Emmys 2017 highlights: the big winners
The Handmaid’s Tale, Veep, Big Little Lies, and SNL claim top prizes
Game of Thrones has handed its Emmys crown to female-led dramas, with big wins for The Handmaid’s Tale and Big Little Lies at this year’s awards.
Ceremony host Stephen Colbert ensured politics was also in the spotlight during Sunday night’s event, at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles. The satirist delivered a politics-laden opening monologue, with frequent mentions of Donald Trump - and there was a surprise cameo from the president’s former press secretary, Sean Spicer.
Colbert also thanked Game of Thrones on behalf of all of the nominees for being ineligible for the awards this year, owing to its later-than-usual air date.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Here are some of the key moments of the night.
Female-led drama
It was a great night for female-led drama, with two big winners emerging. Top honours this year went to the dystopian series The Handmaid’s Tale. The show won five awards, including best drama, best actress, for Elisabeth Moss, and best supporting actress, for Ann Dowd.
Leading lady Moss drew the attention of censors during her acceptance speech. Addressing her mother in the audience, the actress said: “You have taught me that you can be kind and a f***ing badass” - which was then “bleeped out” in the TV coverage, reports the Los Angeles Times.
Domestic dramas
Domestic noir Big Little Lies also scooped five awards, including acting wins for Nicole Kidman and Laura Dern. Kidman said her role had “shone a light” on the “insidious disease” of domestic abuse, and thanked her family for their sacrifices.
But OK! magazine points out that while Kidman thanked her two youngest daughters, she forgot to mention her two adopted children with Tom Cruise. OK! claims some viewers were “shocked” by the omission.
Topical speeches
Writing in Time magazine, Ashley Hoffman says that in a charged political climate, topical speeches defined the night. Host Colbert even looked at the camera to address Trump directly, Hoffman notes.
“Hello sir. Thank you for joining us. Looking forward to the tweets,” Colbert said.
And the “hits only got more pointed from there”, writes Hoffman.
Colbert then segued into Sean Spicer - “the cameo of the night”. The audience “lost it” as Trump’s former press secretary came out to assess the crowd size.
When asked about the audience, Spicer said: “This will be the largest audience to witness an Emmys, period! Both in person and around the world” - referencing his own controversial comments on the disputed crowd size at the president’s inauguration.
Trump’s Emmy gripes
The awards also honoured political comedy, with wins for Julia Louis-Dreyfus in Veep, and Alec Baldwin for his Saturday Night Live performances as Trump.
Louis-Dreyfus joked that her series had developed a narrative about impeachment but abandoned it for fear that someone would get there before them.
Meanwhile, Baldwin addressed Trump's long-running gripes about his failure to win an Emmy for The Apprentice: “I suppose I should say, at long last, here, Mr. President, is your Emmy.”
Westworld satire
In a pre-recorded clip mocking HBO’s breakout hit Westworld, a naked Colbert played a glitching “host” - a robots who appear human, in the the sci-fi western - at the Westworld diagnostic facility. The show’s Dr Bernard Lowe, played by Jeffrey Wright, asks Colbert: “Have you ever questioned the nature of your reality?” To which, Colbert responds: “Every day since November 8 [the presidential election].”
British talent
British talent was in the spotlight too, with The Night Of star Riz Ahmed claiming the award for best lead actor in a limited series. The actor - the first Asian man and first Muslim to take home an Emmy - said that he hoped his dramatic performance highlighted issues of Islamophobia and injustice.
Other British winners included Charlie Brooker, who won an Emmy for outstanding writing in a limited series for his Netflix show Black Mirror. Meanwhile, British comedian John Oliver and his writing team claimed the award for outstanding variety talk series for Last Week Tonight.
A complete list of winners can be found here.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
'Making a police state out of the liberal university'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
8 looming climate tipping points that imperil our planet
The Explainer New reports detail the thresholds we may be close to crossing
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Try 6 free issues of The Week Junior
Spark your child's curiosity with The Week Junior - the award-winning current affairs magazine for 8-14s.
By The Week Published
-
Silversea cruise review: a Central and North American adventure
The Week Recommends An incredible journey featuring cultural exploration, cooking classes, comfort and more
By Yasemen Kaner-White Published
-
The 'adorable Irishness' of The Bear's Ayo Edebiri
Why Everyone's Talking About How the award-winning actor has been claimed by the nation as a daughter of Ireland
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
The Westbury Hotel review: stunning suites in charming Dublin
The Week Recommends This hotel is the perfect spot to while away a weekend in Ireland's capital
By Kaye O'Doherty Published
-
Drama movies 2024: new films out this year
In Depth Latest reviews include The Boys in the Boat, One Life and Tchaikovsky's Wife
By The Week UK Last updated
-
Best new hotels and places to stay in 2024
The Week Recommends Featuring stylish island resorts, historical properties and wilderness retreats
By The Week UK Last updated
-
Albums of the year: best music of 2023
The Week Recommends A look back at the best pop, rap, jazz, dance, classical and rock releases
By The Week UK Published
-
Savoy Grill by Gordon Ramsay review: an institution reinvented
The Week Recommends Traditions are maintained and the tweaks are clever and modern
By Neil Davey Published
-
Tulum: a Mexican beach town of 'two halves'
The Week Recommends With the 'pueblo' and 'Zona Hotelera', Tulum is home to great hotels, restaurants and beach clubs
By William Leigh Published