Investigative reports on attacks on American officials, on the activities of a gang born in a Venezuela prison on US soil, and the migrant crisis in Europe were among the stories that won big at the first night of the 2025 News and Documentary Emmy Awards on Wednesday.
CBS, ABC and CNN were among the top winners in the news categories. Al Roker, a longtime NBC Today weather anchor, and documentary maker Jon Else were set to receive lifetime achievement honours. Winners in the documentary categories will be announced during an event in New York City on Thursday.
The #NewsEmmys Award for Outstanding Continuing News Coverage – Short Form goes to Myanmar's Civil War (@BBCWorld). pic.twitter.com/KTJrsSXOVD
— The Emmys (@TheEmmys) June 26, 2025
Among the stories that won the awards were those linked to trafficking, crime, and people impacted by the conflicts in Gaza and Myanmar.
In the business category, the award went to a Business Insider report on electric vehicles having “six times more mineral content than a petrol- or diesel-powered vehicle”. In the climate category, the award went to a PBS video on the deadliest American wildfire in a century and the missed warnings that made it so unstoppable.
The award for best research went to a Wall Street Journal report, whose video and data gathered from “over 200 Tesla Autopilot crashes shows that longstanding concerns about Tesla’s camera-based technology, which differs from the rest of the industry, are showing up on the roads and putting the public at risk”.
There were some consecutive wins too. For example, ABC World News Tonight With David Muir won in the outstanding live news program category for the third consecutive time while CNN’s The Whole Story With Anderson Cooper won outstanding recorded news program for the second consecutive time.
“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.
Here’s the full list of those who won in the news categories.
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)
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)
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