The 71st Emmy Awards aired live and host-less from the Microsoft Theater in LA on Sunday. It was just the fourth time in the show’s history that the show didn’t have an emcee (Homer Simpson gave it a shot, until a piano fell on him… Anthony Anderson and Bryan Cranston were on hand for the save), but there was no shortage of star power, from Michael Douglas to RuPaul, to the cast members of Veep and Game of Thrones (which tied the record for most wins for best drama), to Hamilton’s Lin-Manuel Miranda and Kardashians, among others. Actor/comedian Thomas Lennon took the place of a traditional off-camera voiceover narrator, offering a … lighter … take on talk as winners made their way to the stage. Highlights from thank you speeches included:
“I hope that in some small way our show has helped remind people of the value of truth and the danger of the lie.” – Craig Mazin, Chernobyl
“I count myself so fortunate to be a member of a community that is all about tolerance and diversity, because nowhere else could I be standing on a stage like this. ” – Game of Thrones’ Peter Dinklage, winning a record fourth trophy in the Outstanding Supporting Actor category
“Speaking of voting and love, go register to vote.” – RuPaul, RuPaul’s Drag Race
“Nooo…oh my God nooo!” – Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Fleabag
“If we let this slide, they’ll start using Alexa to present the nominees.” – Stephen Colbert, on the Emmys’ host-less format
“The category is love, y’all, love!” – Billy Porter (Pose), the first openly gay black man to win the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor
“The next time a woman, and especially a woman of color – because she stands to make 52 cents on the dollar compared to her white, male counterpart – tells you what she needs to do her job: Listen to her. Believe her. Because one day she might stand in front of you and thank you for allowing her to succeed because of her workplace environment and not in spite of it.” Michelle Williams, Fosse/Verdon
“Game of Thrones set the standard for storytelling and it will be missed.” – Seth Meyers
And the winners were:
Outstanding Comedy Series: Fleabag (Amazon)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy: Bill Hader, Barry
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy: Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Fleabag
Outstanding Drama Series: Game of Thrones (HBO)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series: Billy Porter (Pose)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series: Jodie Comer (Killing Eve)
For a full list of winners, go here.