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72nd Primetime Emmy Awards: Sweeping wins and outspoken stances

Jimmy Kimmel hosted the 72nd annual Emmys from home on September 20.  – Photo by Youtube

“The show must go on,” according to the Television Academy. 

The annual Emmy Awards turned virtual this year with Jimmy Kimmel hosting the show through a  Zoom-like conference call with more than 100 live screens inside the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California.

All of television's biggest and brightest stars were in attendance, but at their respective homes. Each nominee either had a hazmat suit man waiting outside with their Emmy statue or a surprise box, with the statue inside, that only opened if they won. 

“Welcome to the Pandemmys,” Kimmel jokingly said during his opening monologue, as the glamorous award show attempted to push on even when a looming pandemic was hovering over everyone’s head.

Nevertheless, the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards brought new award show records, creative fashion moments and inspiring political messages. 

The biggest winner of the night was “Schitt’s Creek,” a Canadian sitcom that was popularized by Netflix, for winning a total of seven awards: Best Comedy, Best Directing, Best Writing, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Supporting Actor. The Canadian sitcom became the first show to pick up all seven comedy categories and all acting awards for comedy in a season. 

“Schitt’s Creek” is the biggest show on TV this year, with nine wins, including two other awards from the 72nd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards. Daniel Levy, who played David Rose in the TV show, took home 4 out the 7 statues for directing, writing, producing and acting for “Schitt’s Creek.” 

Shockingly, Zendaya won the best actress in a drama series for “Euphoria.” Big award shows, like the Academy Awards and Emmy Awards, are notorious for skipping young and newly nominated actors. But Zendaya proved to be different by winning her first nomination and becoming the youngest winner for her category at 24 years old. 

Many articles predicted Jennifer Aniston to win the best actress in a drama for “The Morning Show,” including the New York Post and Los Angeles Times, yet Zendaya’s win feels right — even when it comes as a surprise. 

No worries for Aniston fans as there was a small reunion of the women cast of “Friends,” with Lisa Kudrow (Phoebe Buffay) and Courtney Cox (Monica Geller). The trio made a small cameo together when Kimmel had a call with Aniston from her home. 

Since all the winners had their awards delivered to their homes and no red carpet existed, the fashion took a hit. Not as many designer labels and beautiful ball gowns were strutting down the Emmy Awards this year. After all, “come as you are” was the night’s dress code as the Television Academy relaxed from its typical black tie dress code.

Still, the fashion was beautiful and virtuous at this year’s Emmy Awards.

Some honored the Black Lives Movement, like Regina King in a Schiaparelli fuchsia suit with a Breonna Taylor shirt. Others showed that dressing up at home is possible, like Tracee Ellis Ross dressing in a multi-layered lamé dress by Alexandre Vauthier.

The common message from the winners was "Go vote"! All the speeches had their "Thank you’s" and "I love you’s," but the current political climate of the next election seems to be the most popular message of the night. 

“I just wanted to say for any of you who have not registered to vote please do so,” Levy said after his last win of the night for Best Comedy Series. 

Many of the winners held their statues high and proud while speaking on the importance of voting — needless to say, do register to vote!

Kimmel made jokes about the crisis surrounding this year’s election, even referencing President Donald J. Trump’s U.S. Postal Service dilemma. Kimmel had a dialogue with a Vladimir Putin look-alike, a bald man with a Russian accent, dressed in a Postal Service uniform, explaining how the “USSPS” is trustworthy. 

The Emmy Awards politely had essential workers give personal testimonies and present a few awards. It also seemed to be a way for the Television Academy to thank all the heroes during the pandemic. 

The show wrapped nicely with the announcement of the Best Drama Series won by “Succession,” and left a mark in society on how a glamorous award show can exist in both a pandemic and a political war.


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