This year’s Primetime Emmy Awards on CBS went off without a hitch, honoring the buzziest shows on television without firmly addressing the elephant in the room: America’s deep political turmoil right now. Sunday’s ceremony instead sidestepped politics for a seemingly carefree evening of entertainment and celebration.
That’s been par for the course for most award shows in 2025, which have largely avoided any political talk, save for a few bold individuals who seized the moment and the attention of millions watching. Perhaps it’s due to a fear of retribution from the current administration, or a desire to avoid inflaming an already-fraught news cycle exemplified by last week’s fatal shooting of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk.
Either way, the lack of social commentary onstage made for a noticeably subdued evening.
But according to first-time Emmys host Nate Bargatze, the ceremony was never going to get that political, anyway.
“I know there’s heartbreaking stuff that’s been happening right now, but I want this night to be an escape, and I think that’s why I was brought on,” he told Entertainment Weekly ahead of the show. “Everybody has to deal with that stress all day long. So I wanna be just that one escape where they can turn something on and hopefully relax and just have fun.”
