Live Updates
Our live coverage has ended, but you can read below to see how it all unfolde
First off, Cedric the Entertainer should host the Emmys every year. Heck, I nominate him right now to host the Oscars. He was just the right bit of funny, snarky and the skits were smart. I think it’s safe to say that the opening number put us all in a good mood.
Now, although the show felt an hour too long — most of us have leaned on television during the Covid-19 pandemic. So it feels like this year especially, we’ve all seen pretty much everything that’s nominated. At least I do!
The two shows that took home the most awards over the past two weekends were “Ted Lasso,” which won seven, and “The Crown,” who won 11. If you aren’t watching those, you need to start binging. When it comes to one of the most coveted categories, outstanding limited series, the award went to one of my favorite shows, “The Queens Gambit.”
It was a big night for Netflix who took home a total of 44 Emmys, tying an all-time record for a single year, according to CNN’s Brian Lowry.
Also, major props to RuPaul Charles, who made Emmy history by becoming the most-awarded person of color in the show’s history with 11 wins.
Bravo to Kate Winslet who took home the Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a limited series or TV movie for her role in “Mare of Easttown.” Well deserved.
Much love to Jean Smart who won the Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series for her role in “Hacks.” I’ve been rooting for her since her days on “Designing Women.”
An emotional moment was when Debbie Allen received a standing ovation as she was awarded the Governors Award at the Emmys.
Lastly, best speech of the night went to “I Will Destroy You” star Michaela Coel, who dedicated her Emmy win for outstanding writing for a limited or anthology series or movie to survivors of sexual abuse.
It was a royal night for Netflix drama “The Crown.”
The show was the big winner of the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards taking home seven awards tonight.
The show won in the following categories:
This is in addition to the show’s four awards already announced last weekend for:
The drama takes home a total of 11 Emmys this year.
“The Queen’s Gambit” just won the Emmy for outstanding limited series.
The hit Netflix show follows the story of fictional child prodigy Beth Harmon, who rises to become a grandmaster in the male-dominated world of chess.
One of the most important categories of the night is outstanding drama series.
This year’s winner was Netflix’s hit show “The Crown.”
The cast erupted into cheers from their off site location in London. The show won numerous awards throughout the night including Olivia Colman walking away with an Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a drama series.
“Ted Lasso” took home the Emmy for best comedy series.
The win topped an excellent night for the Apple TV+ series that has stolen many a heart this year and snagged several Emmys Sunday night.
In the words of Coach Ted Lasso: “As the man once said, the harder you work, the luckier you get.”
“Hamilton” just won an Emmy in the outstanding variety special (pre-recorded) category.
Actress Renée Elise Goldsberry said the award represented “the synergy between the medium of television and theater.”
“What a gift we can be to each other. What a gift you gave us last year when we were dark and dispersed. Television provided the platform for us to come together to put on a show,” she said.
“Look around, look around! The curtains are going back up. And the lights are coming back on,” Goldsberry added in a nod to Broadway reopening after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Stephen Colbert’s “Election Night 2020” just won the Emmy for variety live special.
He commended his team for pulling off producing the show during the pandemic.
“The most amazing thing is that these people did this show, not just in their own little zoom rooms, like everybody in this industry did over the past year, they did a live show in their own zoom rooms,” Colbert said.
He continued: “And it meant everybody on the show had to be their own leader and ask everything of themselves and do more than I could ever have expected.”
Conan O’Brien crashed the stage and acted overly excited. Colbert joked about O’Brien’s bit, saying, “most of the people behind me, most of the people behind me really deserve this Emmy right now.”
Josh O’Connor won the lead actor in a drama Emmy for his role as Prince Charles in “The Crown.”
“I’m an absolute wreck,” O’Connor said in accepting the award.
“Making ‘The Crown’ has been the most rewarding two years of my life,” he continued before thanking the cast, crew and others involved in the production as well as his parents, siblings and girlfriend.
“And finally to my grandparents, my grandmother who passed a few months ago and my grandfather Peter O’Connor, who hopefully will watch this in the morning, your kindness and loyalty has been the greatest gift,” he said. “Thank you so much.”
Olivia Colman has done it, she took home the coveted award for lead actress in a drama series for her role as Queen Elizabeth in Netflix’s hit series “The Crown.”
She accepted the award from a separate Emmys set in London and became emotional talking about her father who passed away during the pandemic.
Tracee Ellis Ross and Anthony Anderson presented Colman with the award.
Ewan McGregor won an Emmy for outstanding lead actor in a limited or anthology series or movie for his role in “Halston,” where he depicts the American fashion designer who rose to international fame in the 1970s.
