Eugene and Dan Levy took the stage to host the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on ABC on Sunday, and started with some jokes about The Bear. Eugene said, "I know some of you will be expecting us to make a joke about whether The Bear is really a comedy, but in the true spirit of The Bear, we will not be making any jokes.”
Selena Gomez, Steve Martin and Martin Short, cast members from Only Murders in the Building, were out as the first awards presenters, the latter two introduced by the Levys as part of The Golden Bachelor. Best supporting actor in a comedy went to Ebon Moss-Bachrach of The Bear on Hulu.
“I’m so grateful for this show,” he said, adding how pleased he is to “work with this incredible family.”
Colin Farrell was out next to give out best supporting actor in a drama. Billy Crudup of The Morning Show on Apple TV Plus won. “This is an incredible honor,” he said.
“This is for the writers and educators and allowed me to do the writing that was beyond my level,” Crudup added.
Damon Wayans, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and George Lopez came out to make some TV dad jokes before giving out the best lead actor in a comedy prize, to Jeremy Allen White of The Bear.
“My fellow nominees, I’m so honored to be in your company,” White said.
White noted how he is “so so so lucky” to be on the hit show. He said of his fellow cast members, “I want us to be in each others’ lives forever.”
Kaitlin Olson and Rob McElhenny were out next to award best supporting actress in a comedy. It went to Liza Colon-Zayas, who plays Tina on The Bear. Colon-Zayas said she could not comprehend writing a speech knowing she was up against the likes of Meryl Streep and Carol Burnett. “I revere you from the bottom of my heart,” she said.
She added, for Latinas who look up to her, “keep believing, and vote.”
Da’Vine Joy Randolph singled out best supporting actress in a drama, which went to Elizabeth Debicki of The Crown on Netflix.
“Peter [Morgan], thank you for making the show, and thank you for trusting me with this,” she said, calling her role in the series “my privilege.”
Candice Bergen awarded the top lead actress in a comedy. Jean Smart of Max series Hacks won. “It’s very humbling, it really is,” she said.
Smart thanked the Hacks showrunners, Jen Statsky, Paul W. Downs and Lucia Aniello, “for thinking of me.”
Padma Lakshmi and Sam Richardson awarded the outstanding reality competition, which went to The Traitors on Peacock. Host Alan Cummings thanked Peacock for its “kindness and support,” and the show’s cast and crew “who work so hard and get so wet in the Scottish weather.”
Anthony Starr, Giancarlo Esposito and Kathy Bates were out next to make jokes about TV villains, and award best supporting actress in a limited series. The Emmy went to Jessica Gunning of Baby Reindeer on Netflix.
“I’m so incredibly proud to be part of Baby Reindeer,” she said.
“My biggest thanks has to go to Mr. Richard Gadd,” Gunning added, saluting the show’s star.
Reba MecEntire and Melissa Peterman strolled onstage to award best scripted variety series. The Emmy went to Last Week Tonight With John Oliver on HBO.
Oliver thanked HBO for not cancelling the show, and singled out his dog. “We had to say good bye to her,” Oliver said. “She was an amazing dog.”
He then saluted all dogs. “You’re very good girls, you’re very good boys, you all deserve a treat,” he said.
SNL members past and present Maya Rudolph, Seth Myers, Kristin Wiig and Bowen Yang saluted Lorne Michaels with some quips, and awarded the Emmy for writing for a comedy special. Alex Edelman won for his HBO special. Edelman mentioned “my great collaborator,” Adam Brace, who passed away in 2023.
“I really miss Adam,” he said.
Edelman continued, “my crew and my producers, you are my family.”
Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna gave out outstanding director for a limited series, which went to Steven Zaillian for Ripley on Netflix.
“Making Ripley in Italy was its own reward,” he said.
The Emmy for writing for a comedy series was given out by Connie Britton, Meredith Baxter and Susan Kelechi Watson, representing TV moms. It went to the Hacks team of Jen Statsky, Paul W. Downs and Lucia Aniello.
“We make a show about comedy because, as three weird, lonely kids, it’s what made us feel connected to other people,” said Downs.
Billy Crystal then came out to award outstanding talk series. The Daily Show on Comedy Central won. “You made an old man very happy,” said Jon Stewart.
He then thanked “the heart and soul of the team, the keeper of flame, [showrunner] Miss Jenn Flanz,” who has been with the show since 1998.
