“The Pitt” cast and crew accepting the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times/TNS)
This past Sunday, Sept. 14, Hollywood stars gathered at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles for the 77th Emmy Awards. The Emmys are the most prestigious awards given to TV series, and the competition was particularly tough this year.
One of the biggest contenders was Netflix’s limited series hit “Adolescence,” with thirteen nominations and eight wins. Owen Cooper, who stars in “Adolescence,” became the youngest male actor to ever win an Emmy at just fifteen years old.
Another record-breaker this year was Apple TV’s “The Studio,” a comedy which stars Seth Rogan and focuses on the trials and tribulations of a fictional Hollywood studio.
“The Studio” became the most awarded comedy in a single year ever. It was nominated for twenty-three awards and took home thirteen, including Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (Seth Rogan), and more.
In the drama category, tensions were high between those rooting for either Apple TV’s “Severance” or HBO Max’s “The Pitt.”
“Severance” garnered twenty-seven nominations this year, which made it the most nominated series of the night. “The Pitt” received thirteen nominations.
The dichotomy between the two series is representative of two opposing sides of television right now. In the past few years, the very medium of television has been stretched and molded like never before.
Between feature-length episodes, limited series, and shows which take years to come out with a single season, audiences are tired. Many are over prestige and want something more familiar, while others believe prestige television is the way of innovation and originality.
“Severance” and “The Pitt” couldn’t be more different. One is a science fiction satire about late-stage capitalism with absurdist influences, and the other is a fast-paced medical drama that depicts common struggles of the American healthcare system.
While fans of both shows got heated online, there truly wasn’t a loser in the showdown between the two series. “Severance” won eight awards while “The Pitt” won five. Yet the biggest award of the night, Outstanding Drama Series, ended up going to “The Pitt.”
Like every award show, this year’s Emmys also had a few awkward moments. At this year’s ceremony, it was announced by host Nate Bargatze that $100,000 would be donated to the Boys & Girls Club of America.
However, there was a catch. The amount of money being donated started to dwindle if a winner took too long giving an acceptance speech.
Winners had forty-five seconds to give their speech, and every second they went over the allotted time would subtract $1,000 for the donation fund.
The internet was divided on opinions regarding the donation bit. Some said it was unfair for winners to be given this added moral pressure as they give a once-in-a-lifetime speech, while others found it funny and all in good fun.
By the time the show was over, the donation fund had receded to less than zero. Bargatze assured viewers it was a false threat all along; the full $100,000 would be donated.
Regardless of the time they were given, multiple stars used their acceptance speeches to speak on things they were passionate about.
Hannah Einbinder, who won Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in “Hacks,” made the clearest political statement of the night.
In the last sentence of her speech, Einbinder criticized ICE with a few choice words and spoke on the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
“Free Palestine,” Einbinder said. She also wore an Artists4Ceasefire pin alongside Javier Bardem, Megan Stalter, Aimee Lou Wood, Chris Perfetti, and more.
As awards season approaches, it’s telling to see which stories are rewarded and which are snubbed. The most important pieces of media right now are ones which are bold and steadfast in the face of increasing censorship.
Stephen Colbert won Outstanding Talk Series and received an emotional standing ovation upon accepting his award. In July, it was announced Colbert’s “The Late Show” would come to a sudden end after the airing of its current season.
CBS cited purely financial reasons for the cancellation, but many speculated the situation has more to do with the Trump Administration. CBS’s parent company, Paramount Global, recently paid over $16 million to settle a lawsuit from Trump which Colbert publicly criticized.
If the standing ovation and other ground-breaking wins are anything to go off of, audiences are hungry for authentic television. In such a saturated medium, the Emmys proved there’s truly a series for everyone’s taste right now.
The current hurdle isn’t finding a good series, but rather making sure quality television doesn’t face censorship and cancellation for simply making political statements.
Hopefully, the Emmys and other award shows continue to promote series and films that risk it all by being honest and free with their cultural commentary.