The Emmy Awards aired as a live, virtual ceremony on Sunday, bringing Hollywood television stars together, distantly, through a giant would-be Zoom call with host Jimmy Kimmel.
The 72nd edition of the Primetime Emmy Awards witnessed HBO satire Succession win the Outstanding Drama Series award while Netflix sitcom Schitt's Creek swept the comedy category. Meanwhile, Watchmen took the prize home for Outstanding Limited Series.
The ceremony, which was forced to make major changes due to the coronavirus pandemic, aired on ABC without the typical celebrity audience or red carpet. Just a few live presenters, including Jennifer Aniston and an alpaca, appeared in the same space as Kimmel.
Instead, nominees were streamed from inside their homes with friends and family members, or at small gatherings, seated a safe distance apart from their castmates.
“You know how hard it is to try to get your parents to FaceTime?” Kimmel joked as he kicked off the show against a backdrop showing livestreams from the 100 award nominees. “Multiply that by a lot.” As Kimmel cracked jokes during his opening monologue, cameras cut to scenes of celebrities laughing in the audience during previous Emmy ceremonies. “Of course we don’t have an audience,” Kimmel said, contrasting the stripped-down Emmy’s to the in-person “Make America Great Again” campaign events of President Donald Trump. “This isn’t a MAGA rally, it’s the Emmys.”
The cameras showed Kimmel inside an empty Staples Center arena with a few cardboard cutouts of TV stars, similar to the ones being used to fill empty seats at Major League Baseball games. With live feeds directly to the nominees, presenters in black-tuxedo hazmat suits handed the awards to the winners. The show also used prerecorded profiles of essential workers, including a high school teacher and a nurse, to present several awards.
Some of the nominees donned formal attire, including the cast of the winning comedy series “Schitt’s Creek,” who appeared together at an event space in Toronto. Tables were spaced apart, and many of the gathering’s attendees wore black masks.
Here's the list of winners at the Emmys 2020:
Outstanding Drama Series:Succession
Outstanding Comedy Series: Schitt's Creek
Outstanding Variety Talk Show: Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
Outstanding Limited Series: Watchmen
Outstanding Television Movie: Bad Education
Outstanding Actor - Comedy: Eugene Levy (Schitt's Creek)
Outstanding Actor - Drama: Jeremy Strong, (Succession)
Outstanding Actor - Limited Series or Movie: Mark Ruffalo (I Know This Much Is True)
Outstanding Actress - Comedy: Catherine O'Hara (Schitt's Creek)
Outstanding Actress - Drama: Zendaya, (Euphoria)
Outstanding Actress - Limited Series or Movie: Regina King (Watchmen)
Outstanding Supporting Actor - Comedy: Daniel Levy, (Schitt's Creek)
Outstanding Supporting Actor - Drama: Billy Crudup, (The Morning Show)
Outstanding Supporting Actor - Limited Series or Movie: Yahya Abdul-Mateen 2 (Watchmen)
Outstanding Supporting Actress - Comedy: Annie Murphy, Schitt's Creek
Outstanding Supporting Actress - Drama: Julia Garner, (Ozark)
Outstanding Supporting Actress - Limited Series or Movie: Uzo Aduba (Mrs America
Outstanding Director - Comedy: Daniel Levy, (Schitt's Creek)
Outstanding Director - Drama: Andrij Parekh, (Succession)
Outstanding Director - Limited Series, Movie or Dramatic Special: Maria Schrader (Unorthodox)
Outstanding Writing - Comedy: Daniel Levy, (Schitt's Creek)
Outstanding Writing - Drama:Jesse Armstrong, (Succession)
Outstanding Writing - Limited Series, Movie Or Dramatic Special: Damon Lindelof, Cord Jefferson (Watchmen)
Outstanding Competition Program: RuPaul's Drag Race
Governors Award: Tyler Perry and The Perry Foundation
