The 77th Emmy Awards at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California, which premiered on Sunday, Sept. 14, was no doubt carried by the speeches and inspiration sparked by the stars behind the microphone. Alongside SNL stars Bowen Yang and James Austin Johnson, comedian Nate Bargatze welcomed the viewers with an SNL-like sketch imagining the invention of television and what it might one day provide to its avid watchers. In one night alone, 11 nominees won their first Emmy Award, seven of which won their first ever nomination. Seasoned stars got their flowers and records were set. That night, the “A” in A-list stood for appreciation and activism.
“Adolescence,” a thrilling limited Netflix series following the Miller family and their devastation after the family’s youngest son is accused of murder, took home six Emmys. These include first wins and nominations for Director Philip Barentini, actress Erin Doherty and writers Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham. Graham also won an Emmy for “Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.” Actor Owen Cooper, who plays the convicted son, made history with his first win as the youngest male to be nominated in the category “Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie” and the youngest male in history to win in any category.
“Tonight proves if you listen, and you focus, and you step out of your comfort zone, anything is possible,” the 15-year-old winner said. “It may have my name on the award, but it really belongs to all of the people behind the camera.”
Tramel Tillman also won his first nomination in “Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series” for his role in “Severance.” He made comments on the struggle and dedication it takes to be in the film industry, recalling that his “first acting coach was tough” but that “all great mothers are.”
In the vein of familial appreciation, Stephen Colbert thanked his “team, family, and friends” after receiving a resounding standing ovation as the crowd chanted his name prior to accepting his first Emmy. Colbert concluded his acceptance speech by saying, “If the elevator tries to bring you down, go crazy and punch a higher floor,” alluding to his recent approach to hosting “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” after it was announced by CBS that it would be pulled off the air, claiming it was due to financial issues.
Colbert also received a warm welcome when he took the stage to announce the winner of “Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series,” comedically presenting a fake resume and reaching out to a crowd of directors and producers: “Is anyone hiring?”
Tina Fey, a highly decorated Emmy winner with 10 total wins and 36 nominations, as well as a long time member of the SNL family, proudly announced that “SNL 50: The Anniversary Special” won an Emmy for “Outstanding Live Variety Special.” Lorne Michaels accepted the award as members of the cast and crew celebrated behind him, not-so-jokingly remarking that he “had a lot of dreams…and not one of those dreams was that I’d still be doing the same show 50 years later.” SNL holds the record for most Emmys won by any television series with a total of 349 nominations and 98 wins, according to NBC.
Hannah Einbinder showed her range and passion accepting her first Emmy, “Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy,” after being nominated four times in the past. She stated that she was “just really committed to the personal narrative I had that it’s actually cooler to continue to lose… but this is cool too!”
The final words of the Jewish actress’ acceptance speech were the only political ones of the night spoken: “Go Birds, f— ICE, and free Palestine.” It is noteworthy that Einbinder adorned a red Artists4Ceasefire pin on her dress, both vocally and visually promoting her goals of activism.
Loren Graham and Alexis Bledel, Colbert, Parker Posey and Sarah Paulson all sounded like broken records last weekend, repeating the title “The Studio” four times on air as Seth Rogen—the producer, writer, director, and actor—continued to take the stage, breaking the record for the most wins by a comedy in a single season with 13 overall wins. The show received a total of 23 nominations this year, tying Hulu’s “The Bear” for most nominations for a comedy series in a single year.
All in all, the 77th Emmy Awards was a night most notable for its numerous “firsts” in a multitude of categories, celebrating both the novices and veterans in the film industry.
