Drama Comedy and The Crown In what turned out to be a successful night for streaming giant Netflix and British actor talent, Ted Lasso took home the top honors at television's Emmy awards on Sunday. At the same time, The Queen's Gambit was voted outstanding limited series.
The Crown was chosen best drama series, delivering Netflix its most prestigious award to date. At the same time, Ted Lasso, which follows the adventures of a poor English football club and their American manager, was given the best comedy series, a first for Apple TV+.
Olivia Colman and Josh O'Connor took home the top acting Emmys for their roles in the most recent season of The Crown, which was set in the 1980s during the reign of Margaret Thatcher as British Prime Minister and the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana.
The actors who played Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles, Colman and O'Connor, were nominated best drama actors and actresses.
Kate Winslet, a fellow British actress, won the best actress as a small-town detective in HBO's limited series Mare of Easttown, while Ewan McGregor won the best actor for his work on Netflix's Halston.
Supporting performers Gillian Anderson, who played Thatcher, and Tobias Menzies, who played Prince Philip, and writing and directing, won awards for The Crown.
“We're all ecstatic. I am quite pleased with myself. I'm extremely appreciative. At a luncheon in London for the cast and crew, the drama's creator, Peter Morgan, remarked, "We're going to party." Seven of the twelve acting prizes were won by British performers.
The star and co-creator of Ted Lasso, Jason Sudeikis, was voted best comic actor. At the same time, Hannah Waddingham and Brett Goldstein, both from the United Kingdom, were recognized for their supporting roles.
“This is a show about family,” says the narrator. This is a show about mentors and teachers, as well as teammates. And without those three things in my life, I wouldn't be here,” Sudeikis said as he accepted the award.
Against heavy opposition from episodes including Mare of Easttown and horrifying London-set sexual assault thriller I May Destroy You, the famous Queen's Gambit, which created a worldwide chess boom, won the prize for best limited series.
Netflix took home a record-breaking 44 honors, tying CBS's broadcast network record set in 1974.
Those who monitor diversity in Hollywood were disappointed by the ceremony. While there were a record number of nominations for people of color, only a few were awarded, including RuPaul for RuPaul's Drag Race and Michaela Coel for I May Destroy You, in which she also starred and directed.
Coel dedicated her Emmy to survivors of sexual assault, saying, "Write the story that scares you, that makes you feel uncertain, that makes you uncomfortable."
Cedric the Entertainer hosted the event, conducted outside due to fears over COVID-19, and switched from a hip-hop opening act to a series of pranks and sketches.
