The 76th Primetime Emmy Awards took place Sunday, Sept. 15 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The night was hosted by the well-known father-son duo Dan and Eugene Levy, known for creating and starring in the comedy series “Schitt’s Creek.” The night was filled with many monumental moments, including a record-breaking number of awards won by the drama series “Shogun,” but the night started with an electric opening monologue from the hosts. 

Dan and Eugene Levy’s Opening Monologue 

Levy opened the monologue by poking fun at the recent transition of movie stars staring in more television series, expressing, “Broadcast TV’s biggest night for honoring movie stars on streaming services.”  

The two then commented on their relationship, with Eugene speaking about all the different “Dad” roles he played over the years, sharing with Dan, “Without question, my most rewarding dad role ever has been being your dad… in ‘Schitt’s Creek,’” receiving a large laugh from the audience. 

Throughout the rest of the monologue, the father-son duo bounced off each other’s energy, with Eugene taking a heart-warming route when talking about many TV shows, including “Abbott Elementary.” The hosts’ monologue was funny and relevant, keeping the audience engaged. 

“Shogun’s” Recording Breaking Night

“Shogun,” a drama series about the power struggles in feudal Japan, came into the night with 24 nominations, winning 18 awards, and 14 of them coming from the Creative Arts Emmy Awards* the weekend before. The show won Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Hiroyuki Sanada), Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Anna Sawai) and Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series (Frederick E.O. Toye).  

Sanada was the first Japanese actor to win an Emmy, and Sawai became the second just moments later. Both individuals were extremely thankful for the show, voicing how much their teamwork had paid off. 

“Hacks” surprises “The Bear”

“The Bear” dominated the comedy series awards, coming in with 24 nominations overall, and winning Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (Jeremy Allen White), Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (Liza Colón-Zayas) and Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series (Christopher Storer). After these many wins earlier in the night, many believed The Bear was a guaranteed win for outstanding comedy series, but “Hacks” had other plans. 

“Hacks” won Outstanding Comedy Series, a shock to many people in the audience. “The Bear” won the award in 2023 for their first season, and with the show only growing in popularity and praise, “Hacks” winning the award came as a large surprise. 

D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai makes a statement on the Red Carpet 

D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, a first-time nominee for his role as Bear Smallhill in “Reservation Dogs,” displayed a painted bright red handprint across his mouth/lower face, representing and bringing awareness to missing and murdered Indigenous women. Woon-A-Tai is Oji-Cree First Nations and Guyanese, and he wanted to use this opportunity to bring awareness to the missing and murdered Indigenous women who do not receive enough attention from the public and police force. 

Richard Gadd wins big with “Baby Reindeer”

Richard Gadd, the creator and star of “Baby Reindeer,” a show about a young man being stalked by a woman for many years, won two of the show’s four awards. Gadd won the award for Outstanding Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie and Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. The show also won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie (Jessica Gunning) and Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series. 

Gadd’s acceptance speech mentioned having perseverance throughout the process of writing and acting in the show, slightly hinting at the negative focus the UK media had on the show. “Baby Reindeer” is based on a true story and is currently under fire for a $170 million defamation lawsuit from Fiona Harvey, Gadd’s real-life stalker, who the show’s premise was slightly based on. 

Liza Colón-Zayas becomes the first Latina to win Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series 

Liza Colón-Zayas won the award for her portrayal of Tina Marrero in “The Bear,” making her the first Latina person to do so. She thanked her husband in her speech, admitting, “I didn’t write a speech because I didn’t think it would be possible.” She concluded her speech with, “And vote. Vote for your rights,” urging people to vote in the upcoming presidential election. It was a monumental night for Colón-Zayas and Latina women everywhere. 

*The Creative Arts Emmy Awards are a smaller part of the Emmys that highlight choreography, casting, game-show hosting, stunts and other categories before the Primetime Emmy Awards. 

This story was written by MaryKate Stepchuk. She can be reached at [email protected].