All the best and worst moments of the 2024 Emmys, as they happened
The 76th Primetime Emmy Awards are in the books — just eight months since the strike-delayed 75th edition was held in January — and, as expected, "The Bear," "Shōgun" and "Baby Reindeer" cleaned up in the comedy, drama and limited series categories, respectively.
Throughout the ceremony, hosted by father-son duo Dan and Eugene Levy and capped off by a "Hacks" upset of "The Bear" for the top comedy prize, staff writer Meredith Blake and columnist Mary McNamara broke down the highs, the lows and the in-betweens of Sunday's telecast on ABC. Here's their full rundown of the best and worst moments of the 2024 Emmy Awards.
Winners list | Red carpet fashion | 'The Bear' breaks record | Lamorne Morris at his first Emmys
Read more:2024 Emmy Awards: The complete list of winners
8:26 p.m. Meredith, in a relatively surprise-free Emmys, the lack of politics was certainly notable. As Canadians, and non-stand-ups, the hosts could not be expected to weigh in on the general insanity of this presidential election. While the Emmys are certainly not the forum to stump for candidates, the silence was kind of deafening. With a few mild exceptions — Crudup’s call out to immigrants, Leguizamo’s DEI reference — explicit mentions of larger issues were scarce, including the current fight for abortion rights or the hideous accusations made against the Haitian community in Ohio. I know many viewers push back against any “politicizing” of awards shows but usually a few folks do it anyway. Is this just me? If not, what do you think is going on? —MM
The cast of “The West Wing” did encourage viewers to register to vote, and joked that Aaron Sorkin and his writers had to “use their imaginations to create interesting plot lines,” unlike today, when far-fetched headlines have become the norm. But I do wonder if that is part of why this was relatively subdued, politically speaking: Just a few hours before the telecast began, another apparent assassination attempt against Donald Trump was thwarted. Given the circumstances, it’s understandable if winners felt sheepish about expressing support for specific political candidates or policies. But it’s also been a while since anyone has given a fiery political speech (that I can recall) at any awards show. After years of increasing partisan rancor, I suspect the answer is actually pretty simple: Everybody is tired. —MB
8:07 p.m. In possibly the only surprise of the evening, “Hacks” wins for comedy series, beating “The Bear." “When we pitched this show about two women, one of whom was over 60, we did not know if we would sell it,” says co-creator and cast member Paul W. Downs. “About 20% of our population is 60-plus, and they're only 3% of those characters on television. And I would like to see more of them, because while I'm a great young supporting actor, I really want to be a good and old lead.” —MB
I am so thrilled that “Hacks” won that I almost cannot stand it. I mean, I’m happy “Shōgun” won, since it's just enthralling television, but it was the predicted winner (and not just by our seemingly psychic Glenn Whipp). As Catherine O’Hara said, every nominee is worthy, but as someone who appreciates the relatively new celebration of “old ladies” on television, not to mention a stinging comedy in which both leads are women, it’s hard not to feel celebratory. Jean Smart/“Hacks” forever. —MM
8:04 p.m. “Shōgun” sweeps the final categories, including drama series, proving that it is difficult to beat a historical epic, particularly when it is written in multiple languages with absolutely fabulous costumes and gorgeous settings. A huge night for FX and a potent riposte to anyone out there who still believes that TV viewers are afraid of subtitles. —MM
7:57 p.m. “Shōgun” picks up back-to-back awards for acting, with Hiroyuki Sanada winning for lead actor in a drama series and Anna Sawai winning for lead actress. —MB
7:45 p.m. Gadd is one of the only winners tonight to acknowledge the current industry slump, but he uses the stunning success of his own show — which wins for limited series — as an example of why networks should take more risks. “If ‘Baby Reindeer’ has proved anything, there's no set formula to this. You don't need big stars, proven IP, long-running series or catch-all storytelling to have a hit.” You listening, Hollywood? —MB
7:40 p.m. Jodie Foster wins for actress in a limited series for “True Detective: Night Country,” in what may be the only major win for this incarnation of the HBO series, set in Alaska and following two female police officers investigating the mysterious death of a group of scientists at a remote research facility. Accepting the first Emmy of her esteemed career, Foster thanks “the Indigenous people, the Inupiaq and Inuit people of Northern Alaska. They just told us their stories, and they allowed us to listen. And that was just a blessing.” –MB
7:38 p.m. Richard Gadd reminds the world of the best reason for awards shows: to thank your mum and dad. He forgot to do this when he won for writing “Baby Reindeer” but remembered when he won for actor in a limited series. —MM
