The Crown

Source: Liam Daniel/Netflix

‘The Crown’

The Crown gave Netflix its first ever best drama series win at the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, with the streaming giant also beating out regular awards rival HBO for the first time by taking the biggest overall Emmy haul.

The Queen’s Gambit earned Netflix another first win in the best limited or anthology series category and Ted Lasso provided Apple TV+ with its first big Emmy showing as best comedy series.

Starting with 129 nominations, Netflix took 10 awards during Sunday’s ceremony to add to the 34 it had scored during earlier Creative Arts Emmy events, for a total of 44 awards overall. That equalled the record for a single network in a single year, set by CBS in 1974.

HBO and HBO Max, which began with 130 nominations between them, together claimed nine Emmys at the live ceremony in Los Angeles on Sunday for an overall tally of 19. Disney+ ended up with 14 Emmys overall and Apple TV+ ten.

The Crown had the biggest haul for a single show with seven Emmy statuettes on Sunday for a total of 11 overall. The Queen’s Gambit had two wins on the night, for another 11 tally, while Ted Lasso netted four on Sunday for seven overall.

UK winners, surprises

Surprises during the ceremony included The Crown’s Olivia Colman winning best actress in a drama series over the same show’s hotly tipped Emma Corrin and Ewan McGregor, from Halston, winning for lead actor in a limited series rather than The Undoing’s Hugh Grant.

British on-screen talents – who gave Sunday’s ceremony its liveliest acceptance speeches – made a strong showing, with The Crown’s Josh O’Connor, Tobias Menzies and Claire Foy celebrating along with Colman and McGregor, Kate Winslet winning for Mare Of Easttown and Hannah Waddingham and Brett Goldstein taking trips to the podium for Ted Lasso.

British creatives celebrating included The Crown creator Peter Morgan, winner in the drama series writing category after three previous nominations, and Michaela Coel, a crowd-pleasing winner for writing her acclaimed limited series I May Destroy You.

Marvel Studios’ WandaVision did not win any awards at Sunday’s Primetime Emmys despite earning 23 nods overall. The show collected three awards at the Creative Arts Emmys last weekend.

As the first major awards show to require vaccinations for all attendees, Sunday’s Emmy ceremony took place in an air-conditioned tent near downtown Los Angeles’ Microsoft Theater, with a limited audience (only four tickets made available per nomination) sitting at dinner tables. Most of the winners from The Crown accepted via satellite from their own party in London.

Hosted by Cedric The Entertainer, the controversy-free show opened with a rap singalong number and was notably diverse in its presentation, though not a single performer of colour won in the major acting categories. Several presenters eulogised Michael K Williams, a strongly favoured nominee as supporting actor in a drama series for Lovecraft Country, who died two weeks ago, just after Emmy voting closed.

The Crown, which had been nominated for best drama series three times before, was widely expected to dominate, given that last year’s winner in the category, Succession, was not eligible because of pandemic-related production delays. The fourth season of the UK-made series also benefitted from a high-profile Charles-and-Diana storyline that was devoured by a captive pandemic audience.

’Ted Lasso’ comedy winner

The first season of UK-shot Ted Lasso was also predicted to be a big winner, thanks partly to its warm comic tone and the absence of last year’s dominant, and now-ended, comedy series Schitt’s Creek.

This year’s limited series category was much more competitive, with The Queen’s Gambit, Netflix’s most-viewed limited drama to date, up against other critically praised projects including HBO and the BBC’s acclaimed I May Destroy You, Amazon Prime Video’s challenging The Underground Railroad and HBO’s recent hit Mare Of Easttown. The category was recently rejigged to include anthology as well as limited series, and though no anthologies were nominated this year the change means that competition could be even fiercer in the future.

In the lead drama actress category, Corrin, who only appears in one season of The Crown, had been thought a more likely winner than Colman, who is leaving the show after two seasons.

The lead drama actor category was more open, with O’Connor’s fellow nominees including previous winner Billy Porter, from the final season of Pose, and Bridgerton’s Regé-Jean Page.

The three Creative Arts Emmys ceremonies that took place last weekend saw several feature documentaries honoured in the last awards round during which documentary films can qualify for both Oscar and Emmy consideration.

