EMMY TALLY: Three
HOW HE GOT THE GOLD: As supervising sound editor for History’s Houdini in 2015 and for HBO’s The Last of Us in 2023 and 2025.
NOW THE NOMS: He won each time he was nominated.
HOME THEATER HIGHLIGHT: “My Emmy statuettes sit on my entertainment center, right next to my ridiculously large flat screen with a very modest Dolby Atmos sound system. They give me a real sense of pride and accomplishment.”
CAREER KUDOS: “I love attending the Emmys. It really is a thrill to be nominated and just be in the room. Taking home a trophy is obviously great, too!"
SOAPY START: “After graduating from UCLA film school, I landed a job in a television studio mailroom, followed by a fantastic opportunity at ABC Television as an assistant editor. Then Lorimar Television took a chance and offered me an assistant sound editor position on the hottest show in the world at the time, Dallas.”
DREAM COLLAB: “I wasn’t a gamer when I heard Craig Mazin was making an HBO show based on The Last of Us, but I chatted with friends who were and got myself up to speed. I’d worked with Craig on some features before, and after being so moved by his work on Chernobyl, I knew I wanted to be part of The Last of Us. Being the supervising sound editor on such a special project has been one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had in the industry.”
This article originally appeared in emmy magazine, issue #10, 2026, under the title: "Me and My Emmy: Michael J. Benavente."
