After a year that most of us spent inside in front of our televisions, the Emmy Awards are especially poignant this time around.
Streaming services are poised for a triumphant night that will cast a further shadow on the status of traditional broadcast networks and once-dominant cable channels like HBO. Shows like Marvel Studio’s WandaVision (Disney+), The Crown (Netflix) and The Mandalorian (Disney+) are among some of the most-watched series of the year, and are set to be among the top winners of the night.
“This is the year that the streamers will officially conquer Hollywood,” likely winning best drama and comedy series honours for the first time, said Tom O’Neil, editor of the Gold Derby predictions website and author of the book, The Emmys.
In 2017, Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale (on CTV Drama Channel in Canada) became the first streamed series to win the best drama Emmy. The next year, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel scored a matching victory on the comedy side for Amazon, which won again in 2019 for Fleabag.
Victory is possible for either The Crown or The Mandalorian, which topped the nominations with 24 each.
In terms of comedy, fan favourite and water-cooler conversation stirrer Ted Lasso (Apple TV+) is expected to dominate.
The show opened with a musical number that featured host Cedric the Entertainer rapping a modified version of the Biz Markie hip-hop hit Just a Friend with lyrics like “TV, you got what I need.”
LL Cool J bounded from the audience as stars like Rita Wilson, Mandy Moore and more dropped verses celebrating the breadth of television.
Seth Rogen presented the first award, throwing some cold water on the celebratory vibe by noting that the Emmys were being held in a giant tent. “There’s way too many of us in this little room,” he exclaimed in what seemed to be an attempt to be funny that fell flat.
“I would not have come to this,” he continued.
“Why is there a roof? It’s more important that we have three chandeliers than make sure we don’t kill Eugene Levy tonight. That is what has been decided.”
There are big names among the presenters, including Angela Bassett, Michael Douglas, Dolly Parton and Awkwafina, but at least one star, Jennifer Aniston, was candid about staying away because of virus concerns.
Reginald Hudlin and Ian Stewart, executive producers for the telecast, said they approached the reduced attendance as an opportunity. Instead of being confined to a theatre seat, guests will be at tables and part of what sounds like an oversized dinner party — with drinks and snacks allowed — and encouraged to mingle.
Ratings for awards shows, from Oscars to the Grammys, have been steadily declining in recent years and hit new depths during the pandemic — and the Emmys weren’t exempt.
After hitting a record-low viewership of just under seven million in 2019, last year’s telecast tumbled further to 6.1 million viewers, according to Nielsen.
Find the winners in all the major categories in the list below, highlighted live as the ceremony goes on.
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Drama Series
The Boys
Bridgerton
The Crown
The Handmaid’s Tale
Lovecraft Country
The Mandalorian
Pose
This Is Us
Comedy Series
Black-ish
Cobra Kai
Emily in Paris
Hacks
The Flight Attendant
The Kominsky Method
Pen15
Ted Lasso
Lead Actor, Drama
Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us
Jonathan Majors, Lovecraft Country
Josh O’Connor, The Crown
Regé-Jean Page, Bridgerton
Billy Porter, Pose
Matthew Rhys, Perry Mason
Lead Actress, Drama
Uzo Aduba, In Treatment
Olivia Colman, The Crown
Emma Corrin, The Crown
Elizabeth Moss, The Handmaid’s Tale
MJ Rodriguez, Pose
Jurnee Smollet, Lovecraft Country
Lead Actor, Comedy
Anthony Anderson, Black-ish
Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method
