3 days Ago By Michael Idato
There were tears, jubilation and plenty of awkward speeches racing against the clock at the 76th annual Emmy Awards. And, as with all good TV shows, there was one stunning twist — as Hacks wrested the comedy award from favourite The Bear . Australia walked away swathed in Emmy glory.
Elizabeth Debicki won for supporting actress in a drama for her work on The Crown . Accepting the award, the 34-year-old described the late Princess Diana as an “unparalleled, incredible human being”. Elizabeth Debicki in the press room after being named outstanding supporting actress in a drama series.
Credit: AP Debicki’s win added to an unexpected early haul for Australia: the American adaption of the hit series Love on the Spectrum won two Emmys, namely casting for a reality program and directing for a reality program, from four nominations at last weekend’s Creative Arts Emmys. But our second acting nominee, Naomi Watts, was pipped by Jodie Foster, a first-time Emmy winner, in the actress in a limited series category. It’s a shame; Watts’ work, as American socialite Babe Paley in the critically acclaimed Feud: Capote vs The Swans , was a career-best performance.
The telecast for the 76th annual Emmys delivered a charm sandwich, with a big side serve of nostalgia. As a walking, talking, award-accepting metaphor for the business, there were wins for The Bear and Baby Reindeer pitched squarely at Gen Z, as well as anniversary reunions for Happy Days and The West Wing . The critically acclaimed drama Shogun was the night’s favourite, scoring 14 Emmy wins at last weekend’s Creative Arts Emmys, before they had even started handing out awards at TV’s night of nights.
In the end, its total haul was 18, including directing, actor, actress and drama series. The success of Shogun also has implications for the value of the FX brand, which was to some extent pushed into the sidelines after the Disney-Fox merger. But now, off the back of Shogun ’s stunning winning streak, it stands easily shoulder to shoulder with Netflix and HBO.
The cast and crew of Shogun receive their award for outstanding drama series. Credit: AP This year’s awards were held in the Peacock Theatre in downtown Los Angeles. They were technically the second Emmys of 2024.
Industrial action by writers and actors effectively closed the entertainment industry for the best part of last year, forcing the 75th annual Emmys, which were scheduled for September 2023, to be delayed until January..