Boys State won in the documentary or nonfiction special category, 76 Days won the exceptional merit in documentary filmmaking award and Kirsten Johnson won for directing Netflix’s Dick Johnson Is Dead.

The earlier ceremonies also included an outstanding TV movie win for Dolly Parton’s Christmas On The Square, which beat out other nominees including Sylvie’s Love and Uncle Frank; an outstanding guest actress in a drama series win for The Crown’s Claire Foy; and an outstanding guest actor in drama series award for Lovecraft Country’s Courtney B Vance.

Key 2021 Emmy winners appear in bold below.

DRAMA SERIES

The Boys (Amazon Prime Video)

Bridgerton (Netflix)

The Crown (Netflix)

The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)

Lovecraft Country (HBO)

The Mandalorian (Disney+)

Pose (FX)

This Is Us (NBC)

 

COMEDY SERIES

Black-ish (ABC) 

Cobra Kai (Netflix) 

Emily in Paris (Netflix)

Hacks (HBO Max) 

The Flight Attendant (HBO Max) 

The Kominsky Method (Netflix) 

Pen15 (Hulu) 

Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)

 

LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES

I May Destroy You (HBO)

Mare Of Easttown (HBO)

The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix)

The Underground Railroad (Amazon Prime Video)

WandaVision (Disney+)

 

TELEVISION MOVIE

Dolly Parton’s Christmas On The Square (Netflix)

Oslo (HBO)

Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia (Lifetime)

Sylvie’s Love (Prime Video)

Uncle Frank (Prime Video)

 

LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

Olivia Colman (The Crown)

Uzo Aduba (In Treatment)

Emma Corrin (The Crown)

Elizatbeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale)

M J Rodriguez (Pose)

Jurnee Smollett (Lovecraft Country)

 

LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Rege-Jean Page (Bridgerton)

Jonathan Majors (Lovecraft Country)

Matthew Rhys (Perry Mason)

Billy Porter (Pose)

Josh O’Connor (The Crown)

Sterling K Brown (This Is Us)

 

LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

Aidy Bryant (Shrill)

Kaley Cuoco (The Flight Attendant)

Allison Janney (Mom)

Tracee Ellis Ross (Black-ish)

Jean Smart (Hacks)

 

LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Anthony Anderson (Black-ish)

Michael Douglas (The Kominsky Method)

William H Macy (Shameless)

Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso)

Kenan Thompson (Kenan)

 

LEAD ACTRESS IN A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE

Cynthia Erivo (Genius: Aretha)

Michaela Coel (I May Destroy You)

Kate Winslet (Mare Of Easttown)

Anya Taylor-Joy (The Queen’s Gambit)

Elizabeth Olsen (WandaVision)

 

LEAD ACTOR IN A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE

Paul Bettany (WandaVision)

Hugh Grant (The Undoing)

Ewan McGregor (Halston)

Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton)

Leslie Odom Jr (Hamilton)

 

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

Gillian Anderson (The Crown)

Helena Bonham Carter (The Crown)

Madeline Brewer (The Handmaid’s Tale)

Ann Dowd (The Handmaid’s Tale)

Aunjanue Ellis (Lovecraft Country)

Emerald Fennell (The Crown)

Yvonne Strahovski (The Handmaid’s Tale)

Samira Wiley (The Handmaid’s Tale)

 

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Giancarlo Esposito (The Mandalorian)

O-T Fagbenle (The Handmaid’s Tale)

John Lithgow (Perry Mason)

Tobias Menzies (The Crown)

Max Minghella (The Handmaid’s Tale)

Chris Sullivan (This Is Us)

Bradley Whitford (The Handmaid’s Tale)

Michael K. Williams (Lovecraft Country)

 

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

Aidy Bryant (Saturday Night Live)

Hannah Einbinder (Hacks)

Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live)

Rosie Perez (The Flight Attendant)

Cecily Strong (Saturday Night Live)

Juno Temple (Ted Lasso)

Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso)

 

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Carl Clemons-Hopkins (Hacks)

Brett Goldstein (Ted Lasso)

Brendan Hunt (Ted Lasso)

Nick Mohammed (Ted Lasso)

Paul Reiser (The Kominsky Method)

Jeremy Swift (Ted Lasso)

Kenan Thompson (Saturday Night Live)

Bowen Yang (Saturday Night Live)

 

