The Emmys 2021: And the winners are…

We’re back baby! While the at-home versions of award shows were fun and we enjoyed the suspense of people in hazmat suits carrying Emmy Awards arriving at people’s doors, only to turn and leave when they lost, it just wasn’t quite the same.

The Emmys returns this year and surprisingly, there were no out-and-out winners with some shows taking home most of the acting gongs but missing out on the top prizes.

The ones to note

Michaela Cole’s beautiful speech is already doing the rounds and while we reckon I May Destroy You really deserved Fleabag levels of fandom, it did get its moment in the limelight and Cole certainly did not allow it to go to waste.

Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

May Destroy You, Michaela Coel
Mare of Easttown, Brad Ingelsby
The Queen’s Gambit, Scott Frank
WandaVision, “Filmed Before A Live Studio Audience,” Jac Schaeffer
WandaVision, “Previously On,” Laura Donney
WandaVision, “All-New Halloween Spooktacular!” Chuck Hayward, Peter Cameron

Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special

Stanley Tucci: Searching For Italy
My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman
Oprah with Megan and Harry: A CBS Primetime Special
United Shades Of America with W. Kamau Bell
VICE

Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Special

Boys State
Framing Britney Spears (The New York Times Presents)
The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart
The Social Dilemma
Tina

Outstanding Competition Program

RuPaul’s Drag Race
The Amazing Race
Nailed It!
Top Chef
The Voice

Outstanding Television Movie

Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square
Oslo
Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia
Sylvie’s Love
Uncle Frank

Comedy Series

Jason Sudeikis either won or was thanked in nearly all of the comedy series categories. Unfortunately, when it came to his turn to say his thank yous, his long-time mentor and Saturday Night Live icon Lorna Michaels appeared to have taken that moment to “go poop” and missed his heartfelt shout-out from the SNL alum.

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series

Maya Rudolph, Saturday Night Live
Jane Adams, Hacks
Yvette Nicole Brown, A Black Lady Sketch Show
Bernadette Peters, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist
Issa Rae, A Black Lady Sketch Show
Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

Dave Chappelle, Saturday Night Live
Alec Baldwin, Saturday Night Live
Morgan Freeman, The Kominsky Method
Daniel Kaluuya, Saturday Night Live
Daniel Levy, Saturday Night Live

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Hannah Waddingham, Ted Lasso
Aidy Bryant, Saturday Night Live
Hannah Einbinder, Hacks
Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live
Rosie Perez, The Flight Attendant
Cecily Strong, Saturday Night Live
Juno Temple, Ted Lasso

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Brett Goldstein, Ted Lasso
Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Hacks
Paul Reiser, The Kominsky Method
Nick Mohammed, Ted Lasso
Jeremy Swift, Ted Lasso
Kenan Thompson, Saturday Night Live
Bowen Yang, Saturday Night Live

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso
Anthony Anderson, Black-ish
Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method
William H. Macy, Shameless
Kenan Thompson, Kenan

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Jean Smart, Hacks
Aidy Bryant, Shrill
Kaley Cuoco, The Flight Attendant
Allison Janney, Mom
Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish

Outstanding Comedy Series

Ted Lasso
Black-ish
Cobra Kai
Emily in Paris
Hacks
The Flight Attendant
The Kominsky Method
Pen15

Limited Series or Movie

While Mare of Easttown took home the majority of the acting trophies, they were pipped to the final post by runaway Netflix hit, The Queen’s Gambit. But with so much good TV out there at the moment, it’s quite nice to see the love so evenly spread, and while we’d love to have seen Cole pick up Best Lead Actress here, there’s no denying that Kate Winslet proved that movie-star power translates to the small screen.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie

Evan Peters, Mare of Easttown
Daveed Diggs, Hamilton
Jonathan Groff, Hamilton
Anthony Ramos, Hamilton
Paapa Essiedu, I May Destroy You
Thomas Brodie-Sangster, The Queen’s Gambit

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie

Julianne Nicholson, Mare of Easttown
Phillipa Soo, Hamilton
Renée Elise Goldsberry, Hamilton
Jean Smart, Mare of Easttown
Moses Ingram, The Queen’s Gambit
Kathryn Hahn, WandaVision

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie

Kate Winslet, Mare of Easttown
Michaela Coel, I May Destroy You
Cynthia Erivo, Genius: Aretha
Elizabeth Olsen, WandaVision
Anya Taylor-Joy, The Queen’s Gambit

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie

Ewan McGregor, Halston
Paul Bettany, WandaVision
Hugh Grant, The Undoing
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
Leslie Odom Jr., Hamilton

Outstanding Limited Series or Movie

The Queen’s Gambit
I May Destroy You
Mare of Easttown
The Underground Railroad
WandaVision

Drama Series

This category was dominated by one show and one show only, in fact, the same show that’s dominated for a number of years – The Crown. Olivia Coleman was a favourite to take Lead Actress, giving an emotional tribute to her late father in her acceptance, but Gillian Anderson, Tobias Menzies and Josh O’Connor, in particular, were surprise winners.

And if you weren’t cheering on Tobias Menzies, you clearly haven’t watched Aisling Bea’s This Way Up yet. What are you waiting for?

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Tobias Menzies, The Crown
Giancarlo Esposito, The Mandalorian
O-T Fagbenle, The Handmaid’s Tale
John Lithgow, Perry Mason
Max Minghella, The Handmaid’s Tale
Chris Sullivan, This Is Us
Bradley Whitford, The Handmaid’s Tale
Michael K. Williams, Lovecraft Country

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series

Gillian Anderson, The Crown
Helena Bonham Carter, The Crown
Madeline Brewer, The Handmaid’s Tale
Aunjanue Ellis, Lovecraft Country
Emerald Fennell, The Crown
Yvonne Strahovski, The Handmaid’s Tale
Samira Wiley, The Handmaid’s Tale

Outstanding Lead Actor In a Drama Series

Josh O’Connor, The Crown
Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us
Jonathan Majors, Lovecraft Country
Regé-Jean Page, Bridgerton
Billy Porter, Pose
Matthew Rhys, Perry Mason

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Olivia Colman, The Crown
Uzo Aduba, In Treatment
Emma Corrin, The Crown
Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid’s Tale
MJ Rodriguez, Pose
Jurnee Smollett, Lovecraft Country

Outstanding Drama Series

The Crown
The Boys
Bridgerton
The Handmaid’s Tale
Lovecraft Country
The Mandalorian
Pose
This Is Us