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Emmys 2021: Live Blog of Highlights From 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards

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This is CNBC’s live blog covering all the latest news on the 2021 Primetime Emmy Awards. This blog will be updated throughout the ceremony as the news breaks.

The 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards kicked off Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

The ceremony, which honors the best of television, highlights much of what folks watched during the pandemic.

Hosted by Cedric the Entertainer, this year’s ceremony takes place at L.A. Live’s Event Deck instead of the Microsoft Theater, which has been home to the Emmys since 2008. The relocation is due to the Covid pandemic. L.A. Live’s Event Deck is a space that offers indoor and outdoor locations for the telecast, as well as the ability to socially distance attendees.

Check out the full list of nominees for Sunday’s ceremony.

Outstanding Competition Program

And the winner is…”RuPaul’s Drag Race”

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Also nominated:
“The Amazing Race”
“Nailed It!”
“Top Chef”
“The Voice”

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

And the winner is…Jason Sudeikis, “Ted Lasso”

Also nominated:
Anthony Anderson, “Black-ish”
Michael Douglas, “The Kominsky Method”
William H. Macy, “Shameless”
Kenan Thompson, “Kenan”

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

And the winner is…Jean Smart, “Hacks”

Also nominated:
Aidy Bryant, “Shrill”
Kaley Cuoco, “The Flight Attendant”
Allison Janney, “Mom”
Tracee Ellis Ross, “Black-ish”

John Oliver mocks Adam Driver once again

The Emmy for outstanding writing for a variety series went to “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” and the acceptance speech was anything but ordinary.

The writers paid homage to Adam Driver, which John Oliver fans will recall is one of the show’s long-running jokes.

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“He knows what he did and we know what we’d like him to do,” one writer joked.

Rich Fury | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images

John Oliver attends the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards at L.A. LIVE on September 19, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.

John Oliver also won for variety talk series, where he paid tribute to Norm Macdonald, who died earlier this month at 61. Lorne Michaels also gave a nod to Macdonald after “Saturday Night Live” won for outstanding variety sketch series, who he called “one of the best we ever had.”

“No one was funnier in the last 20 years than Norm Macdonald on late-night comedy,” Oliver said.

Oliver also gave a shout out to Conan O’Brien, who also was nominated for variety talk series. O’Brien’s late-night run came to an end earlier this year after nearly three decades.

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—Samantha Subin

Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series

And the winner is…Lucia Aniello, “Hacks”

Also nominated:
James Burrows, “B Positive”
James Widdoes, “Mom”
Zach Braff, “Ted Lasso”
MJ Delaney, “Ted Lasso”
Declan Lowney, “Ted Lasso”
Susanna Fogel, “The Flight Attendant”

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series

And the winner is…Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, Jen Statsky, “Hacks”

Also nominated:
Meredith Scardino, “Girls5eva”
Maya Erskine, “PEN15”
Jason Sudeikis, Bill Lawrence, Brendan Hunt, Joe Kelly, “Ted Lasso”
Jason Sudeikis, Brendan Hunt, Joe Kelly, “Ted Lasso”
Steve Yockey, “The Flight Attendant”

Which department store is your vaccine?

After a star-studded karaoke introduction, Cedric the Entertainer opened the night poking fun at Covid-19 and vaccine misinformation.

“I got vaxxed,” he quipped. “I did not have a reaction like Nicki Minaj’s cousin’s friend.”

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He also jokingly referred to each vaccine as a department store, calling Pfizer‘s the Neiman Marcus of vaccines, Moderna‘s was dubbed Macy’s, and Johnson & Johnson‘s was equated to T.J. Maxx.

Cedric also drew attention to black representation in the nominations, pointing out his friend Anthony Anderson, who received his seventh nomination for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series. The lack of diversity in nominations is an issue that has come under stark criticism in recent awards shows in Hollywood.

—Samantha Subin

Outstanding Variety Sketch Series

And the winner is…”Saturday Night Live” (NBC)


NBC | NBCUniversal | Getty Images

Cecily Strong as Judge Jeanine Pirro during “Weekend Update” on Saturday, May 22, 2021.

Also nominated:
“A Black Lady Sketch Show” (HBO)

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Outstanding Variety Talk Series

And the winner is…”Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”

John Oliver attends the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards at L.A. LIVE on September 19, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.
Rich Fury | Getty Images

John Oliver attends the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards at L.A. LIVE on September 19, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.

Also nominated:
“Conan”
“The Daily Show with Trevor Noah”
“Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”

Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series

And the winner is… “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”

Also nominated:

“A Black Lady Sketch Show”
“Saturday Night Live”
“The Amber Ruffin Show”
“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”

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Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

And the winner is…Tobias Menzies, “The Crown”

Also nominated:
Michael K. Williams, “Lovecraft Country”
John Lithgow, “Perry Mason”
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”

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

And the winner is…Gillian Anderson, “The Crown”


Gareth Cattermole | Getty Images

Gillian Anderson attends the “The Crown” 73rd Primetime Emmys Celebration at Soho House on September 19, 2021 in London, England.

