Beyoncé loses to James Corden, Rachel Bloom’s baby bombshell, and 6 more things we learned at Emmy Awards 2019
The Simpsons is back in the limelight, Rachel Bloom announces her pregnancy, and Leaving Neverland, a documentary about Michael Jackson’s alleged abuse of young boys, is another HBO success
It’s awards season again. The Primetime Emmys kick things off on Sunday September 22, but television is more expansive than ever. Aside from the multitude of shows we have to watch, we also have numerous platforms to watch them on, such as YouTube, Netflix and Hulu. To ensure we don’t end up with a 15-hour broadcast, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences held the Creative Arts Emmy Awards last weekend, awarding a number of technical categories (and a smattering of others) over the course of two nights. Here are the biggest takeaways from the first night.
Netflix owns the night. What’s new?
Netflix cleaning up at an awards show is no longer breaking news. Last year, the streaming service received 112 nominations, becoming the first company in 18 years to beat HBO for the most nods. The behemoth continued on as an awards powerhouse on Saturday night, earning 15 Emmys. It won for several programmes, among them Springsteen on Broadway, Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj, Carmen Sandiego, the Hannah Gadsby comedy special Nanette and Queer Eye. The closest competing network was National Geographic with eight wins – and seven of those were for the documentary Free Solo.
James Corden beats Beyoncé
The late-night host might want to keep an eye out for the Beyhive. Though anyone with an internet connection surely thought Bey’s Homecoming concert movie was one of the year’s smash hits, Corden beat her in the outstanding variety special (pre-recorded) category. In fairness, Corden had some pretty strong ammunition: His Carpool Karaoke segment featuring Paul McCartney, in which the two drive around Liverpool and the former Beatle plays a surprise show at a pub, took home the prize. The most surprising aspect? Kanye West didn’t show up with an unsolicited opinion.
The Simpsons is still at it
This old dog is still up to its old tricks – namely, winning Emmys. The animated programme, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary, shocked everyone by taking home its 11th Emmy – and first since 2008. GoldDerby, which sets odds on awards shows, gave the show a 9/2 chance of winning outstanding animated programme, the worst in its category. But something about Mad About the Toy, which follows Grandpa reflecting on his part in getting a gay man fired years earlier and trying to make things right with him, struck a chord with the voters.
Rachel Bloom receives a statue – and announces a pregnancy
