Netflix’s shows “The Crown” and “The Queen’s Gambit” and the Apple TV+’s “Ted Lasso” have won top series honours at the Emmy Awards held at the Event Deck at LA Live in Los Angeles, California
“The Crown” was Sunday night’s biggest winner as it swept the dramatic acting categories and won seven awards in total. The Crown beat out its fellow nominees for the Outstanding Drama Series Award “Bridgerton,” “The Boys,” “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Lovecraft Country,” “The Mandalorian,” “Pose,” and “This Is Us”.
“The Crown” stars Olivia Colman and Josh O’Connor won the top drama acting honours while Jason Sudeikis from “Ted Lasso,” and Jean Smart of the generation-gap story “Hacks” won on the comedy side.
In her acceptance speech, Colman said, “I’d have put money on that not happening” calling the award “a lovely end to the most extraordinary journey” with the show’s cast and creators. Colman cut her remarks short, saying she was growing tearful because she lost her father “during Covid, and he would have loved all of this.”
Smart remembered her husband actor Richard Gilliland – who died six months ago – in her speech as she received her award amidst a standing ovation. She said, “I would not be here without him” and his willingness to put her career first.
Presenter Kerry Washington saluted another nominee, Michael K. Williams of “Lovecraft County,” before naming the winner in his category. Williams died on September 6th at the age of 54.
John Oliver of the “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” also remembered another lost star Norm Macdonald as he received an Emmy for the best variety talk show. Oliver said, “No one was funnier in the last 20 years than Norm Macdonald on late-night comedy.” Oliver urged the viewers and audience to spend time checking out clips of Macdonald, as he did after Macdonald died on September 14 at age 61.
Kate Winslet won the female top actress award for a limited series for her lead role in “Mare of Easttown” while Ewan McGregor won the corresponding male award for his performance in the fashion biopic “Halston.”
Winslet hailed her fellow female nominees in “this decade that has to be about women having each other’s back.”
Julianne Nicholson and Evan Peters claimed best supporting acting honours for “Mare of Easttown,” about crime and family dysfunction.
Debbie Allen received the Governors’ Award for a long and acclaimed career as an actor, dancer, choreographer and activist. Allen said, “I am trembling with gratitude and grace and trying not to cry … it’s been many years in the making, taken a lot of courage to be the only woman in the room most of the time. Courage and creative and fight and faith to believe I could keep going, and I have.”
Roughly 500 people attended the Emmys where the producers’ ultimate goal was to present a ceremony that is upbeat and acknowledges how much TV’s importance grew during the COVID-19 Pandemic and its lockdowns.
