ABC's "Abbott Elementary" and Apple TV+'s "Ted Lasso" are top contenders for best comedy series – one of the most hotly contested races in this year's Emmy Awards (NBC, 8 EDT/5 PDT, and streaming on Peacock), which will be hosted by "Saturday Night Live" staple Kenan Thompson.
The ceremony, held at Los Angeles' Microsoft Theater, will also see Hollywood names including Andrew Garfield (FX's "Under the Banner of Heaven"), Elle Fanning (Hulu's "The Great") and Oscar Isaac (HBO's "Scenes From a Marriage") gunning for their first prizes. Here's the play by play for TV's biggest night:
The "Euphoria" star won her second Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a drama series for the HBO hit, in which she plays teenager struggling with addiction named Rue. "My greatest wish for 'Euphoria' is that it could help heal people," Zendaya said during her acceptance speech, dedicating the award to everyone who's "loved a Rue" or been one themselves. "I'm so grateful for your stories. I carry them with me and I carry them with her."
Jimmy Kimmel played dead on stage as Will Arnett presented the award for outstanding writing for a comedy series to Quinta Brunson for "Abbott Elementary." "Jimmy, wake up! I won!" Brunson said to Kimmel, stepping over his "lifeless" body as she walked to the microphone. The "Abbott" creator went on to thank her family and friends "in case I am not back up here again," along with "the most incredible man I've ever known," her husband.
Jason Sudeikis wings it with 'Ted Lasso' speech
“Ted Lasso” himself, Jason Sudeikis, took home his second Emmy for best lead actor in a comedy series for the hit Apple TV+ series. The actor/comedian said that he always rolls his eyes at people at awards shows who say they didn’t expect to win. “But I really didn’t,” Sudeikis said. “It was an amazing, amazing group that I was nominated with, so I’m not overly prepared. But I did take classes at (improv comedy theater) Second City, so I’ll go for it.”
“White Lotus” creator Mike White picked up two consecutive trophies for writing and directing a limited series. White playfully referenced popular competition show “Survivor” as he accepted the latter award, saying, “The way to stay in the game is to lower your threat level.” And with these wins, “I feel like I’ve raised my threat level. I just want to stay in the game! Don’t vote me off the island, please!”
Lizzo calls for representation in 'very emotional' speech
Lizzo appeared shocked and overwhelmed as she made her way to the podium to accept the best competition series award for Amazon’s “Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls.” “I’m very emotional,” the singer said through tears, thanking the show’s contestants for “the stories that they shared. They’re not that unique, they just don’t get the platform. Let’s just tell more stories!”
She then went on to recall how when she was growing up, she never saw girls like herself represented on screen: “fat like me, Black like me, beautiful like me.” She wrapped her speech by paying tribute to her late father, saying, “Daddy, I love you.”
The "Mamma Mia!" star won her first Emmy award for best actress in a limited series for Hulu's "The Dropout," for her captivating portrayal of disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes. "It was really hard but it was the best time of my life," Seyfried said in her breathless speech, ending by thanking her family "and my dog, Finn."
Martin Short delightfully presented outstanding variety talk series to HBO's "Last Week with John Oliver," but not before doing a short comedy set with his "Only Murders in the Building" co-stars Steve Martin and Selena Gomez. "What a beautiful audience," Short said. "I wish I could box you up and take you home like classified White House documents."
"Thank you so much," Oliver said when he got on stage. "It is a thrill to be here and to meet Steve Martin and Martin Short in the weirdest possible way."
NBC's "Saturday Night Live" once again won the award for best variety sketch series, which the show's creator Lorne Michaels accepted alongside a tearful Thompson and Kate McKinnon, who recently left the series. Michaels acknowledged the challenges of putting on the show given the pandemic, but paid tribute to the cast and crew's resilience. "There’s something in the DNA of the show," Michaels said. "When it’s 11:30 at on Saturday night, we show up."
Brett Goldstein took home his second Emmy for best supporting actor in a comedy for “Ted Lasso.” Accepting the award, the British actor recalled the "hardest part of being in 'Ted Lasso'": "trying not to ruin the take" because he’s too busy staring at his co-stars, "being like, ‘God, you’re good.' " He also got bleeped out by Emmy censors while thanking his family, after jokingly promising not to curse like he did last year.
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