Kendrick Lamar has added another accolade to his already storied career, winning the Creative Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Direction for The Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show Starring Kendrick Lamar. He shares the honour with co-music director Tony Russell.
The award was announced during the 2025 Creative Arts Emmy Awards, held September 7 in Los Angeles, a ceremony that recognises technical and behind-the-scenes achievements in television. Lamar’s Super Bowl LIX performance had been nominated in a total of seven Creative Emmy categories.
This marks Kendrick Lamar’s second Emmy win. His first came in 2022, when he was part of the Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show, which took home the Emmy for Outstanding Variety Special (Live), among other honours.
The Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show, broadcast in February 2025, not only drew massive viewership but also delivered standout moments. Guest appearances included Samuel L. Jackson, SZA, Mustard, and Serena Williams, amid a set that featured some of Lamar’s biggest and most talked-about songs. Among them was the track “Not Like Us,” which became especially notable given the media attention around it.
Critics praised the music direction of the show for its dynamics, pacing, and staging decisions, which lent a cinematic sweep to a live performance. The blend of theatrical visuals, guest cameos, and Kendrick’s own star presence elevated the halftime show beyond spectacle into a cultural moment.
Beyond the trophy itself, the win underscores Kendrick Lamar’s ongoing impact in music and popular culture. The Super Bowl halftime show has become a high-stakes platform, often serving as a culmination of an artist’s recent work and artistic identity. For Lamar, who released his critically acclaimed solo album GNX in late 2024, the performance served as both a cultural assertion and an artistic summation. (Rap-Up)
Furthermore, the Creative Arts Emmys shine a light on the many people whose creative labour makes such large-scale productions possible. Music direction is one of those technical categories that doesn’t often take centre stage in headlines, but it plays a crucial role in shaping how a performance is experienced. Lamar’s win, together with Tony Russell, highlights both the artistry and the collaboration behind the spectacle.