Thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, we saw the 2020 Emmys go virtual for the first time ever, something which in itself would be newsworthy. However, the virtual awards ceremony proved to be one to remember – due to a few records being broken during the ceremony too.
One of the most notable wins of the night was Zendaya. The actress was awarded “Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series” for her turn as Rue Bennett in HBO’s Euphoria, fighting off entertainment giants such as Jodie Comer, Olivia Coleman, and Jennifer Anniston.
It makes sense that she won. The internet was fanatical about Euphoria when it aired, with Zendaya earning nothing but praise for her performance. The win was only more notable since Zendaya is officially the youngest person to ever win the award – at only 24-years-old. She is also only the second black actress to win in this Emmy category – following Viola Davis’ win in 2015 for her role in How To Get Away With Murder.
Image credit: Essence
Comedy series Schitt’s Creek also had a record-breaking night, becoming the first comedy series to win all seven major awards in one single year for its final season. That’s right, Schitt’s Creek won “Outstanding Comedy Series”, “Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series”, and “Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series” – as well as all four acting categories for a comedy series.
In my previous prediction article, I said how badly I would love for all four of the nominated Rose family to win for their portrayals but said how it was unrealistic. Well, trust the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences to prove me wrong and award them all with an Emmy. In fact, series creator Dan Levy became the first person to win an award in all four major categories in a single year for his roles as producer, director, writer and supporting actor. Though the show hasn’t fared particularly well in previous years at the Emmys, it seemed the Academy wanted to make up for it this year.
Image credit: Hollywood Reporter
Another highlight was Uzo Aduba’s win for “Outsmatanding Actress in a Limited Series or Movie” for her portrayal of Shirley Chisholm in Mrs America. She was a standout in Mrs. America’s talented star-studded cast that included people such as Cate Blanchett, Rose Byrne and Elizabeth Banks among others. With so many members of the cast nominated, it was nice to see one of them win for their work in a truly brilliant series.
HBO ended the night as the winner of the networks. After Netflix topped the nominations chart with 37 in total, HBO dominated the awards winning 11 awards compared to Netflix’s two.
The most nominated show of the year, Watchmen, earned HBO four of these awards winning for “Outstanding Limited Series”, “Outstanding Writing”, and Regina King and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II winning in their respective acting categories.
This is in no way a full list of the lucky winners of the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards, just some of my personal highlights. So why not, go check out the full list of Emmy winners yourself and see how your favourites did on awards night!
By Robbie Nichols
Feature image: The Indian Express