It’s nearing the end of September, which only means one thing: the 76th Primetime Emmys have come and gone, leaving discussion and satisfaction in their wake.
This year’s nominated shows must have aired from June 1, 2023 to May 31, 2024, and the awards ceremony took place at the Peacock Theater in LA. Our hosts were Dan and Eugene Levy, an iconic father and son duo both in real life and in their outstanding comedy series, Schitt’s Creek, which received 19 nominations and 9 Emmys between 2019 and 2020.
Historical drama Shōgun and comedy series Hacks led in nominations and in awards this year. Shōgun had the most nominations (25) and is the second non-English show ever nominated after Squid Games in 2022. The show amassed a total of four Emmys, taking the drama category by storm. Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai won “Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama” and “Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama”, respectively. The show won “Best Drama Series” and “Best Directing in a Drama” as well.
Hacks earned 23 nominations, which is the most ever for a comedy series. It took home the “Outstanding Comedy Series” award, as well as two other Emmys in the comedy category, but psychological drama/comedy The Bear sweeped up the other four. The shows were neck and neck in nominations, and many people believed that The Bear should win the comedy section overall, despite beliefs that the show should be classified as a drama. According to a Twitter post referenced by the NBC article “Emmy awards 2024 Highlights: ‘The Bear’, ‘Baby Reindeer,’ ‘Shogun’ led in wins, and a ‘Hacks’ surprise”, The Bear should be removed from the comedy category altogether because the “real” comedy shows like Abbott Elementary “deserve better”.
In the “Outstanding Limited/Anthology” category, Baby Reindeer won four Emmys. The British drama/thriller mini-series is based on real events that were experienced by the director and lead actor, Richard Gadd, who won all three Emmys that he was nominated for, including the categories “Outstanding Writing” and “Outstanding Lead Actor” for the limited/anthology series.
The “Outstanding Talk Series” winner was The Daily Show and the best scripted was Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. The “Outstanding Reality Competition Program” award went to the Traitors, a murder mystery reality show with a large sum as a prize.
Finally, the Governor’s Award, which is given to creators who make a long lasting impact on television. It was presented to writer, producer, and director, Greg Berlanti, who fought for LGBTQ+ visibility on TV where there hadn’t been representation before. He was introduced by Matt Bomer who starred alongside Johnathan Bailey in the limited romance/thriller series Fellow Travelers, which was nominated for three Emmys. Berlanti said, “I wanted to be a part of television even before I knew that was possible,” as he accepted the award.
This year there weren’t many controversies surrounding the winners, and most seem satisfied with them. This only means that there are lots of new award winning shows we all need to start watching if we haven’t already!
