After a postponement of three months in wake of the Hollywood SAG-AFTRA strike, the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards were finally held on Monday January 15, 2024. In Los Angeles, awards were issued based on the performances and entertainment given from June 2022 to May 2023 via primetime. The awards were broadcast live on Fox in a gala ceremony at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles hosted by Anthony Anderson.
Drama controlled by The Last of Us
The big winner of the night was HBO's The Last of Us, based on the popular video game of the same name. The dystopian Hulu series, led by Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey as Joel and Ellie, a pair of survivors in a post-apocalyptic world, scored eight awards that include Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Pascal, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Ramsey, and Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for Craig Mazin.
Meanwhile, the show also won eight more awards at the Creative Arts Emmys held on January 6 and 7, 2024 hence in total, it took 16 Emmys. Neil Druckmann, whose show was based on a video game that he wrote and who serves as executive producer, thanked fans along with the cast and crew for their support and dedication.
The White Lotus surprises with comedy wins
In a surprising win of the night, HBO's The White Lotus, a dark comedy following vignettes of various guests and employees at a Hawaiian resort. The show created by Mike White scored four of its own: Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Jennifer Coolidge, Outsanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for Murray Bartlett, and Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for White.
After all, the show was conceived as a limited series but got renewed for a second season featuring a different cast in August 2023. White said the pandemic had inspired him to try a show around themes of privilege, class and social inequality. He also praised his cast, singling out Coolidge as "a national treasure".
Other notable winners and moments
Some of the other notable winners and moments of the night were:
Another big Netflix winner Wednesday - the reboot of The Addams Family won five awards including Outstanding Limited Series, and Jenna Ortega for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie.
Road rage couple Hulu's Beef – with Steven Yeun and Ali Wong as a road rage couple – won three including outstanding lead actor in a comedy series for Yeun and outstanding lead actress in a comedy series for Wong. The show also won Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for Lee Sung Jin.
The Bear, the Apple TV+ thriller set around a former soldier who operates as a vigilante and starred Tom Hardy took three awards including Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for Hardy, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for Ben Mendelsohn and Steven Knight earned Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series or Movie.
Jimmy Kimmel, slated to host the Oscars in March 2024, had a cameo as a presenter and joked about those delays of the Emmys and the strike. He also got in on the act against the nominees, calling them "the best of the worst year ever".
Nick Offerman was announced as the winner of his first Emmy for Guest Actor in a Drama Series for role Bill Wilson in The Last of Us and gave the emotional speech in which he dedicated this award to his wife Megan Mullally who died last November 2023 after a long battle with cancer.
Emmys Awards 2024 Highlights
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Drama Series | The Last of Us (HBO) |
| Comedy Series | The White Lotus (HBO) |
| Limited Series | Wednesday (Netflix) |
| Lead Actor | Steven Yeun (Beef) |
| Lead Actress | Jennifer Coolidge (White Lotus) |
| Supp. Actor | Murray Bartlett (White Lotus) |
| Supp. Actress | Catherine O'Hara (Wednesday) |
| Writing | Lee Sung Jin (Beef) |
| Directing | Mike White (White Lotus) |
| Guest Actor | Nick Offerman (The Last of Us) |
| In Memoriam | Adele's Performance |
The In Memoriam section, featured a performance by Adele as she sang her song "Someone Like You," to remember the celebrities and industry professionals who died in 2023. Among many others includes Betty White, Sidney Poitier, Bob Saget, Ed Asner, Cicely Tyson, and Norm Macdonalds to name several men and women whose names were listed. –(IVNTV)