LOS ANGELES (AP) – “The Penguin” made a significant impact at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards held on Saturday, winning eight awards for its craft and technical achievements. The HBO show, which is a spin-off of the “Batman” franchise, is also nominated for outstanding limited or anthology series at the upcoming Primetime Emmy Awards scheduled for September 14.
The awards won by “The Penguin” included categories such as hairstyling, costumes, prosthetic makeup, visual effects, sound editing, and sound mixing. During the awards ceremony, various winners highlighted the critical role that behind-the-scenes work plays in the show’s overall success. Mike Marino, the prosthetic designer for the series, expressed gratitude for the collaborative efforts of the entire team. “It’s not just me. It’s all of these people, it’s many more in the studio who are really working their hardest to do something very special,” he stated while accepting the award for prosthetic makeup.
The victories in the technical categories have positioned “The Penguin” favorably among its peers ahead of the main Emmy Awards. In addition to its technical accolades, the show garnered significant acting nominations as well, with Colin Farrell and Cristin Milioti both recognized for outstanding lead performances. “The Penguin” focuses on the rise of Oz Cobb, known as The Penguin, in Gotham City’s criminal empire, serving as a narrative extension of the 2022 film “The Batman.”
Another significant contender at the awards was "Andor," a spin-off from the Star Wars franchise available on Disney+. It earned four awards for editing, production design, and costumes, despite claiming 14 nominations mainly in technical categories. However, the show did not receive nominations for major acting categories. Yan Miles, who won for outstanding picture editing for “Andor,” conveyed the pressure his team felt working within such a well-established franchise. “You start seeing sort of stormtroopers on set, and you start seeing those things you’re like, holy shit, I’m in Star Wars, right? I’m in that universe that I remember as an 8-year-old boy. And that’s pretty cool,” he remarked.
“Adolescence,” noted as the year’s most critically acclaimed limited series, is still anticipated to secure top awards in upcoming categories. Despite this expectation, it only received a single award for cinematography at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
During his acceptance speech, Mike Marino stressed the importance of recognizing human artistry in the film and television industry. “We are all human, and we all are artists working hard to pay bills and make beautiful art,” he said. He elaborated on how vital the makeup was in bringing Colin Farrell’s character to life. “He had mentioned that when he looked in the mirror for the first time during the makeup test, he immediately knew who his character was. He immediately knew how to speak, he knew how to walk,” Marino added.
The visual effects supervisor for “The Penguin,” Johnny Han, shared insights on coordinating a global team tasked with creating the show’s effects. He mentioned the challenge of aligning the vision of diverse teams throughout the production. “It took eight episodes for us to really dial that in,” he noted, highlighting the complexity involved in the show's visual execution.
