The 76th Primetime Emmy Awards were a respectfully understated affair given that audiences had already sat through the ceremony once already this year. The 75th Emmys, which were scheduled to take place in 2023, actually took place this February due to last year’s actors and writers strikes. There was no slapping – though Slow Horses writer Will Smith (not that Will Smith) reassured everyone that despite his namesake he came “in peace” as he accepted the award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series.
Father-son hosts Dan and Eugene Levy avoided any political levity as the US presidential elections loomed, delivering on their pre-show promise to keep things “light and bright”. Instead, they poked fun at the nominees, spoofing Martha’s creepy texts from Richard Gadd’s stalker drama Baby Reindeer for a skit about how older people struggle with technology.
The same could not be said for the celebrity presenters, many of whom used their time on stage to poke fun at Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance’s comment about “childless cat ladies”. “Let me say what an honor it is to work with two guys who are this far away from being childless cat ladies,” Selena Gomez said while presenting alongside her senior Only Murders in the Building colleagues Martin Short and Steve Martin.
FX’s heart-racing kitchen drama The Bear got off to a hot start after dominating the Emmys earlier this year. Head chef/Calvin Klein model Jeremy Allen White picked up a trophy as did his co-star Ebon Moss-Bachrach – replicating their February success. Their third acting win for Liza Colón-Zayas was much more of a surprise, though. She beat out Hollywood royalty Meryl Streep and Carol Burnett for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in one of the biggest upsets of the night.
One of the big questions of the night was whether the Television Academy would honour Gadd despite his Netflix smash hit courting controversy after the creator’s real-life stalker went public and sued the streaming giant. The answer was emphatically: yes. In fact, Jessica Gunning, who played Martha in the series was the first to be awarded. She thanked her “Reindeer”, Gadd in her acceptance speech: “I will never ever forget [Martha] or you, or this.”
Backstage, too, Gadd was a hit as attendees swarmed the Scottish comedian, whose presence marked his first major Hollywood outing since Baby Reindeer exploded into Netflix’s Top 10 most-watched shows of all time ranking. One video shared on X/Twitter showed the actor posing for selfies during a break before rushing back inside the theatre. Gadd went on to win three awards, one for acting and two for writing. In an impassioned acceptance speech, he told the crowd: “I never ever thought I’d get my life together. I never ever thought I’d be able to rectify myself for what had happened to me and get myself back on my feet again. And then here I am just over a decade later picking up one of the biggest writing awards on television.”
Over the course of the three-hour ceremony, the Television Academy paid tribute to some of the medium’s biggest archetypes, including villains, cops and lawyers. Viola Davis (who played Keating on How To Get Away With Murder), Christine Baranski (who played Lockhart on The Good Wife and The Good Fight), and Gina Torres (who starred in Pearson, the spin-off of the character she played on Suits) joined forces to present the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. “Ultimately, TV lawyers remind us of two things: first, that the trifecta of weakness, stupidity, and wickedness will never go away,” Baranski said. “Second, the cases and trials and clients that showcase that trifecta make for really entertaining TV.”
The lawyer trio awarded first-time nominee Anna Sawai with the Emmy for her role in Shogun, causing her to immediately burst into tears. The epic FX historical drama about power struggles in 17th Century Japan broke records before the televised ceremony even began. It won 14 Creative Arts Emmys last weekend, making it the most awarded single season of TV in Emmys history. It extended its record by another four awards on Sunday, bringing its total to a whopping 18 Emmys. Executive Producer Justin Marks said of the networks that brought the show to life: “You guys green lit a very expensive, subtitled, Japanese period piece whose central climax revolves around a poetry competition. I have no idea why you did that, but thank you for your faith in this incredible team.”
On the other end of the spectrum, The Crown went out quietly. After 21 Emmys and 87 nominations, Peter Morgan’s sixth and final series earned just one more win for Elizabeth Debicki’s turn as Princess Diana. With goliaths like The Crown and Succession now out of the picture, the 2025 Emmys promise to be wide open. Happily, we’ll have a whole year to wait for them this time.