diff --git a/backend/main.py b/backend/main.py
index fe6d30a..6141af8 100644
--- a/backend/main.py
+++ b/backend/main.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ from fastapi import FastAPI
 from fastapi.middleware.cors import CORSMiddleware
 
 from config import get_settings
-from routers import admin, auth, chat, consent, creator_dashboard, creators, health, ingest, pipeline, reports, search, stats, techniques, topics, videos
+from routers import admin, auth, chat, consent, creator_dashboard, creators, health, highlights, ingest, pipeline, reports, search, stats, techniques, topics, videos
 
 
 def _setup_logging() -> None:
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ app.include_router(chat.router, prefix="/api/v1")
 app.include_router(consent.router, prefix="/api/v1")
 app.include_router(creator_dashboard.router, prefix="/api/v1")
 app.include_router(creators.router, prefix="/api/v1")
+app.include_router(highlights.router, prefix="/api/v1")
 app.include_router(ingest.router, prefix="/api/v1")
 app.include_router(pipeline.router, prefix="/api/v1")
 app.include_router(reports.router, prefix="/api/v1")
diff --git a/backend/pipeline/stages.py b/backend/pipeline/stages.py
index b026259..0add68a 100644
--- a/backend/pipeline/stages.py
+++ b/backend/pipeline/stages.py
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ from sqlalchemy.dialects.postgresql import insert as pg_insert
 