Nicola Coughlan and Nava Mau presented best supporting actor in a limited series to Lamorne Morris of Fargo on FX. “Thank god for my beautiful mother,” Morris said. “My biggest champion ever since I dropped out of, uh…”
He saluted “my fellow nominees--Robert Downey, Jr., I got a poster of you in my house.”
Mekhi Phifer, Mindy Kaling and Zach Braff came out to talk about playing doctors on TV, and give out the prize for writing for a drama series. Will Smith of Slow Horses on Apple TV Plus won.
“Relax. Despite my name, I come in peace,” Smith said.
Ebon Moss-Bachrach awarded best writing for a limited series to Richard Gadd of Baby Reindeer. “Thank you to Netflix for letting me tell this story to the world,” Gadd said.
Gadd shared about the dark place he was in a decade ago, and how he’s onstage today, getting an Emmy. “No matter how bad it gets, it always gets better,” he said.
Ron Howard and Henry Winkler were out next for directing in a comedy. Christopher Storer of The Bear won.
“We all know how lucky we are to get to do this,” he said.
John Leguizamo shared about growing up and seeing white people play Latino characters in TV and film. “Everybody played us, except us,” he said.
He introduced Television Academy Chair Cris Abrego. “We all want to see content that is in dialogue with the real world,” said Abrego.
Joshua Jackson and Matt Bomer gave out the Governors Award to Greg Berlanti. He called the award a “deeply humbling honor of a lifetime, and opportunity of a lifetime.”
Berlanti praised his late mother. For the individuals who do not fit in, he said, she would tell them, “You are loved, you are worthy and you have a story to tell," same as she told Berlanti as a boy.
Jane Lynch and Brendan Hunt awarded directing for a drama, with some help from recent Olympians. Frederick E.O. Toye of FX’s Shogun won. He thanked the “heroes” who taught him to direct, including David Lean, Alfred Hitchcock, Akiri Kurosawa and Robert Wise.
Jelly Roll sang for the deceased, including Piper Laurie, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Susan Wojcicki, Don Buchwald, Phil Donahue, Louis Gossett Jr, Ryan O’Neal, Shannen Doherty and Gena Rowlands.
Jimmy Kimmel came out to salute the late Bob Newhart. He said Newhart had what few other comedians did: A degree in accounting.
He described Newhart as “one of our most loved and funniest people.”
Jimmy Smits, Don Johnson and Niecy Nash Betts saluted TV cops, and gave out the prize for lead actor in a limited series. Richard Gadd of Baby Reindeer got the Emmy.
“Thank you to the directors for bringing out the best in me,” he said, then apologized for forgetting to mention his parents in his previous trip onstage.
“They never ever told me what I needed to do with my life,” Gadd said. Instead, they told him, “Follow your heart and the rest will fall in place.”
LiIy Gladstone and Greta Lee awarded best lead actress in a limited series. It went to Jodie Foster of True Detective: Night Country on HBO.
She called it “an incredibly emotional moment,” and acknowledged "the Indigenous people of Northern Alaska.”
“It was love, love, love, and when you feel that, something amazing happens,” she said.
Jean Smart awarded outstanding limited series to Baby Reindeer. Gadd said TV may be in a slump, but “no slump is ever broken without a willingness to take risks.”
“Dare to fail in order to achieve,” he added.
Steven Yeun awarded lead actor in a drama to Hiroyuki Sanada of FX’s Shogun. “I’m beyond honored to be here with these amazing nominees,” he said.
He called the series “an east-meets-west dream project,” and added, “when people work together, we can make miracles.”
Gina Torres, Christine Baranski and Viola Davis, who’ve played lawyers on TV, gave out the lead actress in a drama prize to Anna Sawai of Shogun.
“Thank you to John Landgraf and the whole FX team for believing in our story,” Sawai said.
Cast members from The West Wing, including Martin Sheen and Allison Janney, gave out the top drama Emmy to Shogun. Showrunner Justin Marks said he had “no idea” how such a project got a green light. “Thank you for your faith in this incredible team,” he said.
Also in the running for that prize were The Crown, Fallout, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Slow Horses, The Gilded Age and The Morning Show.
Catherine O’Hara gave out the prize for top comedy to Hacks.
Jen Statsky, Paul W. Downs and Lucia Aniello came up to claim the trophy. “We are so lucky to live our dream and make television,” said Downs.
Curb Your Enthusiasm, Only Murders in the Building, Palm Royale, Reservation Dogs, The Bear and What We Do in the Shadows were also in the running for top comedy.
Added Aniello, “Please support comedy, it speaks truth to power!”
