Every year, a number of musicians are nominated for the Primetime Emmy Awards (the television trophy), and this year that group is led by rapper Kendrick Lamar, drummer Questlove, composer Hans Zimmer, jazz musician Kamasi Washington, and Devo singer Mark Mothersbaugh.
Lamar and Questlove will face off in the Outstanding Music Direction category, which pits Lamar’s memorable Super Bowl halftime show against Questlove’s SNL50 concert.
Other noteworthy names that appear in the music categories for the 77th Annual Emmys include Adam Sandler and Kristen Wiig. (Pop star Selena Gomez was overlooked this year for her role on Only Murders in the Building.)
Who’s going to win these categories? Let’s take a shot at some 2025 Emmy Awards predictions.
2025 Emmy Awards Predictions: Music Categories
Here come my picks for these seven music categories. Keep in mind that my area of expertise is the Grammy Awards, not the Emmys. So while these are informed predictions, don’t go betting your life savings on them, ok?
Outstanding Music Direction
Nominees:
→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
Predicted Winner: The Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show Starring Kendrick Lamar
This is a tough call. The SNL 50 shows were excellent, and the critics loved them. But with two competing against each other, it’s likely neither gets enough votes to win.
The Oscars almost always get nominated here, but rarely win. However, the Oscars did win this category last year, so we’ll bet that voters won’t see the need to reward the show again.
The Kennedy Center Honors have won this Emmy in the past (2020), while the Super Bowl Halftime Show featuring hip-hop artists Eminem, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Lamar won in 2022.
Kendrick Lamar is nearly unstoppable right now. “Not Like Us” won the Record of the Year Grammy last year, and he leads our 2026 Grammy predictions. Expect Lamar’s memorable Super Bowl show to take home the Emmy.
UPDATE: Actual Winner: The Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show Starring Kendrick Lamar
Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics
Nominees:
→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
Predicted Winner: Agatha All Along • “Circle Sewn With Fate” / “Unlock Thy Hidden Gate” / Song Title: “The Ballad of the Witches’ Road” Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez
SNL alumni Adam Sandler and Kristen Wiig are competing for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics. Sandler’s “50 Years” song was cute, but would Emmy voters really be willing to give him one of their coveted statues for a jokey tune?
“Agatha All Along” won this award in 2021, and I suspect voters may go back to the Disney well once again.
UPDATE: Actual Winner: 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
Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score)
Nominees:
→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
Predicted Winner: The Studio • “The Missing Reel” Antonio Sánchez
The last two winners, Only Murders in the Building and The White Lotus, were both known for their haunting and affecting music. The guess here is that Emmy voters choose to reward The Studio, this year’s biggest new comedy.
UPDATE: Actual Winner: Severance • “Cold Harbor” • Apple TV+ • Fifth Season in association with Apple; Theodore Shapiro, Composer
Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special (Original Dramatic Score)
Nominees:
→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
Predicted Winner: The Penguin • “After Hours” Mick Giacchino
This category has been all over the place in recent years. Winners have ranged from The White Lotus to Weird Al‘s Weird: The Al Yankovic Story to March of the Penguins 2. My pick is The Penguin‘s “After Hours.”
UPDATE: Actual Winner: The Penguin • “After Hours” Mick Giacchino
Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special (Original Dramatic Score)
Nominees:
→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
Predicted Winner: Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, Ilan Eshkeri
Created in 2019, this Emmy has gone to Free Solo, Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, and David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet. The category features a lot of interesting nominees, especially legendary composer Hans Zimmer. But is anyone going to vote against Superman?
UPDATE: Actual Winner: Chef’s Table • “José Andrés” • Netflix • Boardwalk Pictures and David Gelb Planetarium for Netflix; Duncan Thum, David Bertok, Composers
Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music
Nominees:
→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
Predicted Winner: The White Lotus, Cristobal Tapia de Veer
Mark Mothersbaugh, singer of Devo, one of the biggest Rock and Roll Hall of Fame snubs, is nominated for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music for The Residence. Meanwhile, jazz musician Kamasi Washington, one of the best modern instrumental performers, is a contender for Lazarus.
Both are first-time nominees. The 2021 winner, Cristobal Tapia de Veer, has to be considered a favorite once again for The White Lotus.
UPDATE: Actual Winner:
Outstanding Music Supervision
Nominees:
→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
Predicted Winner: The White Lotus • “Same Spirits, New Forms,” Gabe Hilfer
Gabe Hilfer has been supervising excellent movie soundtracks for years, and his television work this year earned him three nominations in the same category. He’s been nominated twice before, and won in 2023 for The White Lotus. The prediction here is that Hilfer takes it again.
UPDATE: Actual Winner: The White Lotus • “Same Spirits, New Forms,” Gabe Hilfer
Comedian Nate Bargatze hosted the Emmys on CBS on September 14. The Emmys stream on Paramount Plus.
What are your 2025 Emmy predictions?
Last Updated on October 8, 2025