2024 Emmys: A Night of Celebrations and Setbacks
The 76th Primetime Emmy Awards lit up the Peacock Theater in downtown LA, bringing the star-studded event back to its usual fall timeframe. But while the red carpet was glowing, the diversity of winners left a lot to be desired. With only one Black winner out of 14 Black acting nominees across multiple categories, the evening's representation gap was hard to ignore.
Jeremy Alan White and Liza Colón-Zayas at the 76th Emmy Awards on Sunday September 15, 2024 | Photographer: Jordan Strauss
That shining Black star of the night? Lamorne Morris, who made his Emmys debut and scored a win for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for his role in “Fargo.” His acceptance speech was classic Morris—equal parts hilarious and heartwarming. With his mom by his side, Morris even gave his 3-year-old daughter, Lily, a playful shoutout for not believing in him. In true feel-good fashion, he capped his speech with, “If you got my number, that means I love you.”
Post-win, Morris was still trying to take it all in. “This is strange, but it’ll sink in at some point,” he said. “If I wake up in the morning and it’s still in my room, then I know it’s real.”
While Morris brought some much-needed shine to the night, the lack of non-white winners spoke volumes, casting a shadow on what should be a celebration of television's full spectrum of talent.
The Emmys' nostalgic tributes throughout the night kept things lively, though. Niecy Nash stepped into her "Reno 911" cop character for a fun nod to TV law enforcement, while Susan Kelechi Watson (Beth from This is Us) held it down for TV moms everywhere. Viola Davis gave us a fierce TV lawyer moment as Annalise Keating from How to Get Away with Murder, and Gina Torres joined her for her role as Jessica Pearson from Suits.
Dulé Hill also graced the stage alongside his fellow West Wing cast members to introduce the nominees for Outstanding Drama Series. Though Bradley Whitford was missing from the reunion, Hill's presence was a reminder of the classic series' impact.
Before the main broadcast even kicked off, Maya Rudolph snagged an Emmy for Outstanding Character Voice-over Performance for her role in Big Mouth. The wins didn’t stop there for multicultural talent, with Liza Colón-Zayas making history as the first Latina actress to win Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in The Bear.
Other big moments of the night? Shōgun cleaned up, taking home 18 Emmys for its first season, while HBO/Max’s Hacks was crowned best comedy.
Despite the groundbreaking wins by Morris and Colón-Zayas, the overall underrepresentation of non-white winners at this year's Emmys was a disappointing reminder of how far we still have to go. The voices and stories that light up our screens deserve to be seen and celebrated. Let’s hope the industry catches up with that truth, because when we all thrive, TV is better for it.