Awards shows are often only as memorable as the winners and their acceptance speeches. Heading into the 76th Emmys, the conventional wisdom was that Television Academy voters would make it a predictable sweep for “Shōgun” and “The Bear.” And indeed, both series did well, making history with their victories. But there were still enough surprises during the telecast, hosted by Eugene and Dan Levy, to make for an interesting night.
The biggest shocker, of course, came at the end of the broadcast, when “Hacks” pulled off an upset win over frontrunner “The Bear” in the outstanding comedy series category. That was a clear flex by the writer flank of the TV Academy to reward a beloved show that revolves around the business of comedy — as a point of contrast to shows that tip to the drama side of the dramedy equation. For producers Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon and Jeannae Rouzan-Clay, surprises like that are what they’re looking for.
“It was a delightful upset,” Rouzan-Clay says. “We didn’t see it coming!” Adds Harmon, “It’s a reminder that we literally have no idea who’s going to win. We’re finding out with everybody else. If you had a camera on us for the show, you’d see us go crazy several times.”
Perhaps voters and viewers were exhausted by sitting through the second Emmy telecast of the year. Still, Collins, Harmon and Rouzan-Clay could rattle off several big highlights from this year’s winning roster: Liza Colón-Zayas, Lamorne Morris, Jean Smart. “And Jodie Foster!” exclaims Collins about the “True Detective: Night Country” actress who took home her first Emmy.
The number of streaks and sweeps that Emmy races have generated in recent years can make it seem like winning is more a volume game for big platforms than an artistic contest. The real-life problems buffeting the industry, from layoffs and budget cuts to ever-increasing competition, make it easy to be cynical about the importance of gold statuettes. But at its best, television has incredible power to educate and enlighten audiences and elevate talented artists. “Shōgun” winner Hiroyuki Sanada nodded to this special quality when he breathlessly accepted his first trophy of the night, for drama lead actor. The Peacock Theater quieted quickly as the Japanese native poured his heart out for the crowd. Calling “Shōgun” an “East-meets-West dream project with respect,” Sanada observed that his work on the series taught him that “when people work together, we can make miracle. We can create a better future together.”
Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast met this week after the awards to give one more look at the highs, lows, surprises and more at the 76th Emmys. Listen below!
Here’s a look at some other standout moments from the evening (and here’s to returning to a normal schedule, with a full year before next year’s ceremony).
Record-Making
You’d think it would be hard to break awards records in an age of so many prestige, Emmy-worthy series. But perhaps that’s precisely the reason: With an abundance of shows splintering votes in a fragmented viewing environment, those that break through have a better chance of sweeping. That was the case with FX’s “Shōgun,” which made history by winning 18 awards in total — by far the most ever in a single year (besting the previous record holder, “John Adams,” which earned 13 in 2008).
“Shōgun” was not only the drama series winner, but it made more history again with drama actress winner Anna Sawai (the first category victor of Asian descent) and picked up wins for Sanada and for drama directing (Frederick E.O. Toye).
“The Bear,” of course, didn’t win comedy series but did make history with its 11 wins — the most in a single year for a comedy, besting its own previous record of 10, achieved just last year. But this was the first time it faced off against “Hacks,” and Jean Smart is nearly impossible to beat. The Max series gave the FX dramedy serious competition, landing outstanding comedy series wins for lead comedy actress (Smart) and comedy writing — a nice run for a show that was predicted to be overshadowed. Down-the-line voting may have worked in past years, but “Hacks” viewers are passionate and have no problem swapping when it comes to Smart.
TV Academy voters also swung their reality competition support over to Peacock’s “The Traitors,” which won the series prize (the first program Emmy for that streamer) as well as the hosting Emmy for star Alan Cumming. The category was previously owned by “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”
And then there was the year’s Cinderella story, Netflix’s “Baby Reindeer,” which picked up the top limited/anthology series prize, as well as wins for creator-star Richard Gadd in both lead limited/ anthology actor and limited/anthology writing, and for star Jessica Gunning in limited/anthology actress. All told, Gadd was the 2024 Emmys overachiever, picking up three statuettes in a single evening.
Comedy Counts
It wouldn’t be a 2024 awards show without a few conversations about which category “The Bear” belongs in. Co-host Eugene Levy even kicked off the evening with a quip: “You might be expecting us to make a joke about whether ‘The Bear’ is really a comedy, but in the true spirit of ‘The Bear,’ we will not be making any jokes.” That received a giggle from star Ayo Edebiri, who took home last year’s trophy when she competed in the supporting category. This year, that win went to her co-star, Liza Colón-Zayas, who was completely caught off guard and couldn’t believe she beat Meryl Streep.
Outside the comedy category, there was more comedy. The Levys opened the show mocking the entire ceremony in the most lovable way, calling it “broadcast TV’s biggest night for honoring movie stars on streaming,” and, well, they weren’t wrong. Their monologue and one-liners throughout the night — including a “Hot Ones” callout and poking fun at each other’s failed auditions —earned laughs.
They also brought it back to “Schitt’s Creek,” comparing that show to “Reservation Dogs,” which finally earned a nomination for its final season. “You might say the Academy voters found a show that’s been creatively thriving for years and said, ‘Hey, look what we discovered,’” they joked. It was also pretty touching to see the duo reunite with their “Schitt’s Creek” family when they invited Annie Murphy and Catherine O’Hara to join them. The group — despite their 2020 win — never got to stand together on the actual Emmys stage due to the pandemic.
The co-hosts didn’t dive into politics in their monologue, but the winners of the night didn’t shy away from making a nod or two to the upcoming election; Candice Bergen did it best by bringing up a “Murphy Brown” storyline in which her character was criticized by the vice president for having a child. “Oh, how far we’ve come. Today, a Republican candidate for vice president would never attack a woman for having kids. So as they say, my work here is done,” she said before adding a loud “Meow.”
Nostalgia Attempt
After the first 2024 ceremony pulled off so many excellent nostalgic moments, the TV Academy struggled to do the same this time around. That said, while the tropes of TV dads, TV moms, TV doctors and TV cops weren’t nearly as impressive as cast reunions (“Happy Days” and “The West Wing” were fun!), a few did work. Listening to Connie Britton reminisce on playing a demon-baring mother in
“American Horror Story” and being so much more than “the coach’s wife” on “Friday Night Lights” was touching. Kathy Bates joking about the death of her career after not thanking Ryan Murphy for an “AHS” win was hilarious! Could they have been executed better in order to create more emotion? Sure. But the testament was there. Plus, nostalgic elements were still present outside of specific segments, notably when Joshua Jackson walked out to “I Don’t Want to Wait” to honor “Dawson’s Creek” producer Greg Berlanti with the Governors Award. He may have been embarrassed, but viewers — both in the room and at home — were pleased.
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