herbert Properties LLC, and Wandering Jew Productions; Volker Bertelmann, Composer
Lazarus • Adult Swim • Sola Entertainment and Studio MAPPA; Kamasi Washington, Composer
The Residence • Netflix • A Netflix Original Series in association with shondalandmedia; Mark Mothersbaugh, Composer
The White Lotus • HBO | Max • HBO in association with Rip Cord and MC Pictures; Cristobal Tapia de Veer, Composer
Your Friends & Neighbors • Apple TV+ • Apple Studios / Tropper Ink; Dominic Lewis, Hamilton Leithauser, Composers
Outstanding Music Supervision
Hacks • “I Love LA” • HBO | Max • Universal Television in association with Paulilu, First Thought Productions, Fremulon Productions, 3 Arts Entertainment; Matt Biffa, Music Supervisor
The Last of Us • “The Price” • HBO | Max • HBO in association with Sony Pictures Television, PlayStation Productions, Word Games, The Mighty Mint, and Naughty Dog; Evyen Klean, Ian Broucek, Music Supervisors
The Righteous Gemstones • “You Hurled Me Into the Depths, Into the Very Heart of the Seas” • HBO | Max • HBO in association with Rough House Pictures; DeVoe Yates, Gabe Hilfer, Music Supervisors
Severance • “Cold Harbor” • Apple TV+ • Fifth Season in association with Apple, George Drakoulias, Music Supervisor
The Studio • “The Promotion” • Apple TV+ • Lionsgate Television in association with Apple; Gabe Hilfer, Music Supervisor
The White Lotus • “Same Spirits, New Forms” • HBO | Max • HBO in association with Rip Cord and MC Pictures; Gabe Hilfer, Music Supervisor