7:35 p.m. “And now a TV archetype everyone in this room agrees on: cops!” says Dan Levy, introducing a gathering of actors who’ve played police officers on the small screen: Niecy Nash, Don Johnson and Jimmy Smits. The awkwardness is amplified by the intro music: “Bad Boys,” the theme song from “Cops.” —MB
7:30 p.m. I think my favorite part of this Emmys telecast so far is the Target commercial set to Chappell Roan’s “Hot to Go!” —MB
7:24 p.m. “And now … Jelly Roll” is a sentence I was not expecting to hear tonight, but I guess that’s where we are. The singer known for his face tattoos performs “I Am Not Okay” for the “In Memoriam” segment, which includes Phil Donahue, Louis Gossett Jr., Shannen Doherty, Carl Weathers, Richard Lewis, James Earl Jones and Richard Simmons — and concludes with a special tribute to Bob Newhart by Jimmy Kimmel. —MB
7:09 p.m. Leguizamo’s speech is followed by the presentation of the Governors Award to Greg Berlanti, whose work on shows including “Dawson’s Creek,” “Everwood,” “Brothers and Sisters,” “Arrow” and “Supergirl” have pioneered and celebrated LGBTQ+ characters. Berlanti described how seeing gay men take to the streets to fight for their rights during the AIDS crisis gave him the courage to tell the kind of stories he never saw on television during his youth — ”Dawson’s Creek” included the first gay kiss on a commercial prime-time program, “Brothers and Sisters” featured the first gay marriage between season regulars on network television and “Supergirl” featured the first trans superhero. As he expressed astonishment for how much the world had to change for him to have the life he has now — his husband, ex-Galaxy player Robbie Rogers, was in the audience and Berlanti instructed their children to go to bed after his speech ended — an emotional Berlanti called out a welcome to the next generation of storytellers. A powerful reminder of how much impact writers and producers can have on the culture, and also what an incredibly good-looking couple Berlanti and Rogers are. Honestly, it isn’t quite fair. —MM
7:02 p.m. John Leguizamo gives a fiery, funny speech about Hollywood’s sorry track record on Latino representation. “I used to watch 'Star Trek' and think, 'Wow, in the future, there ain't gonna be no Latin people,'” he says, calling himself one of “Hollywood's DEI hires. That's right, DEI: The D is for diligence, the E is for excellence, the I is for imagination.” He also gives shoutouts to “my incredibly talented Latinx brothers and sisters” who are nominated tonight, including Selena Gomez, Nava Mau and (already a winner) Liza Colón-Zayas. —MB
6:50 p.m. Ron Howard and Henry Winkler reunite to celebrate the 50th anniversary of “Happy Days.” I feel like these reunions should be a more standard feature; it’s just so refreshing to see presenters who actually know each other. They give Christopher Storer the Emmy for directing, comedy series, which feels quite symbolic. Never mind broadcast versus cable/streaming, a genre (comedy) that can contain “Happy Days” and “The Bear” is epically elastic. —MM
6:46 p.m. Um, what was that apparent Johnnie Walker promo in the middle of the Emmys and why did Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who just won an Emmy, do it? Seriously bizarre. —MM
Thankfully Richard Gadd helps wipe away the memory of … whatever that awkward liquor commercial was with an excited acceptance speech. He wins for writing “Baby Reindeer,” which was only slightly less disturbing than the Johnnie Walker branded content. —MB
6:41 p.m. “Slow Horses”!!! Will Smith wins writing for drama series and I am very, very happy. He even makes a joke about the Oscars slap: "Despite the name, I come in peace." As I wrote recently, at annoying length, everyone should watch this show. —MM
6:39 p.m. Is ABC really giving us a segment on “iconic TV doctors” without a single cast member from “Grey’s Anatomy”? This is — excuse the pun — malpractice. —MB
6:37 p.m. I have loved Lamorne Morris since “New Girl” so I am thrilled he won supporting actor in a limited series for “Fargo.” No one seemed more surprised than he, and there have not been many surprises tonight. —MM
6:35 p.m. Nicola Coughlan is such a deft comedic performer she manages to sell a bit in which she confuses “supporting actor in a limited series” for “emotional support animals.” Is it time for an Emmy for best awards show banterer? —MB
6:33 p.m. Are we halfway through? I feel like we are halfway through. This is something the hosts need to announce. —MM
6:28 p.m. Somehow “The Daily Show” wins for talk series, even though it doesn’t currently have a full-time host. Is this just residual love for Jon Stewart, who has been back on the show once a week since February? This makes me a little mad for the other nominees in the category: “Late Night With Seth Meyers,” “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” all of which, if nothing else, have full-time hosts. —MB
