Why Beyoncé and Jay-Z Skipped the 2025 Emmys Despite Their Nominations

THE RUNDOWN

• Beyoncé and Jay-Z are competing against each other in the Outstanding Variety Special (Live) Emmy category tonight.
• Neither made a surprise appearance at the show.
• An Emmys executive producer spoke ahead of the broadcast about whether the show would be prepared to host them.

Beyoncé might not have appeared at the 2025 Emmys, but she would’ve had a special reason to attend: She and her husband, Jay-Z, were competing against each other in the Outstanding Variety Special (Live) category.

Beyoncé’s Netflix NFL halftime show, Beyoncé Bowl, was nominated, along with Kendrick Lamar’s Apple Music Super Bowl LIX halftime show, which Jay-Z produced.

Beyoncé remained out of the public eye this evening, weeks after completing her Cowboy Carter Tour. Jay-Z, meanwhile, was photographed out in Atlantic City, New Jersey, this evening at the Fanatics ONE Football Watch Party.

The Carters’ choice to skip the L.A. ceremony makes sense, as they were nominated in one of the Emmys’ minor categories and lost to Saturday Night Live’s 50th anniversary special.

This also would’ve been the first Emmys ceremony Beyoncé has attended.

Beyoncé’s Beyoncé Bowl already won an Emmy ahead of the show for Outstanding Costumes for Variety, Nonfiction or Reality Programming. It is her first Emmy win and puts her closer to EGOT status.

Ahead of Sunday’s show, Emmys executive producer Jesse Collins spoke to Variety about whether Beyoncé would make an appearance at the L.A. event. (Collins was an executive producer on both her and Jay-Z’s nominated specials.)

“I don’t know,” Collin said. “She can make anything happen. It doesn’t matter where she is in the world right now, if she wants to be here, she’ll be here, and there will be a seat for her. Several. We’re ready for them and whatever they want to do… those are my bosses, so it’s up to them.”