Every award show brings with it a lot of buzz about the winners, the celebrities, and mostly shows that fans believed got snubbed. It all started with the immensely popular (and grief-inducing) This Is Us not receiving any nominations at the Emmys 2022.
Here are some surprises, some records, and some letdowns this year:
Sheryl Lee Ralph Owned that Stage
A veteran in the industry, Sheryl Lee Ralph has been a part of Hollywood since 1977 but the Emmy she won for ‘Supporting Comedy Actress’ for Abbott Elementary is her first. Not only that, it’s also her first nomination. But that’s still not what everyone is talking about – it’s her acceptance speech.
When she reached the stage, she sang the song ‘Endangered Species’ by Diana Reeves. Not only were the lyrics powerful, but Sheryl Lee Ralph has amazing pipes! Here’s what she sang: “I am an endangered species, but I sing no victim’s song. I am a woman, I am an artist. And I know where my voice belongs.”
Fans Are Miffed About Some Things (and It’s Not the Snubbing)
Jennifer Coolidge was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for The White Lotus. She was competing against four of her co-stars, Connie Britton, Natasha Rothwall, Sydney Sweeney, and Alexandra Daddario (AND Dopesick stars Natasha Rothwell and Mare Winningham).
Fans were ecstatic when Coolidge won the award but were left upset when the exit music cut her speech short. Like the hilarious sport she is, Coolidge danced it off.
First of all, congratulations to Quinta Brunson for winning ‘Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series’ for Abbott Elementary. This win makes her only the second Black female writer to win under the category.
However, when it comes to fans being miffed, it’s because of a bit Jimmy Kimmel decided to commit to….for a while. It started when Will Arnett dragged Kimmel across the stage and joked that the host “got into the skinny margaritas” after losing. What upset some fans is that Kimmel remained on the stage during Brunson’s acceptance speech.
"I don’t know I know Jimmy Kimmel. The bit didn’t bother me. Honestly, Jimmy gave me my first big late-night spot, he was one of the first people to see Abbott Elementary."Quinta Brunson to media
She added that Kimmel has always been supportive of her work. She further said that she was ‘just happy that Jimmy was up there’ and that she considers him one of the comedy godfathers.
"Tomorrow, maybe I'll be mad at him," Brunson said.
Speaking of Records…
A big win came for Euphoria star Zendaya who is now the youngest two-time Emmy winner for acting. She, like she said in her acceptance speech, was up against incredible artistes.
From the fabulous Jodie Comer and Sandra Oh being nominated for the widely appreciated Killing Eve to Melanie Lynskey and Laura Linney from Yellowjackets and Ozark. And last but definitely not the least, The Morning Show’s Reese Witherspoon.
South Korean actor Lee Jung-jae won the Emmy for ‘Best Actor in a Drama’ for the hit series Squid Game, making him the first Asian actor to do so. He is also only the fourth Asian star to win an acting Emmy (yes, this is the 74th edition).
But what makes his win even more historic is the sheer competition he was up against. Also vying for the award was Jeremy Strong for Succession who actually won under the category in 2022.
His co-star on the show, that swept almost every award it was nominated for, Brian Cox, was also a contender.
There Were Some Surprise Wins
In a surprise win, Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls dethroned the Queen of Drag as RuPaul’s Drag Race didn’t win the award for ‘Reality Competition Series’ this year after four consecutive wins. RuPaul, however, won a Creative Arts Emmy as the host.
The award for ‘Best Comedy’ went to Ted Lasso, a show not many expected would do so. It was up against shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm and Barry (both shows that have gotten better with every season) and a fan-favourite What We Do in the Shadows.
Not to say that Ted Lasso isn’t a good show but many theorised that it would get lost in the buzz generated by newcomers like Abbott Elementary and Only Murders… or Hacks.
Probably the biggest upsets for fans this year came from two shows: Better Call Saul and Only Murders in the Building. Of course, there were others. The Apple TV+ show Severance received 14 nominations but no wins (barring the two Creative Arts Emmys). The drama Yellowjackets has garnered a huge fan following for how brilliant a show it is but despite all the hoopla surrounding the show, it suffered a similar fate.
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