You’re tired of “The Bear,” I’m tired of Jon Stewart and John Oliver winning all these Emmys. Can someone get Alan Cumming a talk and/or variety show next please. —MM
6:25 p.m. Whenever Billy Crystal shows up on any awards show I can just imagine the hosts having a complete anxiety attack. Eugene and Dan Levy remained very cool, introducing him with one of their funniest bits so far — Dan offering the “fun fact” that Eugene had been up for the role of Toby Ziegler in “The West Wing,” for which, “another fun fact,” Richard Schiff won an Emmy. Eugene countered by asking how Dan’s audition for “Ripley” went. “Never heard back,” he deadpanned as the camera cut to Andrew Scott. Even Crystal had to have been impressed. —MM
6:21 p.m. As much as I love seeing Meredith Baxter once again, and to muse a bit on how the roles of television mothers have changed, these character-archetype set pieces are not working nearly as well as the cast reunions from January. An idea that was better on paper than on screen I’m afraid. But Meredith Baxter looks great! —MM
They present the Emmy to “Hacks” for writing for a comedy series, and — OK, I’ll bite — it’s nice to see an actually funny show win this category. There, I said it. Paul W. Downs, Lucia Aniello and Jen Statsky are winning for their work on the delightful Season 3 finale, which ended with a “Succession”-level twist. —MB
6:17 p.m. Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal — who, I am told, have a show coming out on Hulu called “La Máquina” — are having an informal “Y Tu Mamá También” reunion onstage to represent the award for directing for a limited series, won by "Ripley's" Steven Zaillian. It is honestly the most exciting thing that has happened all night. —MB
6:05 p.m. “Last Week Tonight” wins for (roughly) the 145th consecutive time and John Oliver is, once again, charming, using his moment on the stage this year to paying tribute to his recently deceased dog. “This is for all dogs,” he says. —MB
I am very sorry to hear about Oliver’s dog, seriously. I lost one too this year and it’s awful. But honestly, only a person who has won a helluva lot of Emmys would use that time to talk about his dog. —MM
5:57 p.m. As predicted by our own Glenn Whipp, Jessica Gunning wins for supporting actress in a limited series for her scary yet empathetic turn as a stalker in the Netflix phenomenon “Baby Reindeer.” Gunning had some intense competition in the category this year, including co-star Nava Mau, Kali Reis from “True Detective: North Country” and Lily Gladstone for “Under the Bridge.” Gunning gives a gracious and not-even-slightly-unhinged acceptance speech that, I can only assume, was written on an iPhone. —MB
5:53 p.m. “You know how hard it was to get a date after ‘Misery’?” Kathy Bates ask in a bit about TV villains. “And my 'American Horror Story' was forgetting to thank Ryan Murphy after I won my Emmy.” I know, Mer, another “old lady,” but come on — Bergen, Smart and Bates within 10 minutes of each other? —MM
5:51 p.m. I am thrilled to see “The Traitors” win, but what I really want to know is if Alan Cumming is going to thank Tonka. —MB
Ha! Even though he didn’t, any television program is improved by the sight and sound of Cumming. And love the Scottish … scarf? Wrap? Either way. Fabulous. —MM
5:44 p.m. So happy to see "Murphy Brown" herself, Candice Bergen, as a presenter. Especially as she reminds the world of when Dan Quayle condemned Murphy for becoming a single mother and sends a barb flying at vice presidential candidate JD Vance: "A Republican candidate for vice president would never attack a woman for having kids. So as they say, my work here is done. Meow.” And especially when she gives the lead actress in a comedy award to Jean Smart for HBO’s “Hacks.” She makes a joke about Max — ”just what we needed, another network.” Throw in Elizabeth Debicki's win for playing Princess Diana in "The Crown" and it's been a pretty full few minutes. —MM
My 9-year-old daughter just saw Jean Smart accept the prize from Candice Bergen and asked, “Why are there so many old lady actors?” which I am going to choose to believe was an expression of joyful surprise and not … something else. —MB
5:39 p.m. “Murphy Brown was one of my first TV role models, which I know is crazy, considering I'm only 24,” says Dan Levy. —MB
5:36 p.m. I just got my COVID shot and made sure my soon-to-be 18-year old is preregistered to vote so I am feeling very seen by both telecast and commercials tonight. —MM
5:30 p.m. Well, Mer, you are in for a long evening. Though Liza Colón-Zayas winning supporting actress in a comedy for “The Bear” is actually a bit of a surprise and quite lovely. “To all the Latinas who are looking at me, keep believing and vote. Vote for your rights.” I am actually crying a little. She is so good in that show and her character is allowed to be sane. —MM
Agree, I can’t complain about this win or Colón-Zayas’ lovely speech. But don’t worry, I’ll find something to grumble about soon. —MB
5:27 p.m. Huge surprise as Jeremy Allen White wins for actor in a comedy for “The Bear.” “Having to come up with an Emmy acceptance speech twice in a single year” is the definition of a quality problem. —MM
