2021 Emmy Awards: Full list of winners from TV’s biggest night – National

After a year that most of us spent inside in front of our televisions, the Emmy Awards were especially poignant this time around.

Justin Sudeikis, star of the warm-hearted Ted Lasso, and Jean Smart of the generation-gap story Hacks won top comedy series acting trophies at Sunday’s Emmy Awards.

Smart, who received a standing ovation, began her acceptance speech on a sombre note: Her husband actor, Richard Gilliland, died six months ago.

“I would not be here without him” and his willingness to put her career first, said Smart. She also praised their two children as “courageous individuals in their own right.”

Sudeikis, who also produces the series that many viewers found a balm for tough pandemic times, gave a speech that evoked the chipper, upbeat character he plays in the series about a U.K. soccer team and its unlikely American coach.

“This show’s about families and mentors and teammates, and I wouldn’t be here without those things in my life,” said Sudeikis. He also thanked his fellow castmates, saying “I’m only as good as you guys make me look.”

Castmates Hannah Waddingham and Brett Goldstein earned the evening’s first honours.

An ebullient Waddingham, winner of the best supporting actress award for a comedy, said series star and producer Jason Sudeikis “changed my life with this, and more importantly my baby girl’s.”

Goldstein, who won the counterpart award for supporting actor, said he had promised not to swear and either mimed or was muted for a few seconds, then called the show the “privilege and pleasure” of his life.

Gillian Anderson and Tobias Menzies of British royal drama The Crown were honoured for their supporting performances.

Anderson, who played British political leader Margaret Thatcher, used her acceptance speech to thank her manager of 20 years for her mentorship and believing in her talent before she did.

Menzies who plays Prince Philip, didn’t attend the ceremony, which included a London gathering for The Crown nominees.

Before announcing the winner in his category, presenter Kerry Washington saluted another nominee, Michael K. Williams of Lovecraft County. Williams died Sept. 6 at age 54.

“Michael was a brilliantly talented actor and a generous human being who has left us far too soon,” Washington said.

Julianne Nicholson and Evan Peters claimed best supporting acting honors for the limited series Mare of Easttown, about crime and family dysfunction.

“The script was “true to the horror and beauty of ordinary people’s lives,” particularly the lives of women, said Nicholson.

Both she and Peters saluted star Kate Winslet.

“Man, you’re good at acting. But turns out you’re good at caring for a whole production,” Nicholson said.

The show opened with a musical number that featured host Cedric the Entertainer rapping a modified version of the Biz Markie hip-hop hit Just a Friend with lyrics like “TV, you got what I need.”

LL Cool J bounded from the audience as stars like Rita Wilson, Mandy Moore and more dropped verses celebrating the breadth of television.

Seth Rogen presented the first award, throwing some cold water on the celebratory vibe by noting that the Emmys were being held in a giant tent. “There’s way too many of us in this little room,” he exclaimed in what seemed to be an attempt to be funny that fell flat.

“I would not have come to this,” he continued.

“Why is there a roof? It’s more important that we have three chandeliers than make sure we don’t kill Eugene Levy tonight. That is what has been decided.”

There are big names among the presenters, including Angela Bassett, Michael Douglas, Dolly Parton and Awkwafina, but at least one star, Jennifer Aniston, was candid about staying away because of virus concerns.

Reginald Hudlin and Ian Stewart, executive producers for the telecast, said they approached the reduced attendance as an opportunity. Instead of being confined to a theatre seat, guests will be at tables and part of what sounds like an oversized dinner party — with drinks and snacks allowed — and encouraged to mingle.

Ratings for awards shows, from Oscars to the Grammys, have been steadily declining in recent years and hit new depths during the pandemic — and the Emmys weren’t exempt.

After hitting a record-low viewership of just under seven million in 2019, last year’s telecast tumbled further to 6.1 million viewers, according to Nielsen.

Find the winners in all the major categories in the list below, highlighted live as the ceremony goes on.

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Drama Series

The Boys
Bridgerton
The Crown
The Handmaid’s Tale
Lovecraft Country
The Mandalorian
Pose
This Is Us

Comedy Series

Black-ish
Cobra Kai
Emily in Paris
Hacks
The Flight Attendant
The Kominsky Method
Pen15
Ted Lasso

Lead Actor, Drama

Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us
Jonathan Majors, Lovecraft Country
Josh O’Connor, The Crown
Regé-Jean Page, Bridgerton
Billy Porter, Pose
Matthew Rhys, Perry Mason

Lead Actress, Drama

Uzo Aduba, In Treatment
** WINNER: Olivia Colman, The Crown
Emma Corrin, The Crown
Elizabeth Moss, The Handmaid’s Tale
MJ Rodriguez, Pose
Jurnee Smollet, Lovecraft Country