Also nominated:
Aunjanue Ellis, “Lovecraft Country”
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”

Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series

And the winner is…Jessica Hobbs, “The Crown”

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Gareth Cattermole | Getty Images

Jessica Hobbs attends the “The Crown” 73rd Primetime Emmys Celebration at Soho House on September 19, 2021 in London, England.

Also nominated:
Julie Anne Robinson, “Bridgerton”
Steven Canals, “Pose”
Benjamin Caron, “The Crown”
Liz Garbus, “The Handmaid’s Tale”
Jon Favreau, “The Mandalorian”

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series

And the winner is…Peter Morgan, “The Crown”


Gareth Cattermole | Getty Images

(L-R) Matthew Byam Shaw, Peter Morgan and Oona O’Beirn attend the “The Crown” 73rd Primetime Emmys Celebration at Soho House on September 19, 2021 in London, England.

Also nominated:
Misha Green, “Lovecraft Country”
Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, Steven Canals, Janet Mock, Our Lady J, “Pose”
Rebecca Sonnenshine, “The Boys”
Yahlin Chang, “The Handmaid’s Tale”
Dave Filoni, “The Mandalorian”
Jon Favreau, “The Mandalorian”

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‘There’s way too many of us in this little room,’ Seth Rogen says

Seth Rogen attends the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards at L.A. LIVE on September 19, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.
Rich Fury | Getty Images

Seth Rogen attends the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards at L.A. LIVE on September 19, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.

Seth Rogen has some questions for the Television Academy.

The actor took to the stage on Sunday to present the first award of the night, but took a moment to comment on the in-person ceremony.

“Let me start by saying there’s way too many of us in this little room,” he said. “What are we doing? They said this was outdoors. It’s not.”

The Television Academy swapped venues due to the coronavirus and is being held at L.A. Live’s Event deck, a space that offers indoor and outdoor locations for the production. The event is quite a bit smaller than previous years, with only around 500 guests attending the ceremony in Los Angeles, compared with several thousand in previous years.

The Academy tested all participants and required vaccinations for all attendees.

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“They lied to us,” Rogen joked. “We are in a hermetically sealed tent right now. I would not have come to this. Why is there a roof? It’s more important that we have three chandeliers than that we make sure we don’t kill Eugene Levy tonight. That is what has been decided.”

—Sarah Whitten

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

And the winner is…Evan Peters, “Mare of Easttown”

Evan Peters, winner of the Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie award for ‘Mare Of Easttown,’ poses in the press room during the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards at L.A. LIVE on September 19, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.
Rich Fury | Getty Images

Evan Peters, winner of the Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie award for ‘Mare Of Easttown,’ poses in the press room during the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards at L.A. LIVE on September 19, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.

Also nominated:
Daveed Diggs, “Hamilton”
Jonathan Groff, “Hamilton”
Anthony Ramos, “Hamilton”
Paapa Essiedu, “I May Destroy You”
Thomas Brodie-Sangster, “The Queen’s Gambit”

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

And the winner is…Julianne Nicholson, “Mare of Easttown”

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Julianne Nicholson, winner of the Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie award for ‘Mare Of Easttown,’ poses in the press room during the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards at L.A. LIVE on September 19, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.
Rich Fury | Getty Images

Julianne Nicholson, winner of the Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie award for ‘Mare Of Easttown,’ poses in the press room during the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards at L.A. LIVE on September 19, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.

Also nominated:
Phillipa Soo, “Hamilton”
Renee Elise Goldsberry, “Hamilton”
Jean Smart, “Mare of Easttown”
Moses Ingram, “The Queen’s Gambit”
Kathryn Hahn, “WandaVision”

A bid to boost Emmys ratings after last year’s low

In the last decade, Hollywood’s top award shows have faced declining viewership.

So, are people becoming bored with big award ceremonies or are they just watching them differently?

Some argue that the inundation of too many live award show ceremonies has saturated the market and made top-tier award shows like the Grammys, Emmys and Oscars less exciting to viewers.

Not to mention, younger viewers, many of whom have cut cable, aren’t as willing to sit through the traditional 16 to 20 minutes of commercials per hour that comes with a live TV telecast. Nielsen data doesn’t include figures for viewers who opted to watch any of the major award shows on streaming platforms.

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Then there are also some who bemoan Hollywood, in particular, for using its award ceremonies to make political and social statements.

Last April’s Oscars ceremony was watched by the smallest audience the award show has ever received.

And the same thing happened at last year’s Emmy Awards. The show drew only 5.1 million total viewers, down 14% from last year’s event, according to Nielsen.


