The Emmys are weird, in a few significant ways. They seem to really like Jim Parsons’ performance as Sheldon Cooper in The Big Bang Theory, for one example.
Bazampo.
But also, they split their awards night into two presentations. The televised section, where the “big”, “important” (read: more popular) awards are handed out, and last night’s “Creative Arts” Emmys.
Personally, I don’t like it, because everyone who wins deserves the same chance to be shown on a big, international stage. But I do get that if they did have everyone awarded on the same night, the show would go for about two weeks. Which is also the average running time of an Oscars broadcast.
Nevertheless, some significant awards were handed out last night. Here are some of the bigger highlights from the night’s proceedings.
John Legend gets the EGOT
It happened. John Legend lived up to his namesak, becoming the fourteenth person to be an EGOT, thanks to executive producing the television special version of musical Jesus Christ Superstar.
GLOW‘s stunt coordinator becomes the first woman to win in her category
What we imagine Shauna Duggins is doing now.
It makes sense that GLOW, a show about hard-working, complex women doing sick wrestling stunts, has a woman as their stunt coordinator, Shauna Duggins. However, it’s surprising that she’s the first woman ever to win the award category.
Women have been nominated previously (including Shauna herself, for her work on the show Alias), but her win is a milestone for a field often dominated by men.
POCs sweep the Guest Actor categories
As Hollywood continues to grapple with issues of diversity and representation, it’s heartening to see another step in the right direction. In this case: all four of the Guest Actor awards went to black actors: Tiffany Haddish for Saturday Night Live, Ron Cephas Jones for This Is Us, Samira Wiley for the Handmaid’s Tale, and Katt Williams for Atlanta.
Tiffany Haddish (Guest Actress in Comedy SNL)
Katt Williams (Guest Actor in Comedy Atlanta FX)
Samira Wiley (Guest Actress in Drama Handmaid's Tale)
Ron Cephas Jones (Guest Actor in Drama This Is Us)
all four Emmy guest actor winners are Black! ICONIC! Black excellence pic.twitter.com/1Ct6WDbcyH— Jason (Black Panther & Captain Marvel) (@EscaflowneClown) September 9, 2018
Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown cleaned up
As well as honouring the late Anthony Bourdain, the Emmys also spoiled his show Parts Unknown with five awards. Longtime collaborator Lydia Tenaglia, upon receiving one of the awards, said that Bourdain is, “…off on a journey to parts unknown. We wish we could be there to shoot that journey with him. I think he would have written the hell out of that episode.”
The Queer Eye reboot got three statues
Just check this picture of Tan with one of their Emmy statues. You’re welcome.
An Emmy For Megan didn’t get an Emmy
"An Emmy for Megan didn't win an Emmy" https://t.co/ujGIWVVegN
— Megan Amram (@meganamram) September 9, 2018
Writer, comedian, and good tweeter Megan Amram did not win an Emmy for her web series called An Emmy For Megan., and we’re shocked and angered by this news. I mean, what the hell, Television Academy? It’s right there in the title! GIVE MEGAN THE EMMY!
Emmy Award winner Pickle Rick
If aliens ever invaded earth, how the hell would we explain the sequence of words “Emmy award winner Pickle Rick” to them? Yes, it was a great episode, and it certainly deserved the win over the other fare that was nominated for the Best Animated Show category.
But really, this is one of the most subversive award wins since that time Suicide Squad won an Oscar.