It’s the first Emmy win for the Scottish actor who’s been nominated four times.
Kate Winslet took home the Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a limited series or TV movie for her role in “Mare of Easttown.”
Winslet enthusiastically thanked the cast and crew of the hit show, including the “almighty Jean Smart.”
She also thanked “my children the greatest people in the world,” her husband Ned.
“Thank you so much,” she told the crowd.
“I Will Destroy You” star Michaela Coel dedicated her Emmy win for outstanding writing for a limited or anthology series or movie to survivors of sexual abuse.
Sir Patrick Stewart presented the award to Coel who gave a powerful speech tonight.
“Write the tales that scare you, that make you feel uncertain that isn’t comfortable. I dare you. In a world that entices us to browse through the lives of others to help us better determine how we feel about ourselves and to in turn feel the need to be constantly visible, for visibility these days seems to somehow equate to success. Do not be afraid to disappear from it, from us, for a while and see what comes to you in the silence,” Coel said.
Scott Frank won the Emmy for directing for a limited or anthology series or movie for “The Queen’s Gambit.”
“As we all know, a film crew is a family born out of a shotgun wedding. And it was an honor to be included in this family,” he said.
An emotional Debbie Allen received a standing ovation as she was awarded the Governors Award at the Emmys.
The woman who went from a dancer to a choreographer, actor and a famed TV director thanked everyone from Captain Kangaroo to Shonda Rhimes for helping her career.
And she was determined to get her full speech heard.
“Honey turn that clock off, I ain’t paying no attention to it,” she said as they tried to count her speech down.
Allen ended her acceptance speech with a message.
“Let this moment resonate with women across the world, across this country and across this world,” she said. “From Texas to Afghanistan … and also young people who have no vote, who can’t even get a vaccine, they are inheriting the world that we leave them. It is time for you to claim your power, claim your voice, say your song, tell your stories,” she said.
“It will make us a better place. Your turn,” Allen said.
RuPaul Charles, the host of reality show “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” just won his 11th Emmy.
That makes Charles the most-awarded Black artist in Emmys history.
Before tonight’s award, he was tied with cinematographer Donald A. Morgan.
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” just won the Emmy for outstanding competition program.
RuPaul Charles, the host of the reality show, thanked “all of our lovely children on our show from around the world.”
“You know, they are so gracious to tell their stories of courage and how to navigate this difficult life, even more difficult today. This is for you,” he said.
After he left the stage, Frank Scherma, chairman of the Television Academy, was introduced. When he came on stage, Conan O’Brien started screaming and saluted Scherma from the audience.
Jennifer Coolidge presented the award to Jason Sudeikis for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series for his hit show “Ted Lasso.”
“This show is about family, mentors, teammates,” Sudeikis said in part.
“I want to thank my teammates who helped make this show … the incredible writing staff, incredible directors, my incredible cast. I’m only as good as you guys make me look.”
When it came to thanking his co-stars, he said, “It means the world to me to be up here and just be a mirror of what you guys give to me and we reflect back and forth on each other.”
Jean Smart just won the Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series for her role in “Hacks.”
She started her thank you speech by paying tribute to her husband who died six months ago.
“Before I say anything else I have to acknowledge my late husband who passed away six months yesterday. I would not be here without him, and without his kind of putting his career on the back burner so that I could take advantage of all the wonderful opportunities that I have had,” Smart said.
Lucia Aniello just won the award for directing for a comedy series for “Hacks.”
She thanked the stars of the show Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder “for giving so much of themselves to these characters.
“I mean they are you and we are so, so lucky to experience your love every day. And I love you both so much,” Aniello said.
She also thanked her husband and the show’s co-creator, Paul W. Downs. “I’m in love with you which is why I married you last weekend,” she said.
Aniello joked that she would love to say her wedding vows again, but the teleprompter said stop “so I can’t do that.”
“Hacks” wins!
Paul W. Downs unrolled a speech for winning a writing Emmy for “Hacks.”
He thanked the cast and crew, and his co-writers joined him on stage.
The cast of “Schitt’s Creek” reunited Sunday night for the Primetime Emmy Awards and boy did we miss them.
Eugene Levy, his father Dan Levy, Catherine O’Hara and Annie Murphy did a bit where there was nothing on the prompter.
As the audience twittered nervously, the elder Levy said, “They wouldn’t be doing this on purpose would they?”
“Why would anyone want to embarrass us on national television on purpose?” his son asked.
Turns out Eugene Levy told the writers to “lift” his dialogue by tightening it a bit.
