Last night’s Emmy Awards was filled with historic, momentous celebrations.
In a room filled with famous, beautiful faces – most of whom used the opportunity to take pot-shots at Donald Trump – the best and brightest of Hollywood still used their industry to push forward with a fresh wave of inclusivity. Last night seemed to double down on the new directions being taken recently by the Oscars and Golden Globes.
So here are all of the ways that last night’s ceremony broke new ground:
- THE HANDMAID’S TALE
Despite Netflix having three shows up for Best Drama – House Of Cards, The Crown, Stranger Things – the award went to Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale, making it the first streaming service show to win the top award. The show also won for supporting actress (Ann Dowd), lead actress (Elisabeth Moss), writing (Bruce Miller) and directing (Reed Morano, the first woman to win this award since Mimi Leder directed an episode of ER back in 1995)
- RIZ AHMED
While the show The Night Of wasn’t as good as it potentially could have been, nobody could deny Ahmed’s performance was incredible, and he was justly awarded with the Outstanding Actor in a Limited Series or a Television Movie award. This makes him the first male actor of Asian decent to EVER win an Emmy.
- JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUSS
Ever since we were first introduced to her properly in Seinfeld, the world has known that Dreyfuss was a comedy powerhouse. Last night she received her eighth nomination for Best Comedy Actress, tying her with Cloris Leachman (The Mary Tyler Moore Show) for most acting nominations. On top of that, she went on to win last night, her sixth straight win for Veep, something that nobody in the history of the Emmy’s has ever achieved before.
- DONALD GLOVER
The star and creator of Atlanta became the first African-American man to ever win an Emmy for directing a comedy, and is the first African-American actor to win Best Comedy Actor since Robert Guillaume won it for Guillame back in 1985.
- LENA WAITHE
Probably the least recognisable name on the list, but in no terms less talents, the co-star of Master Of None, Waithe became the first African-American woman to ever win an Emmy for comedy series writing, an award she shared with her co-writer (and the show’s creator/star) Aziz Ansari.
Waithe won the award for co-writing the episode “Thanksgiving”, the autobiographical story of her coming out to her parents. This pro-LGBT+ approach by the Emmys was also seen in Black Mirror’s win of Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special, which went to Charlie Brooker and his brilliant “San Junipero” episode, again dealing with an interracial lesbian relationship between two elderly women.
All in all, last night’s Emmys represented a fantastic move towards all-inclusivity, as well as recognising talent.
Long may it continue.
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