Lead Actor, Comedy

Anthony Anderson, Black-ish
Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method
William H. Macy, Shameless
** WINNER: Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso
Kenan Thompson, Kenan

Lead Actress, Comedy

Aida Bryant, Shrill
Kaley Cuoco, The Flight Attendant
Allison Janney, Mom
Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish
** WINNER: Jean Smart, Hacks

Supporting Actor, Drama

Michael K. Williams, Lovecraft Country
John Lithgow, Perry Mason
** WINNER: Tobias Menzies, The Crown
O-T Fagbenle, The Handmaid’s Tale
Max Minghella, The Handmaid’s Tale
Bradley Whitford, The Handmaid’s Tale
Giancarlo Esposito, The Mandalorian
Chris Sullivan, This Is Us

Supporting Actress, Drama

Aunjanue Ellis, Lovecraft Country
** WINNER: Gillian Anderson, The Crown
Helena Bonham Carter, The Crown
Emerald Fennell, The Crown
Madeline Brewer, The Handmaid’s Tale
Ann Dowd, The Handmaid’s Tale
Yvonne Strahovski, The Handmaid’s Tale
Samira Wiley, The Handmaid’s Tale

Supporting Actor, Comedy

Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Hacks
Kenan Thompson, Saturday Night Live
Bowen Yang, Saturday Night Live
** WINNER: Brett Goldstein, Ted Lasso
Brendan Hunt, Ted Lasso
Nick Mohammed, Ted Lasso
Jeremy Swift, Ted Lasso
Paul Reiser, The Kominsky Method

Supporting Actress, Comedy

Hannah Einbinder, Hacks
Aidy Bryant, Saturday Night Live
Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live
Cecily Strong, Saturday Night Live
Juno Temple, Ted Lasso
** WINNER: Hannah Waddingham, Ted Lasso
Rosie Perez, The Flight Attendant

Guest Actor, Drama

Don Cheadle, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
Charles Dance, The Crown
Timothy Olyphant, The Mandalorian
** WINNER: Courtney B. Vance, Lovecraft Country
Carl Weathers, The Mandalorian

Guest Actress, Drama

Alexis Bledel, The Handmaid’s Tale
** WINNER: Claire Foy, The Crown
Mckenna Grace, The Handmaid’s Tale
Sophie Okonedo, Ratched
Phylicia Rashad, This Is Us

Guest Actor, Comedy

Alec Baldwin, Saturday Night Live
** WINNER: Dave Chappelle, Saturday Night Live
Morgan Freeman, The Kominsky Method
Daniel Kaluuya, Saturday Night Live
Daniel Levy, Saturday Night Live

Guest Actress, Comedy

Jane Adams, Hacks
Yvette Nicole Brown, A Black Lady Sketch Show
Bernadette Peters, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist
Issa Rae, A Black Lady Sketch Show
** WINNER: Maya Rudolph, Saturday Night Live
Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live

Variety Talk Series

Conan
The Daily Show With Trevor Noah
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
** WINNER: Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert

Competition Series

The Amazing Race
Nailed It!
** WINNER: RuPaul’s Drag Race
Top Chef
The Voice

Limited or Anthology Series

I May Destroy You
Mare of Easttown
The Queen’s Gambit
The Underground Railroad
WandaVision

Made-for-TV Movie

** WINNER: Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square
Oslo
Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia
Sylvie’s Love
Uncle Frank

Lead Actor, Limited Series or Movie

Paul Bettany, WandaVision
Hugh Grant, The Undoing
** WINNER: Ewan McGregor, Halston
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
Lesie Odom, Jr., Hamilton

Lead Actress, Limited Series or Movie

Michaela Coel, I May Destroy You
Cynthia Erivo, Genius
Elizabeth Olsen, WandaVision
Ann Taylor-Joy, The Queen’s Gambit
** WINNER: Kate Winslet, Mare of Easttown

Supporting Actor, Limited Series or Movie

Daveed Diggs, Hamilton
Jonathan Groff, Hamilton
Anthony Ramos, Hamilton
Paapa Essiedu, I May Destroy You
** WINNER: Evan Peters, Mare of Easttown
Thomas Brodie-Sangster, The Queen’s Gambit

Supporting Actress, Limited Series or Movie

Phillipa Soo, Hamilton
Renée Elise Goldsberry, Hamilton
Jean Smart, Mare of Easttown
** WINNER: Julianne Nicholson, Mare of Easttown
Moses Ingram, The Queen’s Gambit
Kathryn Hahn, WandaVision

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— With files from The Associated Press