CBS, ABC, CNN and National Geographic are among the top winners at night one of the 2025 News & Documentary Emmy Awards on Wednesday.
ABC World News Tonight With David Muir took home the award for outstanding live news program for the third year in a row, while CNN’s The Whole Story With Anderson Cooper won outstanding recorded news program for the second year in a row.
Collectively, CBS earned the most Emmys for the night with five, including 60 Minutes winning three of those awards. ABC, CNN and National Geographic followed with four awards each, and The New York Times took home three.
Al Roker, longtime NBC Today weather anchor, and Jon Else, documentary filmmaker, were previously tapped to receive lifetime achievement honors at the 46th annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards. Bryant Gumbel presented Roker with his award on Wednesday.
“We are proud to celebrate those who do the brave work of bringing truth to our nation’s screens. Their commitment sets a high bar for future generations of journalists and documentarians,” Adam Sharp, president and CEO of NATAS, said in a statement. “We are especially pleased to recognize the contributions of Al Roker and our 2025 Gold & Silver Circle honorees.”
Gold Circle honorees this year include Marc Burstein and Martha Teichner, and Silver Circle honorees include Akram Abi-Hanna, Cater Lee, Bill Owens and Deborah Roberts.
The awards, presented by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, handed out Wednesday night recognized winners in the news categories. Winners will be announced in the documentary categories during a ceremony Thursday at the Palladium Times Square in New York City.
Wednesday night presenters included Jason Bellini (Scripps), Morgan Chesky (NBC News), Katie Kingsbury (The New York Times), Leila Molana-Allen (PBS NewsHour), Rhana Natour (Al Jazeera), Abby Phillip (CNN), Deborah Roberts (ABC News), Julio Vaqueiro (Telemundo) and Bill Whitaker (CBS News).
A complete list of this year’s night one winners follows.
Outstanding Live News Program
ABC World News Tonight with David Muir (ABC)
Outstanding Recorded News Program
The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper (CNN Worldwide)
Outstanding Emerging Journalist
Natasha Zouves (NewsNation)
Outstanding Breaking News Coverage
Hurricane Helene Landfall
Tracking Helene (The Weather Channel)
Outstanding Continuing News Coverage: Shortform
Myanmar’s Civil War (BBC News)
Outstanding Continuing News Coverage: Longform
Border Coverage
60 Minutes (CBS News)
Outstanding Light Feature Story: Shortform
Face to Face
CBS Sunday Morning (CBS)
Outstanding Light Feature Story: Longform
The Man Who Feeds Gaza’s Children (Business Insider)
Outstanding Hard News Feature Story: Shortform
She Survived an Airstrike that Killed Her Entire Family in Gaza (The New York Times)
Outstanding Hard News Feature Story: Longform
Children of the Darien Gap
Fault Lines (Al Jazeera International USA)
Outstanding Investigative News Coverage: Shortform
Europe’s Migration Crisis (BBC News)
Outstanding Investigative News Coverage: Longform
Targeting Americans
60 Minutes (CBS)
Outstanding Live News Special
2024 Total Solar Eclipse: Through the Eyes of NASA (NASA+)
Outstanding Recorded News Special
Jimmy Carter: A Full Life
20/20 (ABC)
Outstanding News Discussion & Analysis
America First: A Fareed Zakaria Special (CNN Worldwide)
AND
Elliott County Voted for Democrats For 144 Years. Then Came Trump… (More Perfect Union)
Outstanding News Discussion & Analysis: Editorial and Opinion
Two Weeks Inside Gaza’s Ruined Hospitals
The New York Times Opinion (The New York Times)
Outstanding Live Interview—Shortform
Interview with Jake Larson
Amanpour (CNN Worldwide)
Outstanding Live Interview—Longform
President Biden Exclusive
NBC News Specials & Nightly News (NBC News)
Outstanding Edited Interview
Pope Francis
60 Minutes (CBS News)
Outstanding Science and Technology Coverage
Quantum Arms Race
The Future with Hannah Fry (Bloomberg)
Outstanding Climate, Environment and Weather Coverage
Maui’s Deadly Firestorm
FRONTLINE (PBS)
Outstanding Health or Medical Coverage
Body Parts
Trafficked: Underworlds with Mariana van Zeller (National Geographic/Muck Media)
Outstanding Arts, Culture or Entertainment Coverage
Illegal Gambling
Trafficked: Underworlds with Mariana van Zeller (National Geographic/Muck Media)
Outstanding Business, Consumer or Economic Coverage
The True Cost of Mining Electric Car Battery Metals
True Cost (Business Insider)
Outstanding Crime and Justice Coverage
Hash Smugglers
Trafficked: Underworlds with Mariana van Zeller (National Geographic/Muck Media)
Outstanding News Program in Spanish
Noticiero Univision (Univision)
Outstanding Journalist in Spanish Language Media
Julio Vaqueiro (Telemundo)
Outstanding Coverage of a Breaking News Story in Spanish
Harris o Trump: Batalla Final Decision 2024
Noticias Telemundo (Telemundo)
Outstanding Investigative News Coverage in Spanish
NarcoFiles: Tren de Aragua (CNN Worldwide)
Outstanding Feature Story in Spanish
Nacer Sin Extremidades: la Vida de Carlos Candelario Tras la Exposición a Pesticidas de su Madre (Univision)
Outstanding Writing: News
CBS Sunday Morning: Empty Rooms (CBS)
Outstanding Research: News
The Hidden Autopilot Data That Reveals Why Teslas Crash (The Wall Street Journal)
Outstanding Direction: News
ABC News Your Voice Your Vote
The ABC News Presidential Debate (ABC)
Outstanding Video Journalism
A Hidden War
In Real Life (Evident | Scripps News)
Outstanding Editing: News
Children of the Darien Gap
Fault Lines (Al Jazeera International USA)
Outstanding Graphic Design: News
You’re Being Lied To About Voter Fraud. Here’s the Truth.
The New York Times Opinion (The New York Times)
Outstanding Show Open or Title Sequence: News
Election Night Live with Brian Williams (Prime Video/White Cherry Entertainment)
Outstanding Lighting Direction: News
Illegal Gambling
Trafficked: Underworlds with Mariana van Zeller (National Geographic/Muck Media)
Technical Excellence: News
NBC News: Election Night Coverage (NBC News)
Outstanding Promotional Announcement: News
No Fear
ABC World News Tonight with David Muir (ABC)
Outstanding Regional News Story: Spot or Breaking News
Jet Crash on I-75 (WINK News/Suncoast Chapter)
Outstanding Regional News Story: Investigative Report
In Plane Sight (WANF-TV/Southeast Chapter)