William H. Macy, Shameless
Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso
Kenan Thompson, Kenan
Lead Actress, Comedy
Aida Bryant, Shrill
Kaley Cuoco, The Flight Attendant
Allison Janney, Mom
Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish
Jean Smart, Hacks
Supporting Actor, Drama
Michael K. Williams, Lovecraft Country
John Lithgow, Perry Mason
** WINNER: Tobias Menzies, The Crown
O-T Fagbenle, The Handmaid’s Tale
Max Minghella, The Handmaid’s Tale
Bradley Whitford, The Handmaid’s Tale
Giancarlo Esposito, The Mandalorian
Chris Sullivan, This Is Us
Supporting Actress, Drama
Aunjanue Ellis, Lovecraft Country
** WINNER: Gillian Anderson, The Crown
Helena Bonham Carter, The Crown
Emerald Fennell, The Crown
Madeline Brewer, The Handmaid’s Tale
Ann Dowd, The Handmaid’s Tale
Yvonne Strahovski, The Handmaid’s Tale
Samira Wiley, The Handmaid’s Tale
Supporting Actor, Comedy
Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Hacks
Kenan Thompson, Saturday Night Live
Bowen Yang, Saturday Night Live
** WINNER: Brett Goldstein, Ted Lasso
Brendan Hunt, Ted Lasso
Nick Mohammed, Ted Lasso
Jeremy Swift, Ted Lasso
Paul Reiser, The Kominsky Method
Supporting Actress, Comedy
Hannah Einbinder, Hacks
Aidy Bryant, Saturday Night Live
Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live
Cecily Strong, Saturday Night Live
Juno Temple, Ted Lasso
** WINNER: Hannah Waddingham, Ted Lasso
Rosie Perez, The Flight Attendant
Guest Actor, Drama
Don Cheadle, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
Charles Dance, The Crown
Timothy Olyphant, The Mandalorian
Courtney B. Vance, Lovecraft Country
Carl Weathers, The Mandalorian
Guest Actress, Drama
Alexis Bledel, The Handmaid’s Tale
Claire Foy, The Crown
Mckenna Grace, The Handmaid’s Tale
Sophie Okonedo, Ratched
Phylicia Rashad, This Is Us
Guest Actor, Comedy
Alec Baldwin, Saturday Night Live
Dave Chappelle, Saturday Night Live
Morgan Freeman, The Kominsky Method
Daniel Kaluuya, Saturday Night Live
Daniel Levy, Saturday Night Live
Guest Actress, Comedy
Jane Adams, Hacks
Yvette Nicole Brown, A Black Lady Sketch Show
Bernadette Peters, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist
Issa Rae, A Black Lady Sketch Show
Maya Rudolph, Saturday Night Live
Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live
Variety Talk Series
Conan
The Daily Show With Trevor Noah
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
** WINNER: Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
Competition Series
The Amazing Race
Nailed It!
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Top Chef
The Voice
Limited or Anthology Series
I May Destroy You
Mare of Easttown
The Queen’s Gambit
The Underground Railroad
WandaVision
Made-for-TV Movie
Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square
Oslo
Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia
Sylvie’s Love
Uncle Frank
Lead Actor, Limited Series or Movie
Paul Bettany, WandaVision
Hugh Grant, The Undoing
Ewan McGregor, Halston
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
Lesie Odom, Jr., Hamilton
Lead Actress, Limited Series or Movie
Michaela Coel, I May Destroy You
Cynthia Erivo, Genius
Elizabeth Olsen, WandaVision
Ann Taylor-Joy, The Queen’s Gambit
Kate Winslet, Mare of Easttown
Supporting Actor, Limited Series or Movie
Daveed Diggs, Hamilton
Jonathan Groff, Hamilton
Anthony Ramos, Hamilton
Paapa Essiedu, I May Destroy You
** WINNER: Evan Peters, Mare of Easttown
Thomas Brodie-Sangster, The Queen’s Gambit
Supporting Actress, Limited Series or Movie
Phillipa Soo, Hamilton
Renée Elise Goldsberry, Hamilton
Jean Smart, Mare of Easttown
** WINNER: Julianne Nicholson, Mare of Easttown
Moses Ingram, The Queen’s Gambit
Kathryn Hahn, WandaVision
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— With files from The Associated Press
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