Television’s biggest night took place on Sunday, Sept. 15, and was hosted by father-son duo, Eugene and Daniel Levy. The 76th Primetime Emmy Awards were highlighted by “The Bear” once again picking up most of the comedy series awards, “Shōgun” dominating the drama scene and “Baby Reindeer” running away in the Limited or Anthology Series categories.
Despite the criticisms for the show being categorized as a comedy and not as a drama, “The Bear” took home Outstanding Lead Actor for Jeremy Allen White, Outstanding Supporting Actor for Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Outstanding Supporting Actress for Liza Colón-Zayas.
Overall, “The Bear” finished with 11 awards out of 23 nominations throughout the weeklong festivities. Last year, the FX series received 10 awards out of 13 nominations, giving “The Bear” a total of 21 Emmys for its first and second seasons.
“Shōgun” led the night with the most awards and nominations of any series. The historical drama television series won an impressive 18 Emmys off 25 nods. “Shogun” swept nominations in both Lead Actor and Lead Actress, as well as winning Outstanding Drama Series.
With its 18 Emmy wins, “Shōgun” also broke a record by becoming the most awarded series in its first season alone.
Anna Sawai and Hiroyuki Sanada each scored their first-ever Emmy win, while also becoming the first Japanese man and woman to win in their respective categories. Sanada also became the second Asian man to win Lead Actor, with the first coming in 2022 when Lee Jung-jae won for “Squid Game.”
The black comedy-drama thriller, “Baby Reindeer,” had a stellar night, notably winning Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in Richard Gadd and Supporting Actress for Jessica Gunning.
Gadd received well-deserved flowers for portraying an emotional story that was based on a true story about his life. It was dark, twisted and just what Gadd had intended. Gadd ultimately won for Outstanding Writing in a Limited or Anthology Series as well.
In disappointing news, the mockumentary sitcom series “Abbott Elementary,” brought home zero wins from seven nominations. Another popular comedy series, “Only Murders in the Building,” also landed zero wins from six nominations.
In a surprising turn of events, “Hacks” got the biggest comedy win of the night, winning for Outstanding Comedy Series for its third season. It was the first time “Hacks” won this major award, though the series has been nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series for each of its seasons.
“Hacks” also received a nod in the Lead Actress field, where Jean Smart won her third Emmy in that category, beating out notable candidates such as Ayo Edebiri (The Bear), Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary) and Selena Gomez (Only Murders in the Building). Smart had previously won the award in 2021 and 2022.
Other notable winners included Lamorne Morris, who won his first Emmy for his portrayal of State Trooper Whitley Farr in the anthology series, “Fargo.” The Outstanding Reality Competition Program Emmy went to “The Traitors” for its star-studded Season 2. Host and producer Alan Cumming accepted and spoke on behalf of the series. The award was previously given to “RuPaul’s Drag Race” which won the award five times out of the last six years.
The Primetime Emmy Awards were a massive success. There were some upset victories, shows getting their justified appreciation and some history in the making to top it off. Not to mention, the hosts did a fantastic job to no one’s surprise. A recipe for a great show.
The show garnered 6.87 million viewers in ratings.
