Emmys 2021: The Crown dominates, streamers get ahead, and three more talking points
Television’s biggest night took place in Los Angeles
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The 2021 Emmys took place on Sunday, with attendees joining from Los Angeles and London as the ceremony returned to an in-person format.
Only a limited amount of nominees were invited to attend, and all had to present proof that they were vaccinated against Covid – as well as negative tests – in order to gain access to the event.
Actor and comedian Cedric the Entertainer was on hosting duties. Heading into the evening, The Crown and The Mandalorian were leading this year’s nominations.
During the ceremony, The Crown, The Queen’s Gambit and Ted Lasso won the evening’s top awards. Mare of Easttown also scored several high-profile wins, including Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie for Kate Winslet.
Here are the main talking points from the 2021 Emmy Awards:
Powerful women
Wonderful women stole the show at this year’s ceremony, from Kate Winslet’s speech about her detective in Mare of Easttown being a “middle-aged, imperfect, flawed mother who made us all feel validated”, to Michaela Coel dedicating her win to “every single survivor of sexual assault”. A big shout-out to Olivia Colman too, who we’re pretty sure got bleeped out for shouting “Michaela Coel, f*** yeah!” (or similar) in her own acceptance speech. (EH)
Covid concerns
The coronavirus pandemic, as it has become known to do, wormed its way into many speeches over the course of the night. Seth Rogen criticised the event’s perceived lack of Covid measures, calling it “insane”, while host Cedric the Entertainer joked that the vaccine did not lead to his testicles becoming swollen, in a reference to Nicki Minaj’s comments this week. Ewan McGregor and Kate Winslet, meanwhile, were among the winners to thank their shows’ crews for keeping them safe during filming. (EH)
All-white winners in major categories
Despite calls and efforts to get major awards shows to reward the work of actors of colour, white actors won all 12 major acting awards during Sunday’s ceremony. This applies to the lead and supporting actor and actress trophies in the Drama, Comedy, and Limited or Anthology Series or Movie categories. This despite the fact that – as reported by The Hollywood Reporter – performers of colour made up 44 per cent of this year’s nominees. (CM)
The Crown wins big
Netflix’s British royal saga was crowned Outstanding Drama Series in one of its many wins of the evening. With seven trophies, it emerged as the top programme of the 2021 Emmys. Many of its stars won acting awards, including a tearful Olivia Colman, a giggling Josh O’Connor, Tobias Menzies and Gillian Anderson. Its director Jessica Hobbs also triumphed, as well as creator Peter Morgan. (CM)
A great night for streamers
The Crown, a Netflix series, won Outstanding Drama Series, one of the evening’s top three awards. Outstanding Comedy Series went to Ted Lasso, an Apple TV+ programme, while The Queen’s Gambit, another Netflix show, won Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series. In other words: streamers ruled television’s biggest night, and the streaming wars aren’t going to ease off any time soon. (CM)
Follow the ceremony as it happened with out live blog:
Michaela Coel wins Outstanding Writing For A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie for I May Destroy You!
The other nominees were Brad Ingelsby (Mare of Easttown), Scott Frank (The Queen’s Gambit), Chuck Hayward and Peter Cameron (WandaVision), Jac Schaeffer (WandaVision), and Laura Donney (WandaVision).
Coel also scored nominations for Outstanding Directing For A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie, Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie, Outstanding Limited Or Anthology Series, and Outstanding Writing For A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie.
She dedicates her win to all survivors of sexual assault.
Kate Winslet wins Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie for Mare of Easttown!
She was nominated alongside Cynthia Erivo, Michaela Coel, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Elizabeth Olsen.
Things are accelerating at the Emmys! Ewan McGregor just won Outstanding Lead Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie for Halston!
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr, Hugh Grant, and Paul Bettany were also nominated in the category.
Olivia Colman just won Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series for her performance as Queen Elizabeth II!
Emma Corrin, Elisabeth Moss, Uzo Aduba, Jurnee Smollett, and Mj Rodriguez were also nominated.
Colman pays tribute to her father, who died during the coronavirus pandemic.
Another win for The Crown! Josh O’Connor wins Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series for his role as Prince Charles.
Regé-Jean Page, Jonathan Majors, Matthew Rhys, Billy Porter, and Sterling K Brown were all nominated in the category.
Stephen Colbert's Election Night 2020: Democracy's Last Stand Building Back America Great Again Better 2020 wins Outstanding Variety Special (Live)!
Also nominated were Celebrating America - An Inauguration Night Special, The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, The Oscars, and The Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show Starring The Weeknd were also nominated.
Hamilton wins Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded)!
Also nominated were Bo Burnham: Inside, David Byrne's American Utopia 8:46 - Dave Chappelle, Friends: The Reunion, and A West Wing Special To Benefit When We All Vote.
And the Emmy for Oustanding Comedy Series goes to... Ted Lasso!
The show was nominated alongside black-ish, Cobra Kai, Emily In Paris, The Flight Attendant, Hacks, The Kominsky Method, and Pen15.
And just like that, it’s time for Outstanding Drama Series!
And the award goes to...
The Crown!
Also nominated were The Boys, Bridgerton, The Handmaid’s Tale, Lovecraft Country, The Mandalorian, Pose, and This Is Us.
Here’s most of the cast reacting from London, while Josh O’Connor rejoices from Los Angeles:
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