A Recap of the 2020 Emmys Awards

2020 has been a year of learning and adapting for everyone including the Emmys Awards. The awards were hosted virtually this year much like the NFL draft. Jimmy Kimmel hosted the virtual event from the empty Staples Center and of course threw in some of his charismatic humor to lighten the mood jokingly saying, “you can’t have a virus without a host.” This year due to the online format of the award show the viewership significantly decreased.

Actors and actresses joined the event via video call from the comfort of their own homes. Most celebrities dressed in the typically Emmy formal wear of gowns and tuxedos, while others opted to wear pajamas such as “The Good Place” actress Jameela Jamil as there was no red-carpet event. Regina King and Sandra Oh wore outfits to spread awareness about Black Lives Matter. Regina King wore a fuchsia colored pant suit that showcased her “Say her name” tee-shirt that included a portrait of Breanna Taylor. Sandra Oh wore a purple bomber jacket, included with a matching facemask both stitched with the words “Black lives are precious” in Korean.

As for this year’s most notable winners Schitt’s Creek a Canadian sitcom that just completed its final season won nine Emmys awards out of the nine-teen they were nominated for, breaking a record for most awards in a year.  Awards won by Schitt’s Creek and its cast include: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Catherine O’Hara), Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (Eugene Levy), Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (Annie Murphy), Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (Daniel Levy), Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Writing For a Comedy Series, Outstanding Contemporary Costumes, Outstanding Directing For a Comedy Series and Outstanding Casting For a Comedy Series.  Schitt’s Creek and the cast definitely took the show by storm sweeping the most awards.

Other notable award winners from the night are Tyler Perry who won the Governors Award in recognition for his accomplishments, Zendaya won best lead actress in drama for her part in “Euphoria” while also becoming the youngest winner for that award, RuPaul’s Drag Race won for Outstanding Reality/Competition Series. However, Emmys’ host Jimmy Kimmel lost the award for Outstanding Variety Talk Series to “Last Week Tonight” host John Oliver.

This year’s Emmys were definitely different but went seamlessly thanks to the hardworking crews behind the scenes. It will be interesting to see how award shows will be held within the next few years because of the pandemic and if they will return to being held in person in order to potentially gain more viewers or opt for the online format.