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Dan and Eugene Levy have come a long way from the fictional town of Schitt’s Creek, which is in the middle of nowhere. The father-son duo’s hit show won nine primetime Emmys throughout its run, and on Sunday night, the pair hosted the 76th Emmy Awards.
The ceremony already made history before it started. Shōgun, the FX drama set in feudal Japan, was nominated for 25 Emmys and took home 18 awards Sunday night, setting a new record for most wins by a show for a single season. And Hacks proved the old adage that the third time’s the charm when its third season earned it the award for outstanding comedy series.
The Bear went into the ceremony boasting 23 nods in the comedy category, becoming the most nominated comedy in Emmys’ history. During the show intro on Sunday night, Eugene Levy poked at The Bear, joking about the debate over the often dramatic show being nominated in the comedy categories: “In the true spirit of The Bear, we will not be making any jokes.”
That was hardly the case. The hosts, presenters, and winners cracked plenty of hilarious jokes, and The Bear did quite well for itself (aside from losing out on the top comedy honor), whatever its genre. Here are some of the most memorable moments of the evening.
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Best father-son host pair
Eugene Levy said he’s played a lot of dads, but his most rewarding role was playing Dan’s Dad in Schitt’s Creek “because it got me my first acting Emmy.”
The pair had lots of playful jokes aimed at the streaming services. Dan described the Emmys as “broadcast TV’s biggest night for honoring movie stars on streaming services.”
The duo traded barbs in between presenters. Dan Levy told the audience that his dad came close to getting the part of the gruff White House communications director on The West Wing, rubbing it in that Richard Schiff won an Emmy for that role. Eugene fired back with, “And how was your audition for Ripley?”
Terrific presenter trifecta
Only Murders in the Building stars Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez turned presenting the first award of the night into a comedy act, with Martin quipping to Short: “What an honor it is to be working with someone who looks like a former women’s tennis champion.” Gomez could not keep a straight face.
The Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series they presented went to Ebon Moss-Bachrach a.k.a. Richie a.k.a. Cousin for The Bear.
The Bear eats up the awards
In addition to Moss-Bachrach’s win, The Bear dominated the top acting awards for a comedy series.
Liza Colón-Zayas may have been a sous chef on The Bear, but she was front and center at the Emmys when she accepted her first Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (even if some viewers thought her turn in Season 3 was more deserving than the one she won for, Season 2). She thanked her husband and shouted out other Latinas in the industry. Her words of wisdom for the audience: “Vote. Vote for your rights.”
And the Television Academy said “Yes, Chef!” to Jeremy Allen White, who won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.
Smart-est acceptance speech
TV legend Jean Smart of Hacks accepted the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a comedy series, saying, “I really appreciate this because I just don’t get enough attention.”
Then she went on to mix up HBO and Max, finally pausing with her head down, looking up, and lamenting to the audience how many different streaming sites there were. It was Smart's third Emmy for her role as Deborah Vance.
When Harry Met Late Night
Billy Crystal, winner of six primetime Emmys, came onstage to present the award for Outstanding Talk Series and said, “It’s great to be…anywhere.”
He whipped out what he claims is a diary of his first appearances on the nominated shows, so as he announced the nominees, he read off his first impressions of the various talk show hosts. For the Daily Show, he said Jon Stewart told him they’d grab dinner after Crystal’s appearance on the program, but that he waited around and the host never showed up. Same with Seth Meyers. His first impression of Stephen Colbert: “Brilliant guy but I wonder if he’s ever seen himself naked.” The award went to The Daily Show, which Stewart notably returned to once a week this year following a fruitless search for a replacement for Trevor Noah.
Most adorkable acceptance speech
Fargo’s Lamorne Morris started his acceptance speech for his first Emmy win (Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series) by thanking his mom for supporting him “ever since I dropped out of her body.” Then he took time to fan out over fellow nominee and The Sympathizer actor, shouting “Robert Downey, Jr., I have a poster of you in my house!” Some posited that despite his great performance on the Noah Hawley show, it was also long overdue recognition for his beloved role in New Girl.
Jodie Foster’s first Emmy win
Jodie Foster has won numerous awards, including two Oscars and two Golden Globes, but on Sunday night, she won her first Emmy Award, for True Detective: Night Country. Her role as a detective investigating the disappearance of arctic researchers earned her an Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.
She ended her speech with words of wisdom for her two children: “Love and work equals art.”
Baby Reindeer sleighs!
Scottish comedian Richard Gadd was running up and down the stage all night long collecting top awards for writing and acting in a limited series.
His acceptance speeches were packed with life lessons he hoped to impart to young viewers, such as “the greatest gift” that his parents gave him: “They never, ever told me what I needed to do with my life.”
Gadd also said Baby Reindeer’s success at the Emmys is proof that you don’t necessarily need big studio backing to make a hit—“only good storytelling that speaks to our times.” He urged creatives to “explore the uncomfortable, dare to fail in order to achieve.”
A West Wing reunion
To mark the 25th anniversary of the Emmy-award winning drama, cast members from the West Wing appeared in a makeshift Oval Office to present the award for outstanding drama series, which went to Shogun. Allison Janey and Richard Schiff remarked on how amazing it was that writers had to “use their imaginations” to come up with their plot lines when today, “storylines could be plucked right off the news.” They also urged audience members to vote in the 2024 presidential election.
