Jay-Z co-directed the performance with Hamish Hamilton
The much-delayed 2023 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards proved worth the wait for Jay-Z. On Sunday, during the second part of the ceremony, the musician and mogul was awarded the Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special for his work co-directing Rihanna’s Super Bowl halftime show.
Jay-Z shared directing duties with Hamish Hamilton, who has helmed the Super Bowl halftime show each year since 2010. Hamilton has been nominated for the award seven times over the course of his career — for work on multiple Super Bowl performances, The Oscars, and the London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony — but this marks his first win.
The Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Starring Rihanna is the first special performance for which Jay-Z has been nominated as a director at the Primetime Emmy Awards. He was awarded the Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition/Direction/Lyrics for “Run This Town (Live at Super Bowl XLIV)” in 2011.
Otherwise, he has only been awarded through the institution for Outstanding Variety Special (Live) for the 2022 halftime show starring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar and 50 Cent. Rihanna’s halftime performance is also up for Outstanding Variety Special (Live), the winner of which is still pending. In 2019, Jay-Z and Roc Nation partnered with the NFL to become the association’s live music entertainment strategist, helping to produce the annual performance.
Jay-Z and Hamilton were nominated for Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special alongside Joel Gallen, who directed Chris Rock: Selective Outrage; Linda Mendoza, who directed Wanda Sykes: I’m an Entertainer; Paul Miller, who directed Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love; and Glenn Weiss, who directed The Oscars.