Could we please get another season of “Schitt’s Creek,” please?!?!
“SNL” won the Emmy for best variety sketch series.
Creator and producer Lorne Michaels accepted the award noting that they “began last season with six live election shows in a Covid bubble with everyone in masks and a small audience of exhausted first responders. No better way to do comedy.”
“The Dave Chappelle/Foo Fighters show was the last of those six shows and it happened on the Saturday the election result was announced,” Michaels said. “Fatigue soon turned to exhilaration and we went to work.”
He said that show won the Emmy.
“And lastly, ‘Weekend Update’ has been part of ‘SNL’ for 46 seasons,” Michaels said. “And here I’d like to pay tribute to one of the best we ever had, Norm Macdonald.”
We’re one hour into the Emmy Awards and so far British drama “The Crown” is leading the pack with four awards.
Tobias Menzies won best supporting actor, Gillian Anderson won best supporting actress, Jessica Hobbs won for outstanding directing for a drama and Peter Morgan won outstanding writing in a drama.
That’s a win for Netflix as well who streams the show.
Comedy “Ted Lasso” and the limited series “Mare of Easttown” have both won two Emmys.
Kaley Cuoco presented the coveted late night show award for “Outstanding Variety Talk Series” to HBO’s “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.”
The show beat out other nominees like Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert and Trevor Noah.
Oliver’s team had just taken the stage to accept the award for “Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series.”
When Kerry Washington took the stage to present the award for best supporting actor in a drama series, she started it off by paying tribute to her friend, Michael K. Williams.
The actor, best known for his role as Omar Little on HBO’s “The Wire,” died earlier this month.
“I would like to take a moment to mention one nominee in particular, Michael K. Williams. Michael, was crazy to say was, a brilliantly talented actor and a generous human being who has left us far too soon … your excellence, your artistry will endure,” Washington said.
Tobias Menzies won an Emmy for best supporting actor in a drama for his role in “The Crown.”
He was not there so presenter Kerry Washington accepted the award on his behalf.
Gillian Anderson just won the award for supporting actress in a drama series for her role in “The Crown”
Jessica Hobbs won the Emmy for outstanding directing for a drama series for “The Crown.”
“Not a lot of women have won this award so I feel like I’m standing on the shoulders of some, some really extraordinary people, I’m really grateful for the path that they lead and I would particularly like to pay tribute, tribute to my mum, who at 77, is still directing,” Hobbs said.
Mindy Kaling presented the award to Peter Morgan for his incredible writing for the hit Netflix series “The Crown.”
Morgan accepted the award live from London where there was a separate location set up.
“I’m very proud and very grateful, we’re going to party,” he said.
Evan Peters thanked “Kate Winslet for being Kate Winslet,” during his speech for his win for outstanding supporting actor in a limited or anthology series or movie for “Mare of Easttown.”
He added the win was “a dream come true for me tonight.”
He also thanked fans for watching the show.
Julianne Nicholson just won the award for best supporting actress in a limited or anthology series or movie for her role in “Mare of Easttown.”
In her speech, Nicholson gave special thanks to her co-star, Kate Winslet.
“Man, you’re good at acting,” Nicholson said to Winslet. “But turns out, that you’re good at caring for a whole production. You led all of us every step of the way with such care and intelligence and love.”
Nicholson joked that if Winslet hadn’t called and asked if she wanted to join the cast, “I would have probably read the first two episodes and said ‘nah, the priest did it’ and stayed home.”
Brett Goldstein just won supporting actor in a comedy series for his role playing Roy Kent in “Ted Lasso.”
Goldstein beat out three of his costars who were also nominated in the category: Brendan Hunt, Nick Mohammed and Jeremy Swift.
“Thank you for creating the show and inviting me to be part of it,” Goldstein said as he accepted his award.
“It has been one of the greatest honors, privileges, and privileges – I just said that twice but it is a double privilege – it is the most privilege, privilege and pleasures of my life,” he joked.
Seth Rogen called it.
“They said this was outdoors. It’s not,” he kicked off his presenter’s jokes.
“We’re in a hermetically sealed tent, I would not have come to this,” he added. “We have a roof!”
To drive the point home that he really doesn’t like being in a crowded room during a pandemic by saying, “I went from wiping my groceries to Paul Bettany sneezing in my face.”
The first award of the night went to Hannah Waddingham for her role in “Ted Lasso.”
Seth Rogen presented the award and joked about not knowing that the Emmy Awards would be held indoors.
Waddingham thanked Jason Sudeikis and said, “I’m so privileged to work with you.”
