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A visual history · Emmys

The winners who defined Variety Special (Live).

8 ceremonies, 2018–2025. 8 different winners.

Who won most recently?
SNL50: The Anniversary Special in 2025.
  1. SNL50: The Anniversary SpecialNBC
  2. The OscarsABC
  3. Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger StadiumDisney+
  4. The Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show Starring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, 50 CentNBC
  5. Stephen Colbert's Election Night 2020: Democracy's Last Stand Building Back America Great Again Better 2020Showtime
  6. Live in Front of a Studio Audience: "All in the Family" and "Good Times"ABC
Years explored
2018–2025
Different winners
8
Category leader
No leader
About this record

Outstanding Variety Special (Live) was first awarded in 2018, so it does not run the full 1951–2025 window.

It took over from Outstanding Variety Special.

2018–2025

8 ceremonies

20182025

01 / The reigns

8 winners shaped this category.

The timeline turns the 2018–2025 record into a sequence of reigns. Longer bands reveal sustained runs; color shows the credited network.

One band per year, because no winner has gone back-to-back in the years on record. Colored by network; scroll sideways for the full run.
Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert'18
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons"'19
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: "All in the Family" and "Good Times"'20
Stephen Colbert's Election Night 2020: Democracy's Last Stand Building Back America Great Again Better 2020'21
The Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show Starring Dr. Dre +5'22
Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium'23
The Oscars'24
SNL50: The Anniversary Special'25

02 / The power map

Who stood behind the winners?

ABC leads the recorded network credits with 3 wins, 2018–2025. The full distribution shows whether power was concentrated or shared.

ABC3 wins
NBC3 wins
Disney+1 win
Showtime1 win
Wins by network
  1. ABC338%
  2. NBC338%
  3. Disney+113%
  4. Showtime113%

03 / The near misses

The names that kept coming back without the ending they wanted.

Counting nominations in this category only, 2018–2025.

Most losses in this category

  1. 01
    The Oscars
    7L · 1W

04 / The archive

Every year.
Every winner.

The complete reference behind the story, showing 2018–2025. Open any year to see the rest of the field when nominee records are available.

YearWinnerNetwork
2025SNL50: The Anniversary Special
beat 4 others
  • The Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show Starring Kendrick Lamar
  • Beyoncé Bowl
  • The Oscars
  • SNL50: The Homecoming Concert
NBC
2024The Oscars
beat 4 others
  • The Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show Starring Usher
  • The 66th Grammy Awards
  • The Greatest Roast of All Time: Tom Brady
  • The 76th Annual Tony Awards
ABC
2023Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium
beat 4 others
  • 75th Annual Tony Awards
  • The Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show Starring Rihanna
  • Chris Rock: Selective Outrage
  • The Oscars
Disney+
2022The Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show Starring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent
beat 4 others
  • The 64th Annual Grammy Awards
  • Live in Front of a Studio Audience: The Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes
  • The Oscars
  • The Tony Awards Present: Broadway's Back!
NBC
2021Stephen Colbert's Election Night 2020: Democracy's Last Stand Building Back America Great Again Better 2020
beat 4 others
  • The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards
  • Celebrating America – An Inauguration Night Special
  • The Oscars
  • The Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show Starring The Weeknd
Showtime
2020Live in Front of a Studio Audience: "All in the Family" and "Good Times"
beat 4 others
  • The 73rd Annual Tony Awards
  • The 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards
  • The Oscars
  • Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show Starring Jennifer Lopez and Shakira
ABC
2019Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons"
beat 5 others
  • The 61st Grammy Awards
  • The 72nd Annual Tony Awards
  • The 76th Annual Golden Globe Awards
  • The Oscars
  • RENT
ABC
2018Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert
beat 4 others
  • The 60th Annual Grammy Awards
  • The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards
  • Night of Too Many Stars: America Unites for Autism Programs
  • The Oscars
NBC