Shōgun’s historic wins
Shōgun, which was nominated for 25 Emmys, won a total of 18 awards on Sunday night, setting a record for the most Emmy Awards wins for a single season. The show also made history when Anna Sawai became the first Asian person to win the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Mariko.
Hiroyuki Sanada rounded off the top acting awards in the drama category by winning Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.
Hacks hacking it
Hacks—a show about a love-hate relationship between a veteran comedian and her woke 20-something comedy writer—won top awards in the comedy category, the Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. While accepting the award for best comedy series, co-creator Lucia Aniello explained why comedy is universal: “When you laugh with someone, you have something in common with them.”
TV doctors show off their funny bones
Some presenters were grouped by their TV roles. There were TV dads, TV moms, TV cops, lawyers, and villains. The TV doctors lineup got the most laughs when they talked about the people who motivated them while playing doctors. Mekhi Phifer from ER said he was inspired by the doctors in his life. Mindy Kaling, who played an OB-GYN on The Mindy Project, said she was inspired by her own OBGYN mom. And Zach Braff from Scrubs said he drew inspiration from waiting tables in Beverly Hills and eating footlongs from 7-11—half for lunch, half for dinner: “I was inspired to not live like that anymore.”
Zinger of the night
“Despite my name, I come in peace,” said screenwriter Will Smith, as he accepted the award for outstanding writing for a drama series for Slow Horses. He was making a winking reference to sharing a name with the actor Will Smith, who slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars in 2022.
Get ready to bow down to the fashion at the 2024 Emmys.
Indeed, as stars from shows like The Crown, Hacks, and Only Murders in the Building took to the carpet at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, they each showed up looking top-notch.
Take Laverne Cox, who was one of the evening's earliest arrivals. For the occasion, the Orange Is The New Black alum donned a gorgeous, vintage Alexander McQueen gown complete with gold applique along the hem, a bold and chunky gold necklace, and a black shawl. Olympian Ilona Maher was also an early stunner in an off-the-shoulder, velvet gown while RuPaul's Drag Race star Nymphia Wind left jaws on the floor in her banana-inspired outfit.
Meanwhile, Selena Gomez entered the building in a stunning, black Ralph Lauren gown featuring an embellished collar that matched all of her Tiffany & Co. jewelry, including an eye-popping diamond band on her engagement ring finger.
And Jennifer Aniston pushed her personal style boundaries, swapping her signature award show look of a classic black dress for a bejeweled Oscar de la Renta gown.
Stunning outfits for an important evening. After all, the night—helmed by hosts Eugene Levy and Dan Levy—brought much to celebrate.
Heading into the evening, actors such as The Bear’s Ayo Edebiri and Jeremy Allen White were nominated for their performances in the comedy while The Morning Show’s Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon were among the nominees on the drama side.
Two debut series—Baby Reindeer and Shogun—were each also highly nominated. The first, the Netflix series loosely based on creator Richard Gadd’s experience with a stalker, earned an impressive 11 nods, including nominations for Richard and costar Jessica Gunning.
But it was FX’s Shogun that was the most highly nominated series heading into the evening. Set in 1600s Japan, the show’s debut earned a whopping 25 nominations—including for stars Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai.
Other fan-favorite series hoping to rake in some more awards were Abbot Elementary, Reservation Dogs, and limited series Lessons in Chemistry (starring Brie Larson) and Ripley (Andrew Scott and Dakota Fanning.)
It was a diverse selection of stories for what was an unusual year, as Hollywood was brought to a standstill amid the writers' and actors' strikes.
As Television Academy chair Chris Abrego said during the nominations announcement, “While this year has been marked by significant challenges for our industry and its workforce, there has been an abundance of remarkable programs, extraordinary performances, and impactful storytelling. Great television relies on the contributions of so many.”
And to see how a few of those many dressed up for their big night, keep reading.
Jennifer Aniston
In Oscar de la Renta.
Ayo Edebiri
In custom Bottega Veneta.
Nicola Coughlan
In atelier Prabal Gurung.
Sofía Vergara
In custom Dolce & Gabbana.
Selena Gomez
In custom Ralph Lauren.
Reese Witherspoon
In Christian Dior.
Quinta Brunson
In Georges Chakra FW24 Couture.
Jeremy Allen White
In custom Calvin Klein.
Elizabeth Debicki
In Christian Dior, De Beers jewelry, Vacheron Constantin watch and Aldo shoes.
Meryl Streep
Laura Dern
Holland Taylor
Sarah Paulson
Viola Davis
In custom Zuhair Murad.
Juno Temple
In vintage Roberto Cavalli.
Maya Rudolph
In Chloé FW24 RTW.
Darius McCrary
Tess McCracken, Stephen Nedoroscik
In Jovani
Reba McEntire
Jonathan Bailey
In Giorgio Armani, Santoni shoes, and DeBeers jewelry.
Abby Elliott
Janelle James
In Marchesa.
Jean Smart
Brie Larson
In custom Chanel.
Da'Vine Joy Randolph
Jessica Gunning
Hannah Einbinder
In custom Louis Vuitton.
Sheryl Lee Ralph
In custom Ateliee Versace.
Paul Rudd
Lily Gladstone
In Wempe jewelry.
Jodie Foster wins lead actress in a limited anthology series or movie at the 2024 #Emmys for #TrueDetective: Night Country pic.twitter.com/aQdAg0jFOR
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) September 16, 2024