three stars from CNN’s panel show will front individual Emmy nights in New York while industry veterans receive lifetime awards
The television awards season will spotlight three familiar faces from CNN when the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences stages its Emmy ceremonies at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York. Organizers announced that Roy Wood Jr., Amber Ruffin and Michael Ian Black will each host different nights of the festivities, with a lineup that pairs lively emcees and high-profile lifetime honors. The scheduling places the three events on consecutive nights: May 26, May 27 and May 28.
These hosting assignments underline the crossover between late-night satirical formats and awards presentation, as all three are regulars on CNN’s adaptation of a British panel series. The announcements also included recipients of the ceremonies’ annual lifetime achievement award, and a snapshot of the programs and personalities leading the nominations this year.
Each host will preside over a distinct portion of the Academy’s agenda. Roy Wood Jr. is lined up to lead the 47th Annual Sports Emmy Awards on Tuesday, May 26. The following evening, Amber Ruffin will emcee the news categories at the 47th Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards on Wednesday, May 27. Finally, Michael Ian Black will handle the documentary-focused ceremony on Thursday, May 28. Each night will have its own tone and nominees, reflecting the different specialties of sports, news and documentary television. The choice of hosts emphasizes humor and conversational presentation, a trend in awards shows intended to balance gravitas with entertainment.
The Academy will honor three industry figures with the event’s top career recognition. In sports broadcasting, Steve Bornstein will receive the lifetime achievement award at the Sports Emmys in recognition of his role in expanding sports media brands and platforms. For news, the honor goes to ABC News’ Martha Raddatz, a veteran correspondent and anchor known for global reporting and debate moderation. The documentary award will be presented to editor and filmmaker Sam Pollard, whose work on landmark documentaries and historical storytelling has been widely celebrated.
Steve Bornstein is credited with launching multiple ESPN properties — including ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPN Classic, ESPN Radio and ESPN.com — and for creating signature events such as the ESPYs and the X-Games. After leading networks in the sports world, he moved into league media and now serves as president of the North American division of Genius Sports. His career is emblematic of the strategist-executive who shaped how sports are packaged and monetized across platforms.
Martha Raddatz has covered the State Department, the White House and conflict zones, moderated two national election debates and authored books that blend reporting with personal narrative. Sam Pollard is known for editorial work and directing on films such as Four Little Girls and When The Levees Broke, earning an Academy Award nomination, multiple Emmys and a Peabody. Pollard’s recent producing credits include work on Netflix’s Katrina: Come Hell and High Water and an Oscar‑nominated project, demonstrating sustained influence in long-form nonfiction storytelling.
The Sports Emmys nominations feature a range of on-screen personalities; among those with nods are Alex Rodriguez, Tom Brady, Jason Kelce, Richard Sherman, J.J. Watt and Charles Barkley. ESPN leads the Sports Emmy field with 62 nominations, buoyed by series including E60. In the news and documentary categories, National Geographic’s Trafficked With Mariana van Zeller received 25 nominations, while PBS’ Frontline earned 19, and Nat Geo topped the overall list with 51 nominations. These totals highlight how certain series and networks dominate the awards conversation each year.
All three hosts are part of CNN’s panel-format show: Roy Wood Jr. serves as the program’s main host, while Amber Ruffin and Michael Ian Black act as regular team captains. The American version premiered on CNN in September 2026 and launched its fourth season in January. The show airs on Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET and becomes available to stream the following day on CNN.com, CNN apps and HBO Max. The Academy’s choice to tap this trio underscores how late-night and panel comedy personalities are increasingly tapped to guide awards presentations that require wit as well as respect for industry achievement.
Together, the hosting selections, honorees and nomination leaders set expectations for a tightly scheduled series of ceremonies that balance celebration and critical recognition across sports, news and documentary storytelling. Attendees and viewers can expect distinct atmospheres each night as the industry pauses to honor both lifetime contributions and current achievements.