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Could ‘Beyoncé Bowl’ Top ‘SNL50’ at 2025 Emmys? Well, It’s Hard to Compete With a Nice, Round Number

Beyoncé would probably really like to win her first Primetime Emmy this year, to go along with her record 35 Grammy Awards, but it won’t be easy. Her Beyoncé Bowl (which streamed on Netflix) is nominated for outstanding variety special (live), but most pundits expect the award to go to SNL50: The Anniversary Special (NBC).

There are several reasons for that. SNL is obviously a TV institution. It went on the air more than five years before Beyoncé was even born. Two earlier SNL anniversary specials – Saturday Night Live: The 25th Anniversary Special and The Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special – won program awards in predecessor categories.

Another sign: SNL50: The Anniversary Special received 12 Primetime Emmy nods this year, compared to just four for Beyoncé Bowl.

And there’s another factor at play here: Voters find it hard to resist a nice, round number. We’ve rounded up 11 music or variety shows with such numbers in their titles that won Primetime Emmys in key program categories.

To be sure, shows with nice, round numbers in their titles don’t always win. Just last year, Billy Joel: The 100th – Live at Madison Square Garden lost outstanding variety special (pre-recorded) to Dick Van Dyke 98 Years of Magic, a fairly random number. But voters wanted to give Van Dyke his flowers while they could. In 2018, The Carol Burnett Show: 50th Anniversary Special lost in that same category to Dave Chappelle: Equanimity, a title with no numbers at all. But in general, it’s a plus.

This year’s other nominees for outstanding variety special (live) are The Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show Starring Kendrick Lamar (Fox), The Oscars (ABC) and SNL50: The Homecoming Concert (Peacock).

The Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show Starring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent won in this category three years ago, the first time a halftime show had ever won a top program award.

The Oscars won in this category last year and won three previous times (in 1979, 1988 and 1991) in predecessor categories.

There’s a slight chance that the two SNL salutes could split that show’s support, allowing another program to win, but most voters know that SNL50: The Anniversary Special is the flagship effort. Lorne Michaels executive produced both specials, working in tandem with Mark Ronson on the concert special.

Beyoncé has a second chance to win a Primetime Emmy this year. She could win for outstanding directing for a variety special. (She directed Beyoncé Bowl alongside Alex Rudzinski, who won in this category nine years ago for co-directing Grease Live!) If Bey wins here, it would mark the second time a director won in this category for directing a show in which he or she was the star. Bo Burnham won in this category four years ago for Bo Burnham: Inside.

Here are the 11 music or variety shows with nice, round numbers in their titles that won Primetime Emmys in key program categories.

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