Beyoncé and Jay-Z to Compete Against Each Other for an Emmy This Year

Beyoncé is facing some particularly familiar competition for an Emmy this year: her own husband. 

As the 2025 Emmy nominations were announced on Tuesday, both Queen Bey and Jay-Z (real name Shawn Carter) were listed as nominees in the outstanding variety special (live) category; Beyoncé for her Beyoncé Bowl halftime show for the NFL’s Christmas Day game on Netflix, and Jay as one of the executive producers for Kendrick Lamar’s Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show. 

It’s hard to track how many times a husband and wife have ever competed against one another in the same Emmy category in the past, though it’s certainly not a common occurrence. 

Both Beyoncé and Lamar’s halftime shows were critically lauded and groundbreaking. Beyoncé performed the first-ever Christmas Day NFL halftime show, while Lamar broke records for the most-viewed Super Bowl halftime show of all time with over 133 million viewers. SNL50: The Homecoming Concert rounds out the music-related programming nominated in this year’s variety special (live) category, and the three will be up against the Oscars as well as fellow Saturday Night Live special SNL50: The Anniversary Special.  

Aside from the variety special itself, Beyoncé was also nominated for outstanding directing for a variety special for the concert alongside co-director Alex Rudzinski. It’s the third time she’s been nominated in that category, having previously gotten nods for Lemonade back in 2016, and for Homecoming: A Film by Beyonce in 2019. Both Beyoncé and Lamar’s halftime shows were also recognized in outstanding the choreography for variety or reality programming category, with Charm La’Donna getting nominated for both shows. Tyrik Patterson, Christopher Grant and Parris Goebel were nominated for the Beyonce Bowl’s choreography as well. 

Lamar himself was also nominated for outstanding music direction for the halftime show, alongside fellow music director Tony Russell, and Questlove was tapped for musical direction for the SNL anniversary concert alongside James Poyser. Questlove was also nominated for outstanding directing for a documentary/nonfiction program with Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years Of SNL Music, as well as for outstanding documentary or nonfiction special for Sly Lives! (Aka The Burden of Black Genius).

Within the Emmy’s seven music-specific categories themselves, other big-name nominees included Hans Zimmer for his score on The Americas, Adam Sandler with Dan Bulla for the music and lyrics to “Adam Sandler’s Song: 50 Years” on SNL50: The Anniversary Special, and Kristen Wiig, Sean Douglas and Josh Greenbaum for the music and lyrics on “Harper and Will Go West” from Will & Harper.

The full list of nominees for this year’s Emmy music categories is below.

Outstanding Music Composition For A Series (Original Dramatic Score)

Andor, “Who Are You”
Brandon Roberts, Composer

Based On A True Story, “Relapse”
Sherri Chung, Composer

Cobra Kai, “Blood In Blood Out”
Leo Birenberg, Composer
Zach Robinson, Composer

Severance, “Cold Harbor”
Theodore Shapiro, Composer

The Studio, “The Missing Reel”
Antonio Sánchez, Composer

The White Lotus, “Amor Fati”
Cristobal Tapia de Veer, Composer

Outstanding Music Composition For A Limited Or Anthology Series, Movie Or Special

Black Mirror, “Hotel Reverie”
Ariel Marx, Composer

Black Mirror, “USS Callister: Into Infinity”
Daniel Pemberton, Composer

Dying For Sex, “It’s Not That Serious”
Ariel Marx, Composer

Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story, “Spree”
Thomas Newman, Composer
Julia Newman, Composer

The Penguin, “After Hours”
Mick Giacchino, Composer

The Supremes At Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat
Kathryn Bostic, Composer

Outstanding Music Composition For A Documentary Series Or Special

The Americas, “Andes”
Hans Zimmer, Composer
Anže Rozman, Composer
Kara Talve, Composer

Chef’s Table “José Andrés”

Duncan Thum, Composer
David Bertok, Composer

Leonardo Da Vinci
Caroline Shaw, Composer

Planet Earth: Asia, “Beneath The Waves”
Jacob Shea, Composer
Laurentia Editha, Composer

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Ilan Eshkeri, Composer

Outstanding Music Direction

The Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show Starring Kendrick Lamar
Kendrick Lamar, Music Director
Tony Russell, Music Director

The Kennedy Center Honors
Rickey Minor, Music Director

The Oscars
Michael Bearden, Music Director

SNL50: The Anniversary Special
Lenny Pickett, Music Director
Leon Pendarvis, Music Director
Eli Brueggemann, Music Director

SNL50: The Homecoming Concert
James Poyser, Music Director
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, Music Director

Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics

Agatha All Along, “Circle Sewn With Fate / Unlock Thy Hidden Gate.” Song Title: “The Ballad of the Witches’ Road”
Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Music & Lyrics
Robert Lopez, Music & Lyrics

Andor, “Who Are You?” Song Title: “We are the Ghor (Planetary Anthem)”
Nicholas Britell, Music & Lyrics
Tony Gilroy, Music & Lyrics

The Boys, “We’ll Keep The Red Flag Flying Here” Song Title: “Let’s Put the Christ Back in Christmas”
Christopher Lennertz, Music & Lyrics

SNL50: The Anniversary Special, Song Title: “Adam Sandler’s Song: 50 Years”
Adam Sandler, Music & Lyrics
Dan Bulla, Music & Lyrics

Will & Harper, Song Title: “Harper and Will Go West”
Sean Douglas, Music & Lyrics
Kristen Wiig, Music & Lyrics
Josh Greenbaum, Lyrics

Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music

Dept. Q
Carlos Rafael Rivera, Composer
Scott Frank, Composer

Dune: Prophecy
Volker Bertelmann, Composer

Lazarus
Kamasi Washington

The Residence
Mark Mothersbaugh, Composer

The White Lotus
Cristobal Tapia de Veer, Composer

Your Friends & Neighbors
Dominic Lewis, Composer
Hamilton Leithauser, Composer

Outstanding Music Supervision

Hacks, “I Love LA”
Matt Biffa, Music Supervisor

The Last Of Us, “The Price”
Evyen Klean, Music Supervisor
Ian Broucek, Music Supervisor
Scott Hanau, Music Supervisor

The Righteous Gemstones, “You Hurled Me Into The Depths, Into The Very Heart Of The Seas”
DeVoe Yates, Music Supervisor
Gabe Hilfer, Music Supervisor

Severance, “Cold Harbor”
George Drakoulias, Music Supervisor

The Studio, “The Promotion”
Gabe Hilfer, Music Supervisor

The White Lotus, “Same Spirits, New Forms”
Gabe Hilfer, Music Supervisor