LOS ANGELES (AP) — Seth Rogen won best actor in a comedy series Sunday for “The Studio,” and Britt Lower and Tramell Tillman took trophies for “Severance,” kicking off the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards on what could be a very big night for the two Apple TV+ series.

“I could not wrap my head around this happening,” said Rogen, who is up for three more Emmys during the show. “I’ve never won anything in my life.”

Lower won best actress in a drama for “Severance” and Tillman won best supporting actor in a drama.

“My first acting coach was tough, y’all,” Tillman, wearing an all-white tuxedo, said from the stage. “But all great mothers are.”

He looked out to his mother in the audience and told her, “You were there for me where no one else was, and no one else would show up.”

His win had been widely expected but Lower's was a surprise in a category where Kathy Bates was considered a heavy favorite, for “Matlock.”

Jean Smart won best actress in a comedy for “Hacks” for the fourth time, at 73 extending her own record for the oldest woman ever to win the category.

Her castmate and constant scene partner Hannah Einbinder, who had also been nominated for all four seasons but unlike Smart had never won, took best supporting actress in a comedy.

She said she had become committed to a bit where “it was cooler to lose”

“But this is cool too!” she shouted, then ended her speech by cursing the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and saying “Free Palestine!”

How the 2025 Emmys opened

Stephen Colbert was the first person to take the stage to present the award during the CBS telecast at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles despite the recent controversial cancellation of his show by the network. He was greeted by a rousing and lengthy standing ovation.

“While I have your attention, is anyone hiring?” Colbert said.

In an unusual show order, host Nate Bargatze delivered his opening monologue only after the first award was handed out.

Katherine LaNasa won best supporting actress in a drama for “The Pitt,” a surprise in a category where most expected one of the three nominees from “The White Lotus” to win.

“I am so proud and honored,” LaNasa, looking emotional and shocked, said.

The show opened with a sketch where “Saturday Night Live” stars Mikey Day, Bowen Yang and James Austin Johnson joined Bargatze, who played television inventor Philo T. Farnsworth opining on what the future of TV will be like.

Bargatze-as-Farnsworth mentions that there will be a Black Entertainment Television. When asked if there will be a network for white people, he replied, “Why, CBS of course.”

Apple TV+ is poised to have a breakout Emmy year with the two most nominated shows, “Severance” and “The Studio,” which are the favorites to win the two biggest awards.

What to expect from the 2025 Emmy Awards

“The Studio,” with co-creator Rogen starring as the new head of a movie studio, came into the evening with blockbuster buzz for its breakout first season.

It tied a record for a comedy with 23 nominations, and with nine Emmys already won at last weekend's Creative Arts ceremony. It would be a major surprise if it did not break the record of 11 Emmy wins in a season by a comedy.

“Severance,” the Orwellian office drama about people who surgically split their psyches into workplace “innies” and home “outies,” was the top overall nominee with 27 nominations for its second season. It won six at the Creative Arts ceremony.

Along with best drama — which would be a first for Apple — it's nominated in all four dramatic acting categories, with stars Adam Scott and Britt Lower each looking for their first Emmys.

Its top competition for best drama could be “The Pitt,” HBO's acclaimed drama about one shift in the life of an emergency room.

Its star Noah Wyle could be both the sentimental favorite and the actual favorite for best actor. He was nominated five times without a win for playing a young doctor on “ER” in the 1990s, and now could finally take his trophy for what is in many ways a reprise of the role.

Later in the show, could give “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” the Emmy for best talk series for the first time as a sort of protest vote and tribute to its host.

Many perceived the end of the show as punishment of Colbert and placation of President Donald Trump after Colbert was harshly critical of a legal settlement between the president and Paramount, which needed administration approval for a sale to Skydance Media. Executives called the decision strictly financial.

How to watch and stream the Emmys and its red carpet

The Emmys are airing live on CBS at 8 p.m. Eastern and 5 p.m. Pacific time.

Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers may stream the show live. Standard Paramount+ subscribers can stream it Monday through Sept. 21.

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For more coverage of this year’s Emmy Awards, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/emmy-awards