The 70th annual Primetime Emmy Awards took place at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles on Sept. 17.
The Emmy Awards recognizes TV shows and the people behind these shows for phenomenal work. The Emmys are devoted specially to the production of television. They aren’t as glamorous as the Oscars and don’t showcase as many celebrity performances as the Grammys, however the event still features some of the biggest stars in Hollywood.
This year’s Emmy Awards were hosted by Colin Jost and Michael Che, two comedians known for their jokes on Saturday Night Live. The event featured the most diverse group of nominees in the history of the Emmy’s.
“Diversity and inclusion were definitely very visible at this year’s awards,” SMU student Courtney Virj said. “It was so exciting to see women like Thandie Newton from ‘Westworld’ and Regina King from ‘Seven Seconds’ be represented on stage.”
Unfortunately, the ceremony lacked excitement due to the unenthusiastic hosts and a shortage of wins for some of the nominees who produced incredible work within the last year. There was such a large group of amazing directors, writers and performers who were in line for trophies this year. Many of the categories featured seven or eight nominees–all up for the same awards because of this.
Every year before the event, predictions are made about who is the most deserving candidate and who might bring home the trophy.
“I really wanted Sterling K. Brown to win best lead actor for his character in, ‘This Is Us,’” SMU student Julia Tognotti said, “but I feel that Jason Bateman’s win for his role in ‘Ozark’ was very well deserved.”
The very popular series ‘Game of Thrones,’ created by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, led all shows with a total of 22 nominations. ‘Game of thrones’ headlined arguably the most coveted category “Best Drama Series”. It looked like they were a shoo-in for the win, but “The Handmaid’s Tale” made for a tough competitor with its last season’s success. “Game of Thrones” ended up winning Best Drama, while “Game of Thrones” actor Peter Dinklage also won “Best Supporting Actor” for his role in the series.
Many people thought Elizabeth Moss would easily win “Best Lead Actress” for her role in the drama series, “The Handmaid’s Tale.” However, the award for this category was given to Claire Foy for her role in “The Crown.” Sadly, Foy will no longer appear on the show in upcoming seasons. The series director, Stephen Daldry, was also awarded for his directing.
“I had my hopes on Sandra Oh to win ‘Best Lead Actress’ for her part in ‘Killing Eve,’” SMU student Sarah Smith said, “not just because her acting was phenomenal but also for the reason that she’s the first woman of Asian descent to be nominated for this.”
Other nominees that received awards who were also predicted to win in polls were: “The Assassination of Gianni Versace” for “Best Limited Series,” as well as “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s,” which won multiple awards for best directing, best writing, and best comedy series.