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE

Renée Elise Goldsberry (Hamilton)

Phillipa Soo (Hamilton)

Julianne Nicholson (Mare Of Easttown)

Jean Smart (Mare Of Easttown)

Moses Ingram (The Queen’s Gambit)

Kathryn Hahn (WandaVision)

 

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE

Daveed Diggs (Hamilton)

Jonathan Groff (Hamilton)

Anthony Ramos (Hamilton)

Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You)

Evan Peters (Mare Of Easttown)

Thomas Brodie-Sangster (The Queen’s Gambit)

 

DIRECTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES

Julie Anne Robinson, Bridgerton, ‘Diamond Of The First Water’ (Netflix)

Benjamin Caron, The Crown, ‘Fairytale’ (Netflix)

Jessica Hobbs, The Crown, ‘War’ (Netflix)

Liz Garbus, The Handmaid’s Tale, ‘The Wilderness’ (Hulu)

Jon Favreau, The Mandalorian, ‘Chapter 9: The Marshal’ (Disney+)

Steven Canals, Pose, Series Finale (FX)

 

DIRECTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES

James Burrows, B Positive, pilot (CBS)

Susanna Fogel, The Flight Attendant, ‘In Case Of Emergency’ (HBO Max)

Lucia Aniello, Hacks, ‘There Is No Line’ (pilot) (HBO Max)

James Widdoes, Mom, ‘Scooby-Doo Checks And Salisbury Steak’ (CBS)

Zach Braff, Ted Lasso, ‘Biscuits’ (Apple TV+)

MJ Delaney, Ted Lasso, ‘The Hope That Kills You’ (Apple TV+)

Declan Lowney, Ted Lasso, ‘Make Rebecca Great Again’ (Apple TV+)

 

DIRECTING FOR A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE

Thomas Kail, Hamilton (Disney+)

Michaela Coel, Sam Miller, I May Destroy You, ‘Ego Death’ (HBO)

Sam Miller, I May Destroy You, ‘Eyes Eyes Eyes Eyes’ (HBO)

Craig Zobel, Mare Of Easttown (HBO)

Scott Frank, The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix)

Barry Jenkins, The Underground Railroad (Amazon Prime Video)

Matt Shakman, WandaVision (Disney+)

 

WRITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES

Rebecca Sonnenshine, The Boys, ‘What I Know’ (Amazon Prime Video)

Peter Morgan, The Crown, ‘War’ (Netflix)

Yahlin Chang, The Handmaid’s Tale, ‘Home’ (Hulu)

Misha Green, Lovecraft Country, ‘Sundown’ (HBO)

Dave Filoni, The Mandalorian, ‘Chapter 13: The Jedi’ (Disney+)

Jon Favreau, The Mandalorian, ‘Chapter 16: The Rescue’ (Disney+)

Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Steven Canals, Janet Mock, Our Lady J, Pose, Series Finale (FX)

 

WRITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES

Steve Yockey, The Flight Attendant, ‘In Case Of Emergency’ (HBO Max)

Meredith Scardino, Girls5eva, pilot (Peacock)

Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, Jen Statsky, Hacks, ‘There Is No Line’ (pilot) (HBO Max)

Maya Erskine, Pen15, ‘Play’ (Hulu)

Jason Sudeikis, Brendan Hunt, Joe Kelly, Ted Lasso, ‘Make Rebecca Great Again’ (Apple TV+)

Jason Sudeikis, Bill Lawrence, Brendan Hunt, Joe Kelly, Ted Lasso, pilot (Apple TV+)

 

WRITING FOR A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE

Michaela Coel, I May Destroy You (HBO)

Brad Ingelsby, Mare Of Easttown (HBO)

Scott Frank, The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix)

Chuck Hayward, Peter Cameron, WandaVision, ‘All-New Halloween Spooktacular!’ (Disney+)

Jac Schaeffe, WandaVision, ‘Filmed Before A Live Studio Audience’ (Disney+)

Laura Donney, WandaVision, ‘Previously On’ (Disney+)

 

DOCUMENTARY OR NON-FICTION SPECIAL

The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart (HBO)

Boys State (Apple TV+)

Framing Britney Spears (The New York Times Presents) (FX)

The Social Dilemma (Netflix)

Tina (HBO)

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