MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Streaming giant Netflix was poised to have a huge haul heading into the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards. Powered by heavyweights The Crown and The Queen’s Gambit, Netflix fulfilled the prophecy to the tune of 44 Emmy wins. Other networks and streaming services made their mark, however, as Netflix was joined by an HBO show about a 40-something sheriff in a fictional Pennsylvania town investigating a murder and an Apple TV+ favorite about an American football coach suddenly thrust into managing an English Premier League bottom-dweller.
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After wrapping up its fourth season, Netflix’s tale based on the British royal family once again flexed its muscles to the tune of 11 Emmy wins. Olivia Colman took home Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in her final turn as Queen Elizabeth II. Just as Claire Foy won an Emmy before handing the crown to her, Colman now turns the crown over to Imelda Staunton as the fifth season of The Crown finishes filming. Also nominated was co-star Emma Corrin, who played Lady Diana Spencer on The Crown, Jurnee Smollett in Lovecraft Country, Uzo Aduba for In Treatment, MJ Rodriguez for Pose, and Elizabeth Moss, the titular character in The Handmaid’s Tale.
Congratulations to the cast and crew of The Crown for 11 Emmy wins — including Best Drama Series, Best Actress for Olivia Colman, Best Actor for Josh O’Connor, Best Supporting Actress for Gillian Anderson and Best Supporting Actor for Tobias Menzies. pic.twitter.com/FUNxPpzUU8
— The Crown (@TheCrownNetflix) September 20, 2021
As the increasingly headstrong and difficult Prince Charles of the 1980s, Josh O’Connor won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in The Crown. His fellow nominees were Rege-Jean Page for Bridgerton, Jonathan Majors for Lovecraft Country, Matthew Rhys as the title character in Perry Mason, Billy Porter in Pose, and Sterling K. Brown in This Is Us.
Playing Elizabeth’s dutiful husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh won Tobias Menzies Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for The Crown. Among the other nominees was the recently deceased Michael K. Williams for Lovecraft Country, John Lithgow for Perry Mason, the trio of O-T Fagbenle, Max Minghella, and Bradley Whitford for The Handmaid’s Tale, Giancalo Esposito as Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian, and Chris Sullivan in This Is Us.
Although she was only able to portray former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher for one season, it was enough for Gillian Anderson to win Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. Her win as “the Iron Lady” came at the expense of co-stars Helena Bonham-Carter and Emerald Fennell, as well as Aunjanue Ellis for Lovecraft Country, and the quartet of Ann Dowd, Madeline Brewer, Samira Wiley, and Yvonne Strahovski in The Handmaid’s Tale.
The Crown emerged as Outstanding Drama Series, downing The Mandalorian, Bridgerton, Lovecraft Country, Pose, The Boys, The Handmaid’s Tale, and This Is Us. Adding to the period drama’s haul was Jessica Hobbs’ win for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for the episode “War.” This was the same episode that won series creator Peter Morgan the Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series Emmy.
Returning to play Elizabeth II once more in a flashback sequence in The Crown was enough to earn Claire Foy another Emmy, for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. Courtney B. Vance won Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his role in Lovecraft Country.
For his part, Jason Sudeikis won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for playing the titular character in Ted Lasso. His performance as a perpetually optimistic American football coach hired to turn around the fortunes of Premier League club AFC Richmond won the hearts of viewers worldwide and votes from the Academy. Sudeikis emerged from a field of nominees that included Anthony Anderson for black-ish, Kenan Thompson for Kenan, William H. Macy for the final season of Shameless, and veteran Michael Douglas for The Kominsky Method.
Speaking of veterans, Jean Smart won her fourth Emmy, this time for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series playing Deborah Vance in Hacks. Smart outdueled Tracee Ellis Ross for black-ish, Aidy Bryant for Shrill, Kaley Cuoco in The Flight Attendant, and Allison Janney for Mom. So good was Smart that she was also nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for playing the title character’s mother in Mare of Easttown.
