Historical Emmys

Fall. A time where the leaves change, school begins, and, for those who love TV, a time to enjoy the annual Primetime Emmy award presentation. This yearly award show takes place during the harvest season and always manages to include a night packed with household names, victories, and political jokes. This year’s Emmys took place on Sunday, September 17th, with Stephen Colbert as the host.

The event kicked off as dozens of stars arrived to the red carpet in their custom made designer gowns and suits. Poses were made, pictures were taken, and interviews were done. From then on, the award ceremony began and the nominees awaited either their grand win or great loss. Contenders were nominated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for several different categories. Some anticipated categories included: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, and Outstanding Comedy Series.

Throughout the night viewers saw many winners and losers but the cast that really raked in the most wins that night was the Saturday Night Live cast, taking home nine trophies. However, this came as no surprise to most. Even entertainment news sources, such as Variety and Entertainment Weekly, had already predicted these wins prior to the award ceremony. HBO’s, Big Little Lies, and Hulu’s, The Handmaid’s Tale, both tied for second most awarded that night with eight wins each. This also came as no shocker because these two were frequently seen at the top of the prediction lists as well.

Viewers who tuned in also witnessed history that night. Lena Waithe became the first black woman to win an Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series for her work on the Master of None episode, “Thanksgiving.” Julia Louis-Dreyfus broke a record by winning the Best Actress in a Comedy Series for the sixth year in a row that night. Riz Ahmed of The Night Of  became the first Muslim and South-Asian man to win an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series. Donald Glover also became the first African-American man to win an Emmy for the Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series category for his show, Atlanta. This Is Us’ Sterling K. Brown took home the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series trophy making him the first black actor to do so since 1998. It was a night full of firsts and diversity.

Amongst other memorable moments was the opening number for the award show; which gave viewers a singing and dancing Stephen Colbert in addition to a cameo by Grammy-award-winning rapper, Chance the Rapper. Colbert’s monologue was also notable as it was packed with all kinds of jokes ranging from friendly jabs at the celebrity guests in the audience to jokes about President Trump. Trump was also mentioned during Alec Baldwin’s acceptance speech for his win in the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series category. Another memorable moment was a segment in which RuPaul dressed up as a giant Emmy Statue.

Overall this year’s Emmys was full of memorable and significant moments that will greatly shape television history forever.