Television’s biggest stars returned to the Peacock Theater Sept. 15 for the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards ready to break records and make history.
The ceremony consisted of many firsts, including the first time the awards were held twice in one year after the delay following last year’s Hollywood actor and writer strikes. The event also marked the first father-son host duo as “Schitt’s Creek” co-stars Eugene and Dan Levy took charge with live acting and humor.
The Levys kicked off the show with a monologue downplaying their comedic skills, followed by several minutes of comedy. The awards featured cast reunions, beautiful performances and record-breaking award winners. For those who missed out on the trailblazing awards ceremony, here is a recap of winners, best moments and speeches.
“The Bear” and “Shōgun” help FX win big
“Shōgun” was the big winner of the night, taking home 18 awards, including Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Hiroyuki Sanada and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Anna Sawai, who made history as the first actor of Asian descent to win in the category. “Shōgun” is the first non-English-language TV series to win Outstanding Drama. The series was off to a slow start at the beginning, not winning an award until over halfway through the ceremony, but ultimately prevailed with the most wins of the night.
“We share this award with our extraordinary cast and crew from Japan and North America,” said Justin Marks, one of the show’s executive producers. “‘Shōgun’ is a show about translation — not what is lost, but what is found.”
“The Bear,” a highly-lauded and often debatable comedy, took home 11 awards, including — for the second Emmys in a row — Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Jeremy Allen White and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for Ebon Moss-Bachrach.
Liza Colón-Zayas shone bright at the ceremony, receiving both her first nomination and Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. In her acceptance speech, she expressed her disbelief to be sharing a room with trailblazing actresses like Meryl Streep and Carol Burnett and thanked the women in the room, along with her mother, for their support.
Colón-Zayas, the first Latina actress to win an award in the category, used her platform to encourage Latinas to vote. “To all the Latinas who are looking at me, keep believing and vote,” she said, choking back tears. “Vote for your rights.”
The long list of wins for “The Bear” led the series to break its own record for most comedy wins in a single year.
The sweep by both “The Bear” and “Shōgun” helped FX skyrocket to 36 awards at the ceremony, making the ceremony FX’s best performance since 2016.
“Hacks” and its surprising big win
Although “The Bear” once again racked up many golden statues, “Hacks,” a series about mentorship between a young comedy writer and an older comedian, took home the award for Outstanding Comedy Series in a surprising upset.
“Comedy is so important to us,” said Lucia Aniello, one of the show’s executive producers. “But we really feel like it can bridge divides when you laugh with someone, you have something in common with them. So please support comedy. It speaks truth to power.”
Jean Smart won her third Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series award. “It’s very humbling. It really is. And I appreciate this because I just don’t get enough attention,” Smart said in her acceptance speech.
A nod to LGBTQ+ visibility on television
Greg Berlanti, a producer for shows like “Dawson’s Creek” and “You,” was recognized with the Television Academy’s Governors Award for his contributions to the LGBTQ+ community through television production. “Dawson’s Creek” was the first television show to feature a same-sex kiss in 2000.
“There wasn’t a lot of gay characters on television back then, and I was a closeted gay kid,” Berlanti said. “It’s hard to describe how lonely that was at the time.”
Berlanti has continued putting LGBTQ+ issues in the spotlight with shows like “Love, Simon” and “Freedom Fighters.”
Several actors who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community were also winners, including Jodie Foster for Outstanding Actress in a Limited Series and Jessica Gunning for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series.
Amid the surprise winners and tearful speeches, the 76th Emmy Awards was a ceremony of many firsts, making history for years to come.
