‘Weird: The Al Yankovic Story’ Wins Big at Long-Delayed 2023 Primetime Emmys Creative Arts Awards

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story won outstanding television movie on Saturday (Jan. 6), night one of the long-delayed 2023 Primetime Emmy Creative Arts Awards. The Emmys were originally set for September, but were postponed because of strikes by Hollywood writers and actors.

In taking the award for outstanding television movie, the final award of the night, Weird beat Dolly Parton’s Mountain Magic Christmas, Hocus Pocus 2 (reuniting Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy), Fire Island and Prey. Parton won in the category two years ago with Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square.

As a producer of Weird, Weird Al Yankovic won his first Primetime Emmy. Weird won an additional award for outstanding music composition for a limited or anthology series, movie or special (original dramatic score) but that award went to the composers, Leo Birenberg and Zach Robinson.

Pop music titans Ed Sheeran and Max Martin, along with Foy Vance, won their first Primetime Emmys. They took the award for outstanding original music and lyrics for “A Beautiful Game,” which they wrote for an episode of Ted Lasso.

Danny Elfman won outstanding original main title theme music for Wednesday. It’s his third Primetime Emmy, following awards for Desperate Housewives (2005) and Danny Elfman’s Music from the Films of Tim Burton (Live From Lincoln Center) (2016).

Cristobal Tapia de Veer won outstanding music composition for a series (original dramatic score) for his work on The White Lotus. It’s the Chilean-born Canadian composer’s third Primetime Emmy in the past two years for his work on that buzzy show.

Winners in five of the seven music categories were announced on night one of the Creative Arts Awards, which took place at the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live in Los Angeles. Winners in the other two music categories will be announced on night two of the Creative Arts Awards on Sunday (Jan 7). The main Primetime Emmy telecast will air on Monday, Jan. 15, at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on FOX – nearly four months after the originally planned date (Sept. 18).

The Last of Us was the top winner on night one of the Creative Arts Emmys, with eight awards, followed by The Bear, Wednesday and The White Lotus, with four wins each. BEEF was next with three awards, followed by Daisy Jones & The Six, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Ted Lasso and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story with two each.

An edited presentation of the awards presented on both nights of the Creative Arts Emmys will air Saturday, Jan. 13 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on FXX and will be available for streaming on Hulu on Sunday, Jan. 14.

Here’s a complete list of nominees in music categories from night one of the Creative Arts Awards, with winners marked. This post will be updated following night two.

Outstanding Music Supervision

Daisy Jones & The Six; “Track 8: Looks Like We Made It”; Prime Video; Hello Sunshine, Amazon Studios; Frankie Pine, Music Supervisor

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel; “Four Minutes”; Prime Video; Amazon Studios; Robin Urdang, Music Supervisor

Stranger Things; “Chapter Nine: The Piggyback”; Netflix; Monkey Massacre Productions & 21 Laps Entertainment for Netflix; Nora Felder, Music Supervisor

Ted Lasso; “So Long, Farewell”; Apple TV+; Apple presents a Doozer Production in association with Warner Bros. Television and Universal Television; Tony Von Pervieux, Music Supervisor; Christa Miller, Music Supervisor

WINNER: The White Lotus; “Bull Elephants”; HBO Max; HBO in association with Rip Cord and The District; Gabe Hilfer, Music Supervisor

Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics

Ginny & Georgia; “Hark! Darkness Descends!” / Song Title: “Marriage Is a Dungeon”; Netflix; A Netflix Original Series; Lili Haydn, Music & Lyrics; Ben Bromfield, Music & Lyrics

The L Word: Generation Q; “Questions for the Universe” / Song Title: “All About Me”; Showtime; SHOWTIME Presents, An MLR Original; Heather McIntosh, Music & Lyrics; Taura Stinson, Music & Lyrics; Allyson Newman, Music & Lyrics

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel; “Susan” / Song Title: “Your Personal Trash Man Can”; Prime Video; Amazon Studios; Curtis Moore, Music & Lyrics; Thomas Mizer, Music & Lyrics

Ted Lasso; “Mom City” / Song Title: “Fought & Lost”; Apple TV+; Apple presents a Doozer Production in association with Warner Bros. Television and Universal Television; Tom Howe, Music & Lyrics; Jamie Hartman, Music & Lyrics; Sam Ryder, Music & Lyrics

WINNER: Ted Lasso; “So Long, Farewell” / Song Title: “A Beautiful Game”; Apple TV+; Apple presents a Doozer Production in association with Warner Bros. Television and Universal Television; Ed Sheeran, Music & Lyrics; Foy Vance, Music & Lyrics; Max Martin, Music & Lyrics

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story; Song Title: “Now You Know”; The Roku Channel; The Roku Channel, Funny or Die, Tango Entertainment; Al Yankovic, Music & Lyrics

Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score)

Andor; “Rix Road”; Disney+; Lucasfilm Ltd.; Nicholas Britell, Composer

The Last of Us; “Long, Long Time”; HBO Max; HBO in association with Sony Pictures Television Studios, PlayStation Productions, Word Games, The Mighty Mint, and Naughty Dog; Gustavo Santaolalla, Composer

Succession; “Connor’s Wedding”; HBO Max; HBO in association with Project Zeus, Hyberobject Industries, Gary Sanchez Productions and Hot Seat Productions; Nicholas Britell, Composer

Wednesday; “Woe Is the Loneliest Number”; Netflix; A Netflix Series / An MGM Television Production; Danny Elfman, Composer; Chris Bacon, Composer

WINNER: The White Lotus; “In the Sandbox”; HBO Max; HBO in association with Rip Cord and The District; Cristobal Tapia de Veer, Composer

Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special (Original Dramatic Score)

Hocus Pocus 2; Disney+; Walt Disney Pictures; John Debney, Composer

Ms. Marvel; Time and Again; Disney+; Marvel Studios; Laura Karpman, Composer

Prey; Hulu; 20th Century Studios; Sarah Schachner, Composer

A Small Light; What Can Be Saved; National Geographic; ABC Signature; Ariel Marx, Composer

WINNER: Weird: The Al Yankovic Story; The Roku Channel; The Roku Channel, Funny or Die, Tango Entertainment; Leo Birenberg, Composer; Zach Robinson, Composer

Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music

Andor; Disney+; Lucasfilm Ltd.; Nicholas Britell, Composer

Guillermo Del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities; Netflix; Netflix / Double Dare You; Holly Amber Church, Composer

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power; Prime Video; Amazon Studios; Howard Shore, Composer

Ms. Marvel; Disney+; Marvel Studios; Laura Karpman, Composer

WINNER: Wednesday; Netflix; A Netflix Series / An MGM Television Production; Danny Elfman, Composer