Emmys 2025: What's the big award won by Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen? Here's all you need to know

Emmys 2025 opened with the Television Academy naming works that had real effects on communities, not only celebrating shows. On September 14, 2025, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, the Academy put a short segment in the broadcast to honor two actors who have run programs in schools and supported ocean protection.

The moment connected the usual prize night with examples of local projects and fundraising, and it gave airtime to small nonprofit activities that the honorees helped fund or start. The two actors discussed Angels at Risk, the nonprofit they began in 2007, and they had classroom workshops, teacher training, and parent meetings that followed the program.

The couple was awarded the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award, which is a Television Academy honor given for a candidate’s record of public service. The award is reserved for people in television whose public efforts show clear benefit for communities, and it is not presented on a fixed yearly schedule. When the Academy chooses recipients, it looks for documented programs, steady engagement, and measurable results rather than single events.

What did Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen do?

Ted Danson has long been a board member of Oceana, an organization dedicated to ocean conservation, having co-founded the American Oceans Campaign in 1987. The pair co-founded Angels at Risk in 2007, a nonprofit that supports families impacted by drug and alcohol misuse, and Mary Steenburgen has donated to child welfare groups.

The program offers prevention workshops, role-play exercises, and parent meetings in local schools. Ted Danson has often spoken about supporting monitoring projects and policy letters, and Mary Steenburgen has previously discussed the teacher training sessions and grant applications that expanded the program’s reach.

Acceptance Speech by Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen at the Emmys 2025

At the Emmys 2025 Awards, Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen were honored with the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award for their extensive philanthropic efforts. During their acceptance speech, they expressed deep gratitude and shared their commitment to community service.

As per E! Online reports, Ted Danson began by reflecting on the significance of the award's namesake and receiving it alongside his wife.

"It's named after a man whose very name was hope, and that is what Bob Hope brought to people for 50 years as he traveled the world, entertaining our troops. There's no honor that would mean more to Mary and me than this one, and the fact that it's been given to both of us means the world."

As E! Online reports, Mary Steenburgen shared a heartfelt message about the emotional balance of life,

"If it's true that life is made up of two emotions, love and fear, the world's a little out of balance right now. We don't want to live in fear, so we make ourselves useful by working for organizations that move the scale away from fear and put us smack dab in the middle of love."

They concluded by acknowledging their family and community,

"Thank you to our sisters, our children and grandchildren, who—of course—are the best teachers we've ever had. Most of all, thank you to you, our beloved community. Together, we have a sacred assignment to remind the world of its dreams, its failures, its laughter, its courage and most especially, its hope."

The choice to present a humanitarian citation during the program put community work into the night’s coverage.

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At Emmys 2025, the Television Academy presented the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award to Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen for their documented work in schools, conservation, and community health. Their acceptance highlighted program names, partner schools, and follow-up materials that the academy used to explain the decision.

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