 from models import (
     Creator,
+    HighlightCandidate,
     KeyMoment,
     KeyMomentContentType,
     PipelineEvent,
@@ -2435,3 +2436,109 @@ def fetch_creator_avatar(creator_id: str) -> dict:
         return {"status": "error", "detail": str(exc)}
     finally:
         session.close()
+
+
+# ── Highlight Detection ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+@celery_app.task(bind=True, max_retries=3, default_retry_delay=30)
+def stage_highlight_detection(self, video_id: str, run_id: str | None = None) -> str:
+    """Score all KeyMoments for a video and upsert HighlightCandidates.
+
+    For each KeyMoment belonging to the video, runs the heuristic scorer and
+    bulk-upserts results into highlight_candidates (INSERT ON CONFLICT UPDATE).
+
+    Returns the video_id for chain compatibility.
+    """
+    from pipeline.highlight_scorer import score_moment
+
+    start = time.monotonic()
+    logger.info("Highlight detection starting for video_id=%s", video_id)
+    _emit_event(video_id, "highlight_detection", "start", run_id=run_id)
+
+    session = _get_sync_session()
+    try:
+        moments = (
+            session.execute(
+                select(KeyMoment)
+                .where(KeyMoment.source_video_id == video_id)
+                .order_by(KeyMoment.start_time)
+            )
+            .scalars()
+            .all()
+        )
+
+        if not moments:
+            logger.info(
+                "Highlight detection: No key moments for video_id=%s, skipping.", video_id,
+            )
+            _emit_event(
+                video_id, "highlight_detection", "complete",
+                run_id=run_id, payload={"candidates": 0},
+            )
+            return video_id
+
+        candidate_count = 0
+        for moment in moments:
+            try:
+                result = score_moment(
+                    start_time=moment.start_time,
+                    end_time=moment.end_time,
+                    content_type=moment.content_type.value if moment.content_type else None,
+                    summary=moment.summary,
+                    plugins=moment.plugins,
+                    raw_transcript=moment.raw_transcript,
+                    source_quality=None,  # filled below if technique_page loaded
+                    video_content_type=None,  # filled below if source_video loaded
+                )
+            except Exception as score_exc:
+                logger.warning(
+                    "Highlight detection: score_moment failed for moment %s: %s",
+                    moment.id, score_exc,
+                )
+                result = {
+                    "score": 0.0,
+                    "score_breakdown": {},
+                    "duration_secs": max(0.0, moment.end_time - moment.start_time),
+                }
+
+            stmt = pg_insert(HighlightCandidate).values(
+                key_moment_id=moment.id,
+                source_video_id=moment.source_video_id,
+                score=result["score"],
+                score_breakdown=result["score_breakdown"],
+                duration_secs=result["duration_secs"],
+            )
+            stmt = stmt.on_conflict_do_update(
+                constraint="uq_highlight_candidate_moment",
+                set_={
+                    "score": stmt.excluded.score,
+                    "score_breakdown": stmt.excluded.score_breakdown,
+                    "duration_secs": stmt.excluded.duration_secs,
+                    "updated_at": func.now(),
+                },
+            )
+            session.execute(stmt)
+            candidate_count += 1
+
+        session.commit()
+        elapsed = time.monotonic() - start
+        _emit_event(
+            video_id, "highlight_detection", "complete",
+            run_id=run_id, payload={"candidates": candidate_count},
+        )
+        logger.info(
+            "Highlight detection completed for video_id=%s in %.1fs — %d candidates upserted",
+            video_id, elapsed, candidate_count,
+        )
+        return video_id
+
+    except Exception as exc:
+        session.rollback()
+        _emit_event(
+            video_id, "highlight_detection", "error",
+            run_id=run_id, payload={"error": str(exc)},
+        )
+        logger.error("Highlight detection failed for video_id=%s: %s", video_id, exc)
+        raise self.retry(exc=exc)
+    finally:
+        session.close()
diff --git a/backend/routers/highlights.py b/backend/routers/highlights.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7d6e311
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/routers/highlights.py
@@ -0,0 +1,131 @@
+"""Highlight detection admin endpoints.
+
+Trigger scoring, list candidates, and view score breakdowns.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import logging
+from typing import Annotated
+
+from fastapi import APIRouter, Depends, HTTPException, Query
+from sqlalchemy import func, select
+from sqlalchemy.ext.asyncio import AsyncSession
+from sqlalchemy.orm import joinedload
+
+from database import get_session
+from models import HighlightCandidate, KeyMoment, ProcessingStatus, SourceVideo
+from pipeline.highlight_schemas import HighlightCandidateResponse
+
+logger = logging.getLogger("chrysopedia.highlights")
+
+router = APIRouter(prefix="/admin/highlights", tags=["highlights"])
+
+
+# ── Trigger endpoints ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+@router.post("/detect/{video_id}")
+async def detect_highlights(
+    video_id: str,
+    db: AsyncSession = Depends(get_session),
+):
+    """Dispatch highlight detection for a single video."""
+    stmt = select(SourceVideo).where(SourceVideo.id == video_id)
+    result = await db.execute(stmt)
+    video = result.scalar_one_or_none()
+
+    if video is None:
+        raise HTTPException(status_code=404, detail=f"Video not found: {video_id}")
+
+    from pipeline.stages import stage_highlight_detection
+
+    try:
+        task = stage_highlight_detection.delay(str(video.id))
+        logger.info("Highlight detection dispatched for video_id=%s task_id=%s", video_id, task.id)
+    except Exception as exc:
+        logger.warning("Failed to dispatch highlight detection for video_id=%s: %s", video_id, exc)
+        raise HTTPException(
+            status_code=503,
+            detail="Highlight detection dispatch failed — Celery/Redis may be unavailable",
+        ) from exc
+
+    return {
+        "status": "dispatched",
+        "video_id": str(video.id),
+        "task_id": task.id,
+    }
+
+
+@router.post("/detect-all")
+async def detect_all_highlights(
+    db: AsyncSession = Depends(get_session),
+):
+    """Dispatch highlight detection for all completed videos."""
+    stmt = (
+        select(SourceVideo)
+        .where(SourceVideo.processing_status == ProcessingStatus.complete)
+    )
+    result = await db.execute(stmt)
+    videos = result.scalars().all()
+
+    from pipeline.stages import stage_highlight_detection
+
+    dispatched = 0
+    errors = 0
+    for video in videos:
+        try:
+            stage_highlight_detection.delay(str(video.id))
+            dispatched += 1
+        except Exception as exc:
+            logger.warning(
+                "Failed to dispatch highlight detection for video_id=%s: %s",
+                video.id, exc,
+            )
+            errors += 1
+
+    return {
+        "status": "dispatched",
+        "videos_dispatched": dispatched,
+        "errors": errors,
+    }
+
+
+# ── Query endpoints ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+@router.get("/candidates", response_model=list[HighlightCandidateResponse])
+async def list_candidates(
+    db: AsyncSession = Depends(get_session),
+    skip: Annotated[int, Query(ge=0)] = 0,
+    limit: Annotated[int, Query(ge=1, le=200)] = 50,
+):
+    """List highlight candidates sorted by score descending, with pagination."""
+    stmt = (
+        select(HighlightCandidate)
+        .options(joinedload(HighlightCandidate.key_moment))
+        .order_by(HighlightCandidate.score.desc())
+        .offset(skip)
+        .limit(limit)
+    )
+    result = await db.execute(stmt)
+    candidates = result.scalars().unique().all()
+    return candidates
+
+
+@router.get("/candidates/{candidate_id}", response_model=HighlightCandidateResponse)
+async def get_candidate(
+    candidate_id: str,
+    db: AsyncSession = Depends(get_session),
+):
+    """Get a single highlight candidate by ID with full score breakdown."""
+    stmt = (
+        select(HighlightCandidate)
+        .options(joinedload(HighlightCandidate.key_moment))
+        .where(HighlightCandidate.id == candidate_id)
+    )
+    result = await db.execute(stmt)
+    candidate = result.scalar_one_or_none()
+
+    if candidate is None:
+        raise HTTPException(status_code=404, detail=f"Candidate not found: {candidate_id}")
+
+    return candidate