Historical Wins at the Emmys

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Marian Delfin, Staff Writer

The 74th Emmy Awards were both familiar and historic. The evening began with the host, Kenan Thompson, launching into a familiar and entertaining monologue about the nominated shows and stars of the evening.

Kenan Thompson during the opening of the 74th Emmy’s saying his opening monologue (Photo by Chris Haston/NBC via Getty Images)

He said, “Stranger Things was so hard to watch because it was scary. Squid Game was hard to watch because it was violent, and Yellowjackets was hard to watch because it’s on Showtime.” He also joked that “Twenty-six is a weird age in Hollywood, I mean you’re old enough to play a high school student but you’re too old to date Leonardo DiCaprio.” The evening was historic because seven awards went to people of color in acting and in other roles. This is a substantial increase compared to the 2021 Emmys, during which no people of color won an Emmy for an acting role.  

 

Zendaya, as she wins Lead Actress in a Drama Series. This is her second Emmy for Rue in Euphoria (Photo by Chris Haston/NBC via Getty Images)

Now onto the real winners of the evening, this year – for the first time ever – two people of color won for Best Actor and Actress in a Drama Series. Zendaya won Best Actress in a Drama Series and became the youngest two-time winner for her role of Rue in Euphoria. Lee Jung Jae won an Emmy for Best Actor in a Drama Series, for his leading role in Squid Game, and became the first Asian and native Korean to win an Emmy for Best Actor. Adding on to Squid Game, director Hwang Dong-Hyuk, became the first Southern Korean to win Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series.

Lee Jung Jae and Hwang Dong-Jae posing for the camera with their Emmy awards. (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)

Sheryl Lee Ralph becomes the second Black person to win Outstanding Supporting Character in a Comedy Series for her role in Abbott Elementary. In an inspiring acceptance speech, Ralph encouraged, “anyone who has ever, ever had a dream and thought your dream wouldn’t come true. I’m here to tell you that this is what believing looks like. This is what striving looks like and don’t you ever, ever give up on you.” In a further nod to diversity and inclusion, Grammy-winning artist, Lizzo, accepted an Emmy for Outstanding Competition Program as an executive producer for her show Lizzo’s Watch Out For The Big Grrrls. In a touching acceptance speech, Lizzo recalled the lack of representation in media when she was younger, noting when she was “a little girl, all I wanted to see was someone like me in the media, fat like me, Black like me, beautiful like me.”  In another, historic first, Saturday Night Live won two more Emmys and now owns eighty-four Emmys in total – the highest total number of Emmys for any program.

Sheryl Lee Ralph accepting her award for Outstanding Supporting Character in a Comedy Series (Photo by Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images)

Multi-talented Black actress and writer Quinta Brunson was nominated for three awards including, Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, and Outstanding Comedy Series as a producer. She won her first Emmy that night for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. While walking up the stage to retrieve her award, Quinta had to step over Jimmy Kimmel who was laying on the floor the whole time she was saying her speech. Some found this “comedic bit” to be rude and disrespectful towards Quinta by taking away her spotlight, but Jimmy apologized to Quinta.

Quinta Brunson winning Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, her first Emmy ever. Also pictured, Jimmy Kimmel lying on the floor. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

 

 

 

Overall, the 74th Emmys were familiar, yet historic in terms of diversity and inclusion because many people of color won Emmys, which will inspire future generations to achieve their dreams.