It’s time to play the music. It’s time to light the lights. And apparently, it’s also time to make some room in the trophy case.
The Muppet Show made a triumphant return earlier this year, and now Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo and the rest of the gang can officially call themselves Emmy winners once again. The Disney+ special scored four victories during the first night of the 2026 Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
The special took home awards for Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded), Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special, Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming, and Outstanding Production Design for a Variety Special.
That is an incredible haul for a special that received six nominations—and an even bigger statement about the future of the franchise.
The Outstanding Variety Special victory also earned Sabrina Carpenter her first Emmy. Carpenter served as both an executive producer and performer on the special, joining the Muppets for their return to the iconic Muppet Theatre.
The only categories the special did not win were Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Variety Series or Special and Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance, where Matt Vogel was nominated for his performance as Kermit the Frog.
Disney’s latest attempt to bring the Muppets back into the spotlight premiered on Disney+ and ABC in February as part of the franchise’s 50th-anniversary celebration. Along with Carpenter, the special featured appearances from Maya Rudolph and Seth Rogen, with Rogen also serving as an executive producer.
The special successfully captured the wonderfully controlled chaos of the original series while proving that the Muppets can still connect with a modern audience without abandoning what made them special in the first place.
Now, the Television Academy has delivered Disney a message that should be impossible to ignore: audiences want more Muppets.
One special was great. Four Emmy wins are even better—and make a hell of a case for Disney to give us a full series finally.
Come on, Disney. It’s time to get things started.
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