76th Primetime Emmy Awards (2024): Television Grows Up
The 76th Primetime Emmy Awards, held on September 15, 2024, arrived at a moment when television no longer feels like cinema’s younger sibling — it feels like its equal, and sometimes its superior. With prestige drama, subversive comedy, and limited series continuing to push form and audience expectations, this year’s Emmys weren’t about crowning trends. They were about recognizing maturity — in storytelling, in performance, and in the way television now holds space for nuance.
From the very first award, it was clear this would be a night that favored intention over noise. Long gone are the days when the Emmys felt like a network popularity contest. The winners of 2025 reflected an industry deeply aware of its power — and unafraid to wield it thoughtfully.
Outstanding Drama Series
Nominees:
- The Crown (Netflix)
- Fallout (Prime Video)
- The Gilded Age (HBO)
- 3 Body Problem (Netflix)
- Mr. & Mrs. Smith (Prime Video)
- Slow Horses (Apple TV+)
- Shōgun(FX / Hulu) — WINNER
- The Morning Show (Apple TV+)
Shōgun’s victory felt inevitable — but no less satisfying. A series defined by restraint, scale, and deep emotional intelligence, its Emmy win confirmed what critics and audiences already knew: this is television operating at an operatic level without sacrificing intimacy. The production trusted silence, performance, and historical specificity, and the Academy rewarded that trust.
Lead Acting – Drama
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Nominees:
- Idris Elba — Hijack
- Gary Oldman — Slow Horses
- Donald Glover — Mr. & Mrs. Smith
- Walter Goggins — Fallout
- Dominic West — The Crown
- Hiroyuki Sanada — Shōgun — WINNER
Sanada’s win was a triumph of internalized performance. His portrayal was measured, authoritative, and quietly devastating — the kind of work that doesn’t demand attention, but earns it.
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Nominees:
- Jennifer Aniston — The Morning Show
- Carrie Coon — The Gilded Age
- Imelda Staunton — The Crown
- Maya Erskine — Mr. & Mrs. Smith
- Reese Witherspoon — The Morning Show
- Anna Sawai — Shōgun — WINNER
Anna Sawai’s Emmy was one of the night’s most meaningful moments. Her performance blended strength and vulnerability without compromise — a reminder that great drama acting doesn’t explain itself. It exists.
Supporting Actor — Drama
Outstanding Supporting Actor
Nominees:
- Billy Crudup — The Morning Show — WINNER
- Jonathan Pryce — The Crown
- Takehiro Hira — Shōgun
- Jack Lowden — Slow Horses
- Mark Duplass — The Morning Show
- Tadanobu Asano — Shōgun
- Jon Hamm — The Morning Show
Outstanding Supporting Actress
Nominees:
- Elizabeth Debicki — The Crown — WINNER
- Christine Baranski — The Gilded Age
- Nicole Beharie — The Morning Show
- Greta Lee — The Morning Show
- Lesley Manville — The Crown
- Karen Pittman — The Morning Show
- Holland Taylor — The Morning Show
Outstanding Comedy Series
Nominees:
- Abbott Elementary (ABC)
- The Bear (FX)
- Hacks (HBO / Max) — WINNER
- Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
- Palm Royale (Apple TV+)
- Reservation Dogs (FX)
- Curm Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
- What We Do in the Shadows (FX)
HBO’s Hacks took home Emmy gold, cementing its status as one of television’s sharpest and most original comedies. The award celebrates the show’s fearless writing, standout performances, and its incisive take on ambition, reinvention, and generational power dynamics in comedy.
Lead Acting – Comedy
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Nominees:
- Bill Hader — Barry
- Matt Berry — What We Do in the Shadows
- Steve Martin — Only Murders in the Building
- Martin Short — Only Murders in the Building
- Jeremy Allen White — The Bear — WINNER
- D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai — Reservation Dogs
White’s continued Emmy success reflects a performance built on tension, vulnerability, and relentless precision — comedy forged in pressure.
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Nominees:
- Quinta Brunson — Abbott Elementary
- Ayo Edebiri — The Bear
- Selena Gomez — Only Murders in the Building
- Maya Rudolph — Loot
- Kristen Wiig — Palm Royale
- Jean Smart — Hacks — WINNER
Jean Smart’s win felt less like a victory lap and more like an acknowledgment of sustained excellence. Her work in Hacks balances ego, fragility, and razor-sharp timing with astonishing control.
Supporting Acting – Comedy
Outstanding Supporting Actor
Nominees:
- Ebon Moss-Bachrach — The Bear — WINNER
- Tyler James Williams — Abbott Elementary
- Paul W. Downs — Hacks
- Bowen Yang — Saturday Night Live
- Paul Rudd — Only Murders in the Building
- Lionel Boyce — The Bear
Outstanding Supporting Actress
Nominees:
- Hannah Einbinder — Hacks
- Sheryl Lee Ralph — Abbott Elementary
- Janelle James — Abbott Elementary
- Liza Colón-Zayas — The Bear — WINNER
- Carol Burnett — Palm Royale
These wins reinforced what comedy does best right now: allow performers to exist fully in contradiction.
Limited or Anathology Series
Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series
Nominees:
- Baby Reindeer (Netflix) — WINNER
- True Detective: Night Country (HBO)
- Fargo (FX)
- Ripley (Netflix)
- Lessons in Chemistry (Apple TV+)
Baby Reindeer’s victory signaled the Academy’s willingness to reward deeply uncomfortable, psychologically demanding storytelling — television that doesn’t just entertain, but unsettles.
Limited Series Acting
Outstanding Lead Actor
Nominees:
- John Hamm — Fargo
- Andrew Scott — Ripley
- Richard Gadd — Baby Reindeer — WINNER
- Matt Bomer — Fellow Travelers
- Tom Hollander — Feud
Outstanding Lead Actress
Nominees:
- Jodie Foster — True Detective: Night Country — WINNER
- Juno Temple — Fargo
- Sofia Vergara — Griselda
- Naomi Watts — Feud: Capote vs. The Swans
- Brie Larson — Lessons in Chemistry
FINAL THOUGHTS
The 76th Emmy Awards didn’t chase nostalgia or viral moments. Instead, they honored work that trusted audiences to sit with discomfort, complexity, and emotional specificity. From Shōgun’s historical grandeur to The Bear’s pressure-cooker intimacy and Baby Reindeer’s raw vulnerability, the Emmys crowned a television landscape that is smarter, braver, and more self-aware than ever.
The 77th Tony Awards Round-Up!
