‘Weird Al’ Yankovic, Jay-Z, Ed Sheeran and More Music Stars Win Big at 2023 Primetime Emmys Creative Arts Awards

Paul Grein
·8 min read
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Weird: The Al Yankovic Story won outstanding television movie on Saturday (Jan. 6), night one of the long-delayed 2023 Primetime Emmy Creative Arts Awards. The Emmys were originally set for September, but were postponed because of strikes by Hollywood writers and actors.

As a producer of Weird, Weird Al Yankovic claimed his first Primetime Emmy. The veteran comedy star gave some advice backstage to young people starting out in entertainment. “Take accordion lessons,” he said. “It’ll pay off eventually.”

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Winners in five of the seven categories devoted specifically to music were announced on night one of the Creative Arts Awards, which took place at the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live in Los Angeles. Winners in the other two music categories were announced the following night. This report covers music and related categories presented on both nights.

Pop music titans Ed Sheeran and Max Martin, along with Foy Vance, won their first Primetime Emmys. They took the award for outstanding original music and lyrics for “A Beautiful Game,” which they wrote for an episode of Ted Lasso.

Jay-Z won his second Primetime Emmy in two years – outstanding directing for a variety special for The Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show Starring Rihanna, which he co-directed with first-time winner Hamish Hamilton. The show also won outstanding production design for a variety special. Last year, Jay won as an executive producer of that year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show starring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar and 50 Cent.

Greg Phillinganes won outstanding music direction for Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song: Joni Mitchell. Phillinganes won in the same category eight years ago for Stevie Wonder: Songs in the Key of Life – An All-Star Grammy Salute.

Danny Elfman won outstanding original main title theme music for Wednesday. It’s his third Primetime Emmy, following awards for Desperate Housewives (2005) and Danny Elfman’s Music from the Films of Tim Burton (Live From Lincoln Center) (2016).

Cristobal Tapia de Veer won outstanding music composition for a series (original dramatic score) for his work on The White Lotus. It’s the Chilean-born Canadian composer’s third Primetime Emmy in the past two years for his work on that buzzy show.

Composer John Powell won his first Emmy – outstanding music composition for a documentary series or special (original dramatic score) for Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie

Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium won two awards – outstanding sound mixing for a variety series or special and outstanding technical direction and camerawork for a special.

Moonage Daydream, which explores David Bowie’s creative and musical journey, also won two awards — outstanding sound mixing for a nonfiction program and outstanding sound editing for a nonfiction or reality program.

The 2022 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony won outstanding lighting design/lighting direction for a variety special.

RuPaul won his 13th Primetime Emmy – outstanding host for a reality or competition program for RuPaul’s Drag Race.

TV legend Carol Burnett won outstanding variety special (pre-recorded) for Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love. It’s her eighth Emmy – and first in 26 years. This should have been saved for next week’s primetime telecast.

Jeopardy! won outstanding game show, but Keke Palmer won outstanding host for a game show for the revival of Password. It’s Palmer’s second Emmy. She won two years ago for outstanding actress in a short form comedy or drama series for Keke Palmer’s Turnt Up With the Taylors.

The Last of Us was the top winner at the Creative Arts Emmys (both nights combined), with eight awards, followed by Welcome to Wrexham with five awards, The Bear, Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, Wednesday and The White Lotus, with four wins each. BEEF and Dancing With the Stars were next with three awards each.

Shows that won two awards each were The Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show Starring Rihanna, Beauty and The Beast: A 30th Celebration, Daisy Jones & The Six, Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium, I Think You Should Leave With Tim Robinson, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Moonage Daydream, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Saturday Night Live, The Simpsons, Ted Lasso, We’re Here and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.

An edited presentation of the awards presented on both nights of the Creative Arts Emmys will air Saturday, Jan. 13 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on FXX and will be available for streaming on Hulu on Sunday, Jan. 14.

The main Primetime Emmy telecast will air on Monday, Jan. 15, at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on FOX – nearly four months after the originally planned date (Sept. 18).

Here’s a complete list of nominees in the seven music categories at the Creative Arts Awards, with winners marked.

Outstanding Music Supervision

Daisy Jones & The Six; “Track 8: Looks Like We Made It”; Prime Video; Hello Sunshine, Amazon Studios; Frankie Pine, Music Supervisor

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel; “Four Minutes”; Prime Video; Amazon Studios; Robin Urdang, Music Supervisor

Stranger Things; “Chapter Nine: The Piggyback”; Netflix; Monkey Massacre Productions & 21 Laps Entertainment for Netflix; Nora Felder, Music Supervisor

Ted Lasso; “So Long, Farewell”; Apple TV+; Apple presents a Doozer Production in association with Warner Bros. Television and Universal Television; Tony Von Pervieux, Music Supervisor; Christa Miller, Music Supervisor

WINNER: The White Lotus; “Bull Elephants”; HBO Max; HBO in association with Rip Cord and The District; Gabe Hilfer, Music Supervisor

Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics

Ginny & Georgia; “Hark! Darkness Descends!” / Song Title: “Marriage Is a Dungeon”; Netflix; A Netflix Original Series; Lili Haydn, Music & Lyrics; Ben Bromfield, Music & Lyrics

The L Word: Generation Q; “Questions for the Universe” / Song Title: “All About Me”; Showtime; SHOWTIME Presents, An MLR Original; Heather McIntosh, Music & Lyrics; Taura Stinson, Music & Lyrics; Allyson Newman, Music & Lyrics

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel; “Susan” / Song Title: “Your Personal Trash Man Can”; Prime Video; Amazon Studios; Curtis Moore, Music & Lyrics; Thomas Mizer, Music & Lyrics

Ted Lasso; “Mom City” / Song Title: “Fought & Lost”; Apple TV+; Apple presents a Doozer Production in association with Warner Bros. Television and Universal Television; Tom Howe, Music & Lyrics; Jamie Hartman, Music & Lyrics; Sam Ryder, Music & Lyrics

WINNER: Ted Lasso; “So Long, Farewell” / Song Title: “A Beautiful Game”; Apple TV+; Apple presents a Doozer Production in association with Warner Bros. Television and Universal Television; Ed Sheeran, Music & Lyrics; Foy Vance, Music & Lyrics; Max Martin, Music & Lyrics

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story; Song Title: “Now You Know”; The Roku Channel; The Roku Channel, Funny or Die, Tango Entertainment; Al Yankovic, Music & Lyrics

Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score)

Andor; “Rix Road”; Disney+; Lucasfilm Ltd.; Nicholas Britell, Composer

The Last of Us; “Long, Long Time”; HBO Max; HBO in association with Sony Pictures Television Studios, PlayStation Productions, Word Games, The Mighty Mint, and Naughty Dog; Gustavo Santaolalla, Composer

Succession; “Connor’s Wedding”; HBO Max; HBO in association with Project Zeus, Hyberobject Industries, Gary Sanchez Productions and Hot Seat Productions; Nicholas Britell, Composer

Wednesday; “Woe Is the Loneliest Number”; Netflix; A Netflix Series / An MGM Television Production; Danny Elfman, Composer; Chris Bacon, Composer

WINNER: The White Lotus; “In the Sandbox”; HBO Max; HBO in association with Rip Cord and The District; Cristobal Tapia de Veer, Composer

Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special (Original Dramatic Score)

Hocus Pocus 2; Disney+; Walt Disney Pictures; John Debney, Composer

Ms. Marvel; Time and Again; Disney+; Marvel Studios; Laura Karpman, Composer

Prey; Hulu; 20th Century Studios; Sarah Schachner, Composer

A Small Light; What Can Be Saved; National Geographic; ABC Signature; Ariel Marx, Composer

WINNER: Weird: The Al Yankovic Story; The Roku Channel; The Roku Channel, Funny or Die, Tango Entertainment; Leo Birenberg, Composer; Zach Robinson, Composer

Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music

Andor; Disney+; Lucasfilm Ltd.; Nicholas Britell, Composer

Guillermo Del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities; Netflix; Netflix / Double Dare You; Holly Amber Church, Composer

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power; Prime Video; Amazon Studios; Howard Shore, Composer

Ms. Marvel; Disney+; Marvel Studios; Laura Karpman, Composer

WINNER: Wednesday; Netflix; A Netflix Series / An MGM Television Production; Danny Elfman, Composer

Outstanding Music Direction

The Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show Starring Rihanna; FOX; Jesse Collins Entertainment, DPS and Roc Nation; Adam Blackstone, Music Director; Omar Edwards, Music Director

WINNER: Library Of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song: Joni Mitchell; PBS; Ken Ehrlich Productions, Inc., Library of Congress; WETA; Greg Phillinganes, Music Director

The Oscars; ABC; Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; Rickey Minor, Music Director

2022 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony; HBO Max; A Tenth Planet Production; Adam Blackstone, Music Director

Saturday Night Live; Host: Austin Butler; NBC; SNL Studios in association with Universal Television and Broadway Video; Lenny Pickett, Music Director; Leon Pendarvis, Music Director; Eli Brueggemann, Music Director

Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special (Original Dramatic Score)

Eva Longoria: Searching for Mexico; Veracruz; CNN; CNN Original Series, RAW; Tony Morales, Composer

Light & Magic; Gang of Outsiders; Disney+; Imagine Documentaries and Lucasfilm Ltd.; James Newton Howard, Composer

Pamela, A Love Story; Netflix; A Netflix Documentary / A Dorothy St Pictures, Tripod Media, and Colony Entertainment Production; Blake Neely, Composer

Prehistoric Planet; Badlands; Apple TV+; BBC Studios in association with Apple; Hans Zimmer, Composer; Anže Rozman, Composer; Kara Talve, Composer

WINNER: Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie • Apple TV+ • An Apple Original Film in association with Concordia Studio; John Powell, Composer

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