Laura Haley
Staff Writer
During the evening of Sunday, Sept. 17, the 69th annual Primetime Emmy Awards were hosted by Stephen Colbert, broadcasted live on CBS. In Colbert-like fashion, the awards presentation included political humor, mostly directed at President Trump.
As the evening began, “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) captured nearly all comedy awards, whereas “Westworld” secured the rest in the division. Continuing on with “Saturday Night Live,” celebrity Kate McKinnon achieved her second consistent Emmy for Best Supporting Actress on a Comedy Series. Castmate Alec Baldwin obtained another Emmy for “SNL,” specifically for his Trump imitation. Meanwhile, Julia Louis-Dreyfus made history when she picked up her sixth Emmy in a row for the Best Comedy Actress representing “Veep,” with the show also winning the Emmy for Best Comedy Series, despite HBO disclosing the series ending soon. In the category for Lead Actress in a Limited Series, “Big Little Lies,” Nicole Kidman stole her first Emmy, conquering a competitive division which included past Oscar winners and co-star Reese Witherspoon, as well as “Feud” favorites Jessica Lange and Susan Sarandon. Accompanying Kidman, Alexander Skarsgård earned Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series “Big Little Lies.” Companion Laura Dern attained her first Emmy for Best Supporting Actress; this helped promote the HBO show to Best Limited Series.
Hulu scored a successful night with their series “The Handmaid’s Tale,” claiming the award for Best Drama Series when it dominated over “This Is Us,” “Stranger Things” and “House of Cards,” just to name a few.
One of the biggest names for the night was “The Handmaid’s Tale.” This thriving Hulu series received 13 nominations, winning in Outstanding Drama Series. Closely following “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Big Little Lies” scored a win for Limited Series which attempted to inform viewers about domestic violence.
Along with “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Big Little Lies,” politics were a prominent subject during TV’s biggest night. Colbert, as host, carried on in normal fashion by nudging humorous comments directed at President Trump. Guest star Sean Spicer, former white house press secretary made an appearance and even contributed to the fun by joking about himself.
Contrary to the political humor, history was made when Lena Waithe from “Master of None” was the recipient of the first ever Emmy awarded to a black woman for writing a comedy series.
In conclusion, the 69th annual Emmy awards were filled with humor, surprises and history-making. Although some fan favorites like “Stranger Things,” “House of Cards” and “The Crown” did not conquer the high titles, it was a successful evening, especially for the Comedy and Drama categories.