The series has gotten incredible feedback from viewers. The show was created by Jason Sudeikis who also stars in the show. It’s about an American college football coach who goes to England to coach a soccer team. Waddingham plays Rebecca Welton, the owner of the team.
TV, you got what we need.
The Emmy’s kicked it off hip hop style, adapting Biz Markie’s hit “Just A Friend” to pay both tribute to the late rapper and the power of television.
Host Cedric the Entertainer rocked the mic along with LL Cool J, Lil Dicky and Rita Wilson.
That’s right, let us not forget that Rita Wilson has mad flow yo as she showed us when she rapped while in quarantine.
The 73rd annual Primetime Emmy Awards has started. Cedric the Entertainer is hosting the live and in-person show.
A “limited audience of nominees and their guests” are attending the ceremony tonight. The 72nd Emmy Awards, held in September 2020, were held virtually, with winners giving their speeches over video chat.
Check out all the nominees here.
The Emmy Awards will allow “Actress” and “Actor” winners to be called “Performers,” the Television Academy has announced.
According to the official Emmys website: “No performer category titled ‘Actor’ or ‘Actress’ has ever had a gender requirement for submissions. Now, nominees and (or) winners in any performer category titled ‘Actor’ or ‘Actress’ may request that their nomination certificate and Emmy statuette carry the term “Performer” in place of Actor or Actress.”
The new gender-inclusive option will be incorporated into this year’s event.
In other Emmys news, the rules for eligibility of documentary films have changed, and will keep out films that had also been eligible for Oscar consideration.
Arriving on the red carpet wearing an elegant white dress with blue feathers at the bottom, actress Cynthia Erivo said she had just ran a half-marathon on Saturday.
The actress, nominated for her role as Aretha Franklin in “Genius,” is an avid runner who’s training for the New York City Marathon in November.
It’s Ervio’s first Primetime Emmy Award nomination.
“Pose” star Michaela Jaé Rodriguez may have manifested Sunday night.
Rodriguez, who is nominated in the lead actress in a drama series category for her role as trans-woman Blanca Rodriguez-Evangelista in the series, said years ago that she was going to be nominated.
That’s according to her friend Karamo Brown who reminded her on the Emmy’s red carpet that she told him that years ago and asked how it felt to see it all come to pass.
“It’s kind of crazy because you never know how things are going to manifest and you never know how they are going to come to full fruition,” Rodriguez told Brown on E!. “And I’m very thankful for it. I’m glad that I spoke that into existence.”
Brown said she also predicted that she would win so fingers crossed!
Jason Sudeikis had multiple inspirations for his character Ted Lasso’s luxurious mustache.
One was his father in the 1980s, who rocked his own bushy ‘stache. Sudeikis said on the red carpet that when he shaved it off, he was like “who is this man?”
Two, “look to the greats,” he says, if you want to grow your own. Burt Reynolds, for starters, is a great example, he pointed out.
Sudeikis is nominated tonight in multiple categories for “Ted Lasso.”
“Pose” star Mj Rodriguez made Emmy history when she became the first out trans woman to be nominated in the outstanding lead actress category for her role in the FX drama, GLAAD, a leading LGBTQ advocacy organization, told CNN.
She is also the first out trans performer nominated in any lead acting category, according to the organization.
“For me being recognized by my peers and by my colleagues, it just means the world for me,” Rodriguez told Entertainment Tonight.
She added, “I’m a human at the end of the day. All I wanted was the world to see me, I wanted them to see that I had something to offer.”
Rodriguez, who plays Blanca on the series, accounted for one of nine nominations earned by “Pose” this year.
This is not the first time “Pose” has made history. In 2019, Billy Porter became the first openly gay Black man to win an Emmy in the lead actor category.
While the Emmys have traditionally seen outstanding drama and comedy as its top prizes, the changing nature of television has made the creative standout of this year’s nominations a relatively new category: The limited series.
Arguably, nothing better exemplifies the breadth of TV content than the limited-series nominations unveiled Tuesday, which among other things will pit Mare of Easttown against Aretha of Motown, with the Scarlet Witch for good measure.
The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences recognized eight nominees each in the best drama and comedy balloting, which at least allowed the broadcast networks to achieve a few breakthroughs (“This is Us,” “Black-ish”) in what’s otherwise a streaming-heavy field.
The evolving nature of TV comedy, meanwhile, encompassed shows that will surely add sizzle to this year’s awards while not quite feeling like perfect fits within the genre, among them “The Karate Kid” revival “Cobra Kai” and comedic thriller “The Flight Attendant.”
