Hip hop has broken yet another barrier following the 2022 Super Bowl halftime show’s historical win during the first night of the Creative Arts Emmys on Saturday (Sept. 3). The buzzworthy game-day performance has previously been nominated at the awards ceremony, but this year marked the first time it prevailed as the winner in the Outstanding Variety Special category.
The very West Coast-oriented show bill featured a star-studded lineup of Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent, Kendrick Lamar, and Eminem. This year’s big game was held at Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium, where the home team, the Los Angeles Rams, won their first Vince Lombardi trophy after beating the Cincinnati Bengals.
“That lineup changed the world. They changed music, they changed politics, they changed the way that we dress. They had a seismic influence in music, culture, and beyond, and not one of them had been on a Super Bowl bill before, and all of a sudden they’re all on the same Super Bowl bill, and by the way, it’s near Compton, where some of this started, where Dre started, literally this is his backyard,” director Hamish Hamilton told Billboard earlier this year.
The ensemble performance beat out ABC’s “Live in Front of a Studio Audience” series that put on a live rendition of “The Facts of Life,” the Grammys, Tonys, and the Oscars, which featured one of the most talked about live moments in television history.
During the roughly 12-minute show, the artists managed to run through a medley of 11 hits, including “California Love,” “No More Drama,” “Lose Yourself,” “In Da Club,” and “Alright.” The massive set showcased South L.A.’s cityscape, including the city of Compton, a studio and club scene.
“It’s amazing. This is the first time this show has ever won this award, and it’s so incredible to be a part of this moment. It took an incredible team to pull this together and I thank you all,” said Jesse Collins, the show’s executive producer, during his acceptance speech. See the clip below, where Dr. Dre talks about the once-in-a-lifetime performance.