The animated series South Park has secured a Creative Arts Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program for its episode "Sermon on the 'Mount." Following the win, the show's creators used social media to mock former President Donald Trump by highlighting his lack of Emmy success during his time hosting The Apprentice.
"Sermon on the 'Mount" secures Outstanding Animated Program
South Park has long been a staple of the awards circuit, maintaining a pattern of excellence that dates back to 2005. As reported by the source, the series beat out high-profile competitors including The Simpsons, Rick and Morty, Bob's Burgers, Smiling Friends, and Star Wars: Visions to take home the trophy. This victory includes a continuation of the show's previous championship years in 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2013.
This win reinforces the show's ability to navigate the increasingly volatile landscape of American political satire. By dramatizing Trump's time in office through a mix of absurdity and bite, the series continues to prove its ability to capture the cultural zeitgeist while maintaining high production standards.
Mocking the zero-Emmy record of The Apprentice
The show's victory was immediately leveraged to deliver a pointed critique of Donald Trump. According to the report, the South Park social media account released a Season 29 poster depicting the former persident clutching an Emmy trophy, accompanied by the caption, "You Finally Got Your Emmy."
This imagery specifically targets the fact that Trump's reality competition, The Apprentice, never won an Emmy during its fifteen-season run. while the program was nominated twice in the 2000s for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program, it consistently lost to The Amazing Race. This comedic jab directly engages with Trump's own history of claiming that the Emmy voting process is rigged and influenced by politics.
The White House's dispute over Season 29 viewership
The political fallout from the episode's July 2025 airing was swift. Assistant Press Secretary Taylor Rogers issued a statement from the White House claiming that South Park has "gone out of step with current events" and suffers from record-low ratings.. However, the report notes that these assertions appear to contradict current data, as viewership for the upcoming Season 29 is actually among the highest in several years.
This discrepancy leaves several questions unanswered. Is the White House's assessment based on internal metrics, or is it a strategic attempt to diminish the show's cultural impact? Furthermore, it remains to be seen how Comedy Central will respond to the specific accusation that the series has lost its connection to modern reality.
Trey Parker's loss to Julie Andrews and the September 16 premiere
While the series won the top animated prize, the creators themselves did not sweep the categories. Trey Parker lost the Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance award to Julie Andrews, and the show's musical elements lost to Gavin Brivik and Andrew Bird. Despite these individual losses , the momentum for the series remains strong as new episodes continue to stream on Comedy Central.
The upcoming television season is set to be a busy one for the franchise. Season 29 officially begins on September 16 at 10:00 p.m., with a tightly packed schedule of episodes airing on September 30, October 14, October 28, November 11, and November 25. This follows the Primetime Emmy ceremony on September 14, which will be hosted by Law & Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay.
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