Snapshots
The 53rd International Emmy Awards delivered an impactful narrative of global storytelling this year. An event marked by historic wins and high profile upsets, the Emmy Awards 2025 was a poignant ceremony, featuring powerful Gaza documentaries that secured unprecedented double victories, underscoring the vital role of factual reporting. Yet, the night also saw Indian cinema’s darling, Diljit Dosanjh, narrowly lose the Best Actor Trophy, reminding us of the fierce competition on the world stage.
About the 53rd International Emmy Awards
The Emmy International Awards 2025 celebrated global television excellence, with the UK dominating the main categories, securing wins for Best Drama (Rivals) and Best Comedy (Ludwig). Held in New York City, on the 24th of November, 2025, the ceremony was a historically significant one because of the unprecedented double victories for two documentaries that focused on the Gaza conflict, including UK’s Dispatches: Kill Zone: Inside Gaza and Qatar’s Gaza, Search for Life, underscoring the Academy's recognition of powerful, and timely factual reporting.
The Emmy International was presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (IATAS), which honored the best of international television programming. Hosted by Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos, this year the Emmy Awards honored the best of TV films and shows from across 16 global categories.
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Historical triumphs with Gaza documentaries dominating the Emmy’s
The most profound and historically resonant moment of the 53rd International Emmy Awards was the unmatched double victories for documentaries focused on the Gaza conflict. This dual win, which happened for the first time in the Emmy Awards in which two programs covering the same geopolitical crisis have triumphed in the News and Current affairs categories, sent an unmistakable message about power and necessity of unflinching global journalism.
The International Emmy winners in the Current Affairs category went to UK’s Dispatches: Kill Zone: Inside Gaza, which is a harrowing and immediate look at the conflict told through the eyes of the most vulnerable, that includes doctors, children, and courageous Palestinian filmmakers. Simultaneously the News Emmy was awarded to Qatar’s Gaza, Search for Life, which intimately documented the daily struggle for survival during the initial weeks of the devastating war.
The global spotlight fades as Diljit Dosanjh misses best actor
Despite the overwhelming critical acclaim and the powerful emotional resonance of his performance, Indian icon Diljit Dosanjh was the subject of the night’s most talked about upset as he missed out on the Best Performance by an Actor award for Amar Singh Chamkila. Dosanjh’s transformation into the eponymous, controversial Punjabi folk singer was widely hailed as a career defining role, yet the International Emmy winner for the category was Oriol Pla for his harrowing portrayal of a recovering drug addict in the drama, Yo, adicto (I, Addict).
The loss, coupled with Amar Singh Chamkila also losing the Best TV Movie/Mini-Series award, felt like a moment of shared global disappointment for legion of fans. Nonetheless, Dosanjh’s presence on the red carpet, along with that of Imtiaz Ali created a major step for Indian cinema on the global television stage.
UK dominance and global diversity
The United Kingdom reaffirmed its status as an international television powerhouse, dominating the scripted categories. The thrilling British drama Rivals secured its position as the International Emmy winner for the Best Drama Series award, while the quirky crime-comedy Ludwig won Best Comedy. The UK also triumphed in the Best Performance by an Actress category, with Anna Maxwell Martin being the International Emmy winner for her chilling role in Until I Kill You.
Beyond the UK, the Emmy International Award ceremony celebrated true global success, with Turkiye securing a major win for the captivating series Deha in the Telenovela category, and Japan winning for its beautiful Arts Documentary, Ryuichi Sakamoto: Last Days. This mosaic of International Emmy winners from 26 countries vividly illustrates the Academy’s commitment to honoring the expansive and diverse tapestry of international television storytelling.
The global victor list
The 53rd International Emmy Awards celebrated excellence across 16 categories, with the United Kingdom emerging as the top winner. Here are the major International Emmy winners and their key triumphs.
Best Drama Series- Rivals (UK)
Best Comedy- Ludwig (UK)
Best Performance by an Actor- Oriol Pla in Yo, adicto (I, Addict) (Spain)
Best Performance by an Actress- Anna Maxwell Martin In Until I Kill You (UK)
Best TV Movie/Mini-Series- Lost Boys & Fairies (UK)
Best Documentary- Hell Jumper (UK)
Best Telenovela- Deha (The Good & The Bad) (Turkiye)
Current Affairs- Dispatches: Kill Zone: Inside Gaza (UK)
News- Gaza, Search for Life (Oatar)
Best Art Programming- Ryuichi Sakamoto: Last Days (Japan)
Kids Animation- Bluey (Australia)
Kids: Factual & Entertainment- Auf Fritzis Spuren- Wie war das so in der DDR (Germany)
Kids: Live-Action- Fallen (UK)
Non-Scripted Entertainment- Shaolin Heroes: Denmark (Denmark)
Best Short-Form Series- La Mediatrice (Canada)
Sports Documentary- It’s All Over: The Kiss That Changed Spanish Football (Spain)