At the risk of being the office curmudgeon and getting canceled by the internet, I’m going to say something: I’m sick of “The Bear” winning everything already. Couldn’t we at least have given Larry David a farewell Emmy for his performance as the ultimate curmudgeon on “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” even if it wasn’t much of a stretch? Bah humbug. —MB
5:17 p.m. Don’t know about Dan Levy, but my crush on Colin Farrell remains intact. He awards supporting actor in a drama series to Billy Crudup for “The Morning Show,” who refers to wife Naomi Watts as his “eye candy”? Um, OK. —MM
Crudup also mentioned that Watts is an “immigrant,” for what it’s worth. I’m guessing there will be more political points throughout the night. —MB
5:14 p.m. “When I see an actor I don’t recognize I just say, ‘I loved your scene with Nicole Kidman.” Joke of the night already from Steve Martin? Though I am not quite understanding why he, Martin Short and Selena Gomez are standing so far apart from one another. They give Emmy for supporting actor in a comedy to Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who also won in January. Let “The Bear” dominance begin. —MM
5:12 p.m. It’s been 10 minutes and we already have a childless cat lady joke. I’m guessing it won’t be the last. JD Vance continues to be an accidental comedic genius. —MB
5:09 p.m. Dan Levy notes the number of nominations for queer performers this year, including Matt Bomer and Jonathan Bailey, who play lovers in McCarthy-era Washington, D.C., in the limited series “Fellow Travelers.” Their nominations prove “that you can be nominated for playing gay even if you're not straight.” —MB
5:05 p.m. Hosts Eugene and Dan Levy take to the stage and do a shared monologue — duologue? — that plays up their father-son dynamic. Sample joke: “Without question, my most rewarding dad role ever has been being your dad … in ‘Schitt’s Creek’ because it got me my first acting Emmy,” says Eugene. —MB
I need to know who designs the eyeglasses for the Levy family. And nice ref to the “is it a comedy controversy” surrounding “The Bear”: ”In the spirit of ‘The Bear,’” Eugene says, “we will not be making any jokes.” —MM
4:53 p.m. At least Andrew Scott is nominated this year, for the super-intense “Ripley,” which almost but not quite makes up for his unbelievable snub as the iconic Hot Priest in “Fleabag.” This year’s unbelievable snub goes to Kristin Scott Thomas, who somehow was not nominated for “Slow Horses.” (And the fact that those two share snub honors says everything you need to know about the Emmys and awards in general.) “Baby Reindeer” is predicted to beat “Ripley” in limited series, but Scott’s performance was amazing. —MM
4:40 p.m. Hey Mer. Here we are again — second Emmys telecast of 2024! In a way it makes sense, given the amount of television there is, but it’s still a lot for those of us who cover awards shows, not to mention the stylists!
There will definitely be some repeats — the first season of FX’s “The Bear” cleaned up at the January awards and the second season, which included the life-altering “Fishes” episode, will likely dominate the comedy categories. (Jamie Lee Curtis just won her first Emmy, as guest actress, for “Fishes.”) This time around, though, they have some competition from HBO’s “Hacks” — Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder are favored to win lead and supporting actress, though one should never count out Meryl Streep, up for “Only Murders in the Building.”
But there are also some significant Emmy newcomers — FX’s “Shogun” and my personal favorite, Apple TV+’s “Slow Horses,” among them. Our colleague Glenn Whipp has “Shogun” taking the win for drama series, so we could see a long-overdue very big night for FX. But who knows?
January’s telecast brought us a bittersweet wealth of reunions, and a reminder of a time when broadcast networks dominated television. Beyond the joyful anticipation of seeing the father/son duo of Eugene Levy and Dan Levy take on hosting duties, and the possibility of Jodie Foster also winning her first Emmy for HBO’s “True Detective: Night Country,” is there anything you’re looking forward to this time around? —MM
Well, hello again, Mary. I have to be honest with you: I feel a little adrift as I sit here, thinking about a three-hour telecast featuring absolutely no members of the Roy family. This is a transitional year, not just in the TV industry writ large but at the Emmys. A whole bunch of big-name shows (including my beloved “Succession”) wrapped last year, and between that and various strike-related delays, this year’s batch of nominees is, well, weird. But weird can be good, especially at the Emmys, an awards show that tends to rubber-stamp nominees year after year. I hope “weird” means some breakthrough wins for some of the Indigenous performers and projects nominated this year, like Kali Reis in “True Detective: Night Country,” or maybe even the until-now-overlooked “Reservation Dogs.” —MB
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.