Nothing quite captures the extraordinary work accomplished in the last year, however, than the limited series (once the “miniseries,” but no more), which highlights the ability to tell a novelized and complete story over multiple episodes.
The contenders include a dazzling showcase for Kate Winslet in the crime thriller “Mare of Easttown,” Michaela Coel’s breakthrough rape story “I May Destroy You,” the superhero love story “WandaVision,” the chess-themed “Queen’s Gambit” (with its star-making turn by Anya Taylor-Joy) and director Barry Jenkins’ sweeping alternate-history adaptation of “The Underground Railroad.”
The acting nominations within the category also include Cynthia Erivo as Aretha Franklin in “Genius: Aretha” and Hugh Grant for HBO’s “The Undoing,” both projects that easily could have been included in the series competition in a less-packed year.
Moreover, best-drama nominee “Lovecraft Country” arguably would have belonged in the limited-series categories had the decision not to produce a second season of the HBO show, as Deadline reported, been made sooner. It, too, told what felt like a self-contained story, although fans and the producers had held out hope for a return engagement. (HBO and CNN are both part of WarnerMedia.)
Read more here.
The cast and producers of Apple’s “Ted Lasso” scored a major W during July 13’s Emmy nominations and broke a record in the process.
With its 20 nominations, “Ted Lasso” became the most nominated freshman comedy in Emmy history, besting the 19 nominations “Glee” earned in 2010 for its first season.
The nods earned by “Ted Lasso” included best comedy, best lead actor (Jason Sudeikis) and a number of accolades for the show’s supporting cast.
Hannah Waddingham, Juno Temple, Brendan Hunt, Brett Goldstein, Jeremy Swift and Nick Mohammed all received nominations for their performances. (Yes, there’s a four-way “Ted Lasso” race in outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series.)
“Getting nominated for an acting Emmy is as thrilling as it is surprising,” said Hunt, who also shares two writing nominations with fellow writers Sudeikis, Joe Kelly and Bill Lawrence. “Not only was this kind of thing never something I was planning or pining for, but also I’m not even the “best supporting actor” on my own show. I am appreciative of, and humbled by, this recognition; but far more appreciative that so many of my castmates have received the same. We’re a team, but maybe we’re a team with a deep bench.”
The show also received two nominations for comedy series editing, one for best casting and three for outstanding directing for a comedy series. One of the directing nominations went to actor and director Zach Braff.
“I’m so honored and happy about this,” Braff wrote on Twitter.
“Ted Lasso” returned for its second season on July 23.
Nominations for the 73rd annual Primetime Emmy Awards were announced July 13.
Father and daughter actors Ron Cephas Jones of “This Is Us” and Jasmine Cephas Jones of “Blindspotting” revealed the nominees. “The Mandalorian” and “The Crown” scored the most nominations per program with 24 each, followed by “WandaVision” with 23.
Qualifying shows must have aired in the past year between June 1, 2020, and May 31, 2021.
Below is a list of nominees in major categories:
Outstanding lead actor in a limited series or TV movie
Outstanding lead actress in a limited series or TV movie
Outstanding lead actor in a comedy series
Outstanding lead actress in a comedy series
Outstanding lead actor in a drama series
Outstanding lead actress in a drama series
Outstanding reality/competition series
Outstanding variety talk series
Outstanding limited Series
Outstanding comedy series
Outstanding drama series
From facials to full glam, stars took to social media today to share how they prepare for the Primetime Emmy Awards.
Here’s a look behind the scenes as celebrities get ready for the big night:
Gillian Anderson of Netflix’s “The Crown”
“Claws” star Niecy Nash
Kaley Cuoco of HBO Max’s “The Flight Attendant”
Cedric the Entertainer is making his Emmys hosting debut as the big show returns to a live, in-person format.
“Since I was a little boy huddled up next to my grandmother, television has always been my reliable friend, so it is an enormous honor for me to host this year’s Emmy Awards,” Cedric said in a statement.
The actor and comedian is best known for staring in the CBS comedy “The Neighborhood.”
“Throughout the roller-coaster of a year that we have all lived through, television has helped us stay connected as a society like never before. It not only entertained us, but as it always has, it helped to open our eyes, educate us, and hopefully brought about a better understanding of who we are as a people. I can’t wait to take the stage to celebrate all of the great shows and performances that made us laugh, cry, dance and sing over the past year,” he added.
A “limited audience of nominees and their guests” will also be present at the ceremony tonight. The 72nd Emmy Awards, held in September 2020, were held virtually, with winners giving their speeches over video chat.