— Sarah Whitten

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

And the winner is…Brett Goldstein, “Ted Lasso”

Brett Goldstein attends the Television Academy's Reception to Honor 73rd Emmy Award Nominees at Television Academy on September 17, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.
Matt Winkelmeyer | Getty Images

Brett Goldstein attends the Television Academy’s Reception to Honor 73rd Emmy Award Nominees at Television Academy on September 17, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.

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Also nominated:
Carl Clemons-Hopkins, “Hacks”
Kenan Thompson, “SNL”
Bowen Yang, “SNL”
Brendan Hunt, “Ted Lasso”
Nick Mohammed, “Ted Lasso”
Jeremy Swift, “Ted Lasso”
Paul Reiser, “The Kominsky Method”

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

And the winner is…Hannah Waddingham, “Ted Lasso”

Hannah Waddingham attends the Television Academy's Reception to Honor 73rd Emmy Award Nominees at Television Academy on September 17, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.
Matt Winkelmeyer | Getty Images

Hannah Waddingham attends the Television Academy’s Reception to Honor 73rd Emmy Award Nominees at Television Academy on September 17, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.

Also nominated:
Hannah Einbinder, “Hacks”
Aidy Bryant, “SNL”
Kate McKinnon, “SNL”
Cecily Strong, “SNL”
Juno Temple, “Ted Lasso”
Rosie Perez, “The Flight Attendant”

Elizabeth Olsen’s red carpet look designed by older sisters Mary-Kate and Ashley

Elizabeth Olsen, who is nominated for her role as Wanda Maximoff in the Disney+ series “WandaVision,” donned a white look on the Emmys’ red carpet Sunday that was designed by her older sisters Mary-Kate and Ashley.

The twin actors launched their luxury fashion label called The Row in 2006.

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Elizabeth Olsen attends the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards at L.A. LIVE on September 19, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.
Rich Fury | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images

Elizabeth Olsen attends the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards at L.A. LIVE on September 19, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.

“WandaVision” was nominated for 23 Emmy awards across the Creative Arts and Primetime ceremonies. The Marvel show took home three wins during the Creative Arts Emmys last weekend including outstanding production design for a half-hour narrative program, outstanding fantasy/sci-fi costumes and best original music and lyrics for “Agatha All Along.”

Olsen’s co-star Paul Bettany is nominated for outstanding lead actor in a limited or anthology series or movie for his turn as Vision, while Kathryn Hahn is nominated for outstanding supporting actress for her portrayal of Agnes aka villain Agatha Harkness.

—Sarah Whitten

The strange case of ‘Hamilton’ at the Emmys

There is no doubt that “Hamilton,” a Tony Award-winning spectacle, is a masterpiece. However, many were confused when the filmed production nabbed 12 Emmy nominations in July.

Disney+, which streamed “Hamilton,” was permitted to categorize the project as a prerecorded variety special, which it did for the technical Emmy categories. However, because there is no longer a variety performer category, the Television Academy allowed Disney to submit its actors and actresses under the TV movie umbrella.

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“Hamilton” ultimately secured seven different acting nominations across the lead and supporting categories.

—Sarah Whitten

Cedric the Entertainer faces declining Emmy viewership

Host Cedric the Entertainer attends the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards on September 19, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.
Rich Fury | Getty Images

Host Cedric the Entertainer attends the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards on September 19, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.

Cedric the Entertainer has been enlisted as this year’s Emmy Awards’ host. The stand-up comedian, who stars on “The Neighborhood” on CBS, has his work cut out for him.

For years, the award show has seen declining viewership, and this year’s event, while in-person, boasts a pared back audience. The Television Academy plans to serve food and drink, and integrate musical performances, but attendees will sit at tables instead of typical rows.

“We want to do two things at once, make sure we have a safe environment for everyone who was attending the show, but also, let’s get out of the kind of typical theater situation,” executive producer Reggie Hudlin told Variety.

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Cedric plans to take a laid back approach to the show. He recently told The New York Times he doesn’t want the “Oscars feel.”

—Samantha Subin

75% of the nominees for best comedy are new to the category

Bowen Yang attends the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards at L.A. LIVE on September 19, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.
Rich Fury | Getty Images

Bowen Yang attends the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards at L.A. LIVE on September 19, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.

The Primetime Emmy Awards will feature 26 categories, including acting and writing and awards for comedies, dramas and talk shows. Shows are eligible for this year’s ceremony if they were released between June 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021.

Among the closely watched categories will be the outstanding comedy, where a whopping 75% of the nominees are new to the category. The shows include “Cobra Kai,” “Emily in Paris,” “Hacks,” “Pen15,” “Ted Lasso” and “The Flight Attendant.”

Additionally, there were 44 first-time performer nominations across the lead, supporting, guest and short form categories. Among them is Bowen Yang, pictured here, who is nominated for best supporting actor in a comedy series. Yang’s nomination is the first time a “Saturday Night Live” featured player was nominated for an Emmy.

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“Television has provided