A celebration of all things TV! Hollywood’s star-studded ceremony honoring the past year in television greatness made for a really exciting viewing experience.
The Television Academy’s 74th annual Primetime Emmy Awards brought out the brightest stars in TV to the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, for a gala ceremony hosted by Saturday Night Live stalwart Kenan Thompson, who brought his flawless talent for live comedy to the proceedings.
The celebration was filled with some truly memorable Hollywood highlights, including some fun, hilarious bits, surprising exchanges and unforgettable acceptance speeches.
Here’s a look at all the biggest, best and most emotional moments from Monday’s Emmy Awards.
Kenan Brings the Remixes
Thompson kicked off the show with some funny jokes about why TV means so much to the world, sharing, “Tonight we come together to honor the greatest invention in the history of mankind — television,” Thompson shared. “I mean, if it weren’t for TV, what would we do in our free time? Read books? No one in this room has read a book in the last 50 years. Watch TikTok? You mean tiny vertical TV? Or have sex? Gross! TV is all we have.” Thompson then kicked things over to the musical portion, which featured dance-filled modern club remixes of famous classic TV theme songs, including Friends, The Brady Bunch, and a wild Game of Thrones remix.
Oprah Gets Inspirational
Taking the stage to present the first award of the night, Oprah Winfrey delivered a message about the importance of always getting back up when you get knocked down, regardless of the odds. “There are eight billion people on this planet, but only 25 Emmys to be given out tonight. Your chances of winning? 300 million to 1. So how do you win one? It starts with a dream. A dream strong enough to endure the knockdowns and rejections. You can lose a role or a series, but there is one thing you can’t lose — the belief in yourself. Without that belief, you’ll never succeed. And even with it, you’ve got, at best, an outside chance,” she shared. “Every Emmy nominee tonight has been knocked down, but they got back up. And that’s why you’re here.”
Sheryl Lee Ralph Sings Her Heart Out
The comedian won in the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series category for her work on Abbott Elementary and serenaded the crowd while accepting her award — her first Primetime Emmy Award in a career spanning over five decades. Singing Dianne Reeves’ “Endangered Species,” Ralph delivered a statement with her song before motivating the audience with a beautiful speech filled with hope and gratitude. “To anyone that has ever, ever had a dream and though your dream, wasn’t, wouldn’t, couldn’t, come true, I am here to tell you that is what believing looks like,” Ralph said, beginning her impassioned acceptance speech. “This is what striving looks like.”
Lizzo Wins Big
After just one season of her new show, Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls, the singer-songwriter earned an Emmy Award. Appearing to be overwhelmed with emotion when her name was announced, Lizzo took the stage and immediately called for her “Big Grrrls” to join her in accepting the award. Lizzo went on to address the fact that full-figured women are not rare, their stories are just rarely told in mainstream media. “The stories that they shared, they’re not that unique. They just don’t get the platform telling stories. Let’s just tell more stories,” she continued. It was a stellar acceptance speech all around.
Kenan and Kel Come Together
Midway through Monday’s star-studded show, Kenan reunited with Kel Mitchell during a comedic interlude with Kumail Nanjiani. The surprise moment had both Kenan and Kel jumping with joy, showing off their kung fu moves and even featured Kenan teasing a sequel next year.
The 74th Primetime Emmy Awards were broadcast live on NBC and Peacock. In the meantime, check out the full winners list and stay tuned to ETonline.com for complete Emmys coverage.