All the highlights from this year’s Emmy Awards ceremony
The Emmys have implemented a tough new rule this year – and in awkward scenes, Jennifer Coolidge was the first celeb to fall victim.
Emmy Awards
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The 75th annual Emmy Awards took place in Los Angeles today, following a four-month delay due to last year’s Hollywood strike.
Succession, Beef and The Bear all dominated at the awards, with Aussie Sarah Snook among the night’s big winners.
Check out the full list of today’s winners, and all the best photos of the stars walking the red carpet outside the venue, ahead of the ceremony’s live broadcast today on Foxtel and Binge.
Jennifer Coolidge gets the boot: “Wrap it up”
Jennifer Coolidge took out one of the night’s first awards, for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, thanking The White Lotus creator Mike White for casting her in the show. “I want to thank all the evil gays,” she said, referencing her character’s arc on the show.
Minutes earlier, host Anthony Anderson had introduced a novel spin on the traditional “playoff music” when winner speeches go long: His stern-looking mother, positioned in the audience, would stand up and tell award winners to finish their speeches.
It felt like a joke, but sure enough, when Coolidge went long – as Coolidge does so well – Anderson’s mother stood up in the audience and started heckling her, yelling that she needed to “wrap it up.” The actress tried to launch into a story she had prepared, but Anderson’s mother kept interrupting until she gave up and left the stage.
In practice, the joke felt more than a little awkward, and Coolidge was visibly thrown by being heckled while she was trying to do her thing. You’d think that by this point in her White Lotus award show victory lap, Emmys producers would’ve known better than to cut off Jennifer Coolidge when she’s trying to give them a memorable moment.
this bit with Anthony Anderson's mom cutting people's speeches off is not cute at all #Emmys
— Caitlin (@caitlingilbs) January 16, 2024
Anthony Anderson’s mom interrupting Jennifer Coolidge’s speech wasn’t funny. The whole bit isn’t funny. Give her the giant hook #Emmys2024#Emmys
— Monica - Hibernation Era ðŸ»ðŸ 🛌 (@VintageWingnut1) January 16, 2024
I think the shtick of Anthony Anderson's mom yelling at folks to #WrapItUp is gonna get old real quick. Her yelling at Jennifer Coolidge was so awkward to watch. #emmys#emmys2024
— Nihara Nichelle (@NiharaNichelle) January 16, 2024
After that awkward moment, Succession star Matthew Macfadyen repeated his Golden Globes win by taking out Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Succession. Perhaps fearing the wrath of Mrs Anderson, he was offstage in a matter of seconds.
Later on, award winner John Oliver leaned into the bit, saying he wouldn’t leave the stage until Anderson’s mum told him to – and starting listing off random footballer player names to fill in time.
“Baby …” she warned from the audience, rising from her seat as he scarpered from the stage.
Aussie star’s big win
Keiran Culkin won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for the final season of Succession, promising to keep his speech short because “I don’t want to get yelled at” (the threat of a dressing down from the host’s mum has loomed large all evening).
And he also dropped a surprise for his wife, seated in the audience, thanking her for the couple’s two children but telling her: “I want more.” More, meaning more children. “You said maybe, if I win!”
And moments later, his Aussie Succession co-star Sarah Snook won the female award in the same category, becoming emotional as she dedicated the award to her baby daughter, with whom she was pregnant filming the final season.
“I carried her in this season, but it was her who carried me,” Snook said.
“It’s very easy to act when you’re pregnant because you’ve got hormones raging. The proximity of her life growing inside me gave me the strength to do this. It’s all for you, from here on out.”
Minutes later, Succession also took out the night’s final award, for Best Drama Series, giving it six wins.
A show-stealing kiss
The Bear was one of the night’s big winners, winning Best Lead Actor and Best Supporting Actor and Actress in a Comedy Series awards.
So they were on a high by the time they took to the stage to accept the Best Comedy Series award – actor Matty Matheson accepted the award, but he’d barely started his speech when co-star Ebon Moss-Bachrach interrupted to give him a big, sloppy, long kiss on the lips.
— media (@mediaforone) January 16, 2024
Christina’s emotional moment
After a song-heavy, joke-light opening by host Anthony Anderson, the night’s first presenter took to the stage.
It was actress Christina Applegate, who has suggested she will retire from acting, and award show appearances, due to her ongoing battle with the debilitating disease multiple sclerosis.
Walking with a cane, Applegate was helped to the podium by Anderson – and broke down in tears at the rapturous standing ovation she received.
The always-hilarious comic actress composed herself enough to throw in a few quips, though.
“You’re totally shaming me with disability by standing up, it’s fine,” she told the audience, before referencing her weight gain since being diagnosed with MS: “Body not by Ozempic.”
Applegate was up for one of the night’s biggest awards, Best Actress in a Comedy Series, but minutes after her appearance on stage she lost out to Abbott Elementary star Quinta Brunson.
Niecy’s killer speech
Niecy Nash-Betts wins the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) January 16, 2024
pic.twitter.com/BFsXnwhEgB
She’s been nominated five times with no win so far – but finally, Niecy Nash-Betts won her first Emmy, winning for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series for her work in Dahmer.
And she sure savoured the moment, saving her biggest thanks for one person in her stirring speech: Herself. “I want to say to myself in front of all of you beautiful people: Go’on girl with your bad self, you DID that,” she said, to cheers from the audience.
Paul Walter Hauser wins the award for Supporting Actor - Limited Anthology Series or Movie at the #Emmyspic.twitter.com/tjRLaXe6tv
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) January 16, 2024
Less inspiring was the male winner in the same category, Paul Walter Hauser, who appeared to be midway through eating something when his win was called – and just kept on chewing, all through his speech.
Attention, nominees: Please, for all our sakes, snack around your category being announced.
Iconic TV casts reunite
Heartfelt TV reunions have peppered the show, with cast members from classic shows like Cheers, The Sopranos and Grey’s Anatomy coming together to present some of the night’s biggest awards.
Later on, Calista Flockhart appeared in Ally McBeal’s classic unisex bathroom set, where she was joined by several of her former co-stars on the show for a cheesy dance around the stage that earned big cheers from the audience. Some of the night’s reunions had felt slightly stilted, but these guys leaned in to the nostalgia of it all and were clearly loving their time back together on stage:
Hollywood legend’s rare outing
Joan Collins joined actress Taraji P. Henson to present one of the night’s final awards – and looked super-glam for someone turning 91 in May.
The pair presented Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series award to Beef, capping off a winning streak for the show that saw its stars win Best Actor and Actress in a Limited Series, plus Directing and Writing awards.
The main award winners (full list is here)
Outstanding Comedy Series – The Bear
Outstanding Drama Series – Succession
Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series – Beef
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series – Jeremy Allen White for Beef
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series – Quinta Brunson for Abbott Elementary
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series – Kieran Culkin for Succession
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series – Sarah Snook for Succession
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie – Steven Yeun for Beef
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie – Ali Wong for Beef
Originally published as All the highlights from this year’s Emmy Awards ceremony
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