466 VFS alumni credits at 2026 Emmys, including a win for Makeup Design alum Rory Gaudio

By VFS, on September 16, 2026

Key Takeaways

It’s that time of year. The air has started to get a chill, pumpkin spice lattes are everywhere, and the Primetime Emmy Awards have arrived to cap off another awards season in the entertainment industry. Over two weeks in early September, television’s biggest stars and creative talent gathered to honour the best in television across drama, comedy, and reality TV.

With both Emmy ceremonies now complete, Vancouver Film School is pleased to announce that our alumni earned a total of 466 credits across Emmy-recognized series. Of this number, 165 credits were on winning productions.

We’re especially proud of Makeup Design for Film & Television alum Rory Gaudio, who was part of the winning production makeup team for Apple TV’s Palm Royale, which took home a Creative Arts Emmy for Period or Fantasy/Sci-Fi Makeup.

This week, we’re diving into the 2026 Emmys to share where our alumni made an impact.

Vancouver Film School Makeup Design alum Rory Gaudio with the Palm Royale production makeup team accepting their Emmy. VFS Makeup Design alum Rory Gaudio (pictured fourth from left) accepts the Emmy alongside his fellow members of the winning Palm Royale production makeup team.

VFS ALUMNI WORKED ACROSS 69 EMMY-RECOGNIZED SERIES

From Hacks to Saturday Night Live and Stranger Things, our alumni stayed booked and busy over the past year, contributing to some of television’s most unforgettable moments:

  • Three alumni from VFS’s 3D Animation & Visual Effects program were credited in The Pitt, which took home Emmys for Drama Series, Lead Actor, and Guest Actor.
  • A staggering 86 alumni worked on Netflix’s Stranger Things, which won the Emmy for Special Visual Effects.
  • 42 VFS alumni were credited on The Boys, which received four nominations and won for Stunt Coordinator (Drama).
  • Other nominated/winning series where alumni contributed include Beef, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Bob’s Burgers, IT: Welcome to Derry, and Predator: Killer of Killers.

A NIGHT OF RECORDS AND SURPRISES

The 78th Emmy Awards delivered a night of historic wins, unexpected upsets, and a few major surprises. Apple TV’s Widow’s Bay was the breakout of the evening, taking home six awards during the Primetime ceremony and 14 overall across the Creative Arts and Primetime Emmys – the most ever for a comedy series. The horror-comedy also swept all six of its major comedy categories, including Outstanding Comedy Series, Writing, Directing, Lead Actor, Supporting Actor, and Supporting Actress.

Matthew Rhys made history of his own, becoming the first actor to win two lead acting Emmys in a single year, taking home Lead Actor in a Comedy for Widow’s Bay and Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series for The Beast in Me. Jean Smart also reached a major milestone with her eighth career Emmy and fifth consecutive win for Hacks, while becoming the first woman to win Lead Actress in a Comedy for every season of the same series.

And there were plenty of surprises. The Pitt, which entered the night as one of the ceremony's biggest favorites, won Outstanding Drama Series for the second consecutive year but took home only two awards. Allison Janney pulled off an upset for The Diplomat, while Tom Pelphrey surprised many with his win for Task. Meanwhile, The Traitors continued its own winning streak with a third consecutive Reality Competition Emmy, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert repeated as Outstanding Variety Series.

START YOUR INDUSTRY TRAINING AT VFS

From award-winning productions to the next generation of television, film, animation, and visual effects, VFS alumni are putting their skills to work across the entertainment industry. Ready to build your own path into the industry? Explore VFS’s award-winning, industry-leading programs and start your hands-on training today.

FAQ

1. Which Emmy-recognized shows did Vancouver Film School alumni work on?

VFS alumni contributed to the following series:

  • Abbott Elementary
  • Alien Earth
  • The Amazing Race
  • Beef
  • Black Rabbit
  • Bob's Burgers
  • The Bear
  • Dancing with the Stars
  • The Diplomat
  • Emily in Paris
  • Euphoria
  • FBI
  • Fallout
  • Foundation
  • The Gilded Age
  • Hacks
  • Heads of State
  • In the Blink of an Eye
  • Invincible
  • IT: Welcome to Derry
  • Jack Ryan: Ghost War
  • Jeopardy
  • Jimmy Kimmel Live
  • King of the Hill
  • Last Week Tonight
  • Margo’s Got Money Troubles
  • Monster: The Ed Gein Story
  • Murderbot
  • The Morning Show
  • The Neighborhood
  • Only Murders in the Building
  • Palm Royale
  • Peacemaker
  • Poker Face
  • Predator: Killer of Killers
  • Prehistoric Planet: Planet Ice Age
  • Rafa
  • Remarkably Bright Creatures
  • Rick and Morty
  • RuPaul's Drag Race
  • Saturday Night Live
  • Shark Tank
  • Shrinking
  • Smiling Friends
  • Smoke
  • South Park
  • Spider-Noir
  • Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord
  • Star Wars: Visions
  • Stranger Things 5
  • Survivor 50
  • The Pitt
  • The Rookie
  • The Simpsons
  • The Testaments
  • The 'Burbs
  • The Boys
  • The Boys: Gen V
  • The Voice
  • The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon
  • The Rip
  • Top Chef
  • Washington Black
  • Welcome to Wrexham
  • Wheel of Fortune
  • Wednesday
  • Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
  • Will Trent
  • Wonder Man

2. Which VFS programs did these alumni graduate from?

Credited alumni come from nearly all of Vancouver Film School’s advanced production programs, along with select preparatory programs:

3. What roles did the alumni have on the productions?

VFS alumni held a variety of roles on these Emmy-recognized series. The list is expansive but includes positions like VFX artists, digital artists, compositors, animators, VFX supervisors, look development artists, CG artists, production managers, editors, and makeup artists.

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