The spotlight shone once more on Ted Lasso as Brett Goldstein defeated co-stars Brendan Hunt, Nick Mohammed, and Jeremy Swift to win Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Role. For playing perpetually cranky, about-to-retire foul-mouthed football team captain Roy Kent, Goldstein had to outduel three of AFC Richmond’s “Diamond Dogs” in Coach Beard, Coach Nate, and Leslie Higgins respectively. Also nominated were Carl Clemons-Hopkins for Hacks, Kenan Thompson and Bowen Yang for Saturday Night Live, and Paul Reiser for The Kominsky Method.
Hannah Waddingham, previously probably most famous for portraying Septa Unella (a.k.a. “the Shame Nun) on Game of Thrones, now counts an Emmy among her achievements. For playing recently divorced and hurting team owner Rebecca Welton on Ted Lasso, she won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, beating co-star Juno Temple who played the bubbly Keely. Other nominees were the trio of Aidy Bryant, Kate McKinnon, and Cecily Strong from Saturday Night Live, Hannah Einbinder for Hacks, and Rosie Perez for The Flight Attendant.
Veteran standup comic Dave Chapelle won Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for when he hosted Saturday Night Live. SNL alum Maya Rudolph returned to her roots to win Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.
Ted Lasso won the big award, defeating black-ish, Cobra Kai, The Kominsky Method, Emily in Paris, Hacks, pen15, and The Flight Attendant for Outstanding Comedy Series.
Congratulations to the entire Ted Lasso team on their 7 #Emmy wins, including Outstanding Comedy Series. https://t.co/uzBBajEqqh pic.twitter.com/LDZ3QXMZSH
— Apple TV (@AppleTV) September 20, 2021
In what might have been the surest of sure wins, Kate Winslet was named Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie as the title character in HBO’s Mare of Easttown. Her Pennsylvania-accented, tough-talking sheriff who has been dealing with her son’s recent suicide was an overwhelming favorite. Other nominees were Cynthia Erivo for Genius: Aretha, Michaela Coel for I May Destroy You, Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff in WandaVision, and Anya Taylor-Joy in The Queen’s Gambit.
Ewan McGregor played the rise and fall of eccentric fashion designer Halston in Netflix’s Halston, which won him Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. He defeated the pair of Lin-Manuel Miranda and Leslie Odom Jr. for Hamilton, Hugh Grant for The Undoing, and Paul Bettany in WandaVision.
Evan Peters, who guest-starred as Wanda’s brother on WandaVision, had a more prominent, and ultimately tragic role on Mare of Easttown. His performance was enough to win him Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. He downed a trio of stars from Hamilton in Daveed Diggs, Jonathan Groff, and Anthony Ramos, as well as Paapa Essiedu in I May Destroy You, and Thomas Brodie-Sangster as a chess hustler and champion in The Queen’s Gambit.
Julianne Nicholson played Mare Sheehan’s best friend, and ultimately had to deal with perhaps the most grief on Mare of Easttown. For this performance, she won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. She beat out co-star Jean Smart, Renee Elise Goldsberry and Phillipa Soo from Hamilton, Moses Ingram for The Queen’s Gambit, and Kathryn Hahn as Agatha Harkness on WandaVision.
Congrats to the cast and crew of The Queen’s Gambit for their incredible 11 Emmy wins — including outstanding limited series! pic.twitter.com/wusChYp8xV
— Netflix (@netflix) September 20, 2021
The Queen’s Gambit pulled off what was perhaps the upset of the evening, surprising Mare of Easttown to win Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series. The Netflix series about a chess prodigy competing in major tournaments during the Cold War also defeated I May Destroy You, The Underground Railroad, and Disney’s WandaVision. Scott Frank also won Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for The Queen’s Gambit while Michaela Coel won Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie in the show she herself starred in, I May Destroy You.
The 44 Emmys that Netflix won tied the most wins for a single platform set by CBS back in 1974. Behind it was HBO with 19, considerably down from winning last year’s count when it won 30.
