Between homework due at midnight and Sunday Night Football, the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards might have slipped your mind. A night filled with upsets and newcomers, here are this year’s highlights:
HBO’s highly acclaimed The Pitt made its presence known in its freshman year. Winning three major Emmys, including Outstanding Drama Series, the show stood out among its competitors.
Executive producer and actor Noah Wyle captured his first-ever Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor after decades in the entertainment business and dedicated his award to healthcare workers.
“If anybody is going on shift tonight or coming off shift tonight, thank you for being in that job,” said Wyle. “This is for you.”
The frontrunner in the Drama section, Apple TV+’s Severance, had the most nominations with 27. Despite losing out on Outstanding Drama Series to The Pitt, the show won 8 awards, though many critics believed it had the top spot as Best Drama in the bag. Actress Britt Lower led the charge for Severance, winning Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.
In comedy, Apple TV+’s The Studio ran away with 13 statues across the Primetime and Creative Arts categories, winning Outstanding Comedy Series to top it off. Actor and producer Seth Rogen won the honors for Lead Actor in a Comedy Series and Directing for a Comedy Series alongside Evan Goldberg.
Over in the limited series section, Netflix’s Adolescence dominated over Black Mirror and The Penguin, earning the Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series award. The show also won awards for directing, lead actor, and supporting actress.
Owen Cooper made history by receiving Outstanding Supporting Actor for his role as Jamie Miller, making him the youngest male recipient in Emmy’s history at just 15 years old.
The ceremony was marked by several historic moments, such as Tramell Tillman becoming the first Black man to win Supporting Actor for his outstanding work in Severance. Tillman expressed his gratitude to his mother during his speech, citing that she was there for him in his humble beginnings, “when no one else was and no one else would show up.”
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert received honors as Outstanding Variety Talk Show, winning its first-ever Emmy just after being cancelled by CBS.
To counter the long and winding speeches that have come to dominate award shows, host Nate Bargatze spiced things up to prompt people to be brief. Bargatze planned to deduct money from his $100,000 donation to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America whenever a speech surpassed 45 seconds.
By the end of the night, the value of the donation was in the red. CBS, however, donated $100,000, and Bargatze ended up giving $250,000 from his own pockets, revealing his intention to donate regardless.
Among the many speeches came Hacks’ Hannah Einbinder’s politically charged acceptance for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, a highlight of the night for those who thrive on pop cultural drama.
Saying “I’ll pay the difference” as her 45 seconds ran to a close, Einbinder’s excess time was used for three statements: “Go birds, f–k ICE, and free Palestine.”
The 77th Primetime Emmy Awards proved to be a night of surprises, upsets, and historic accolades as winners cemented their place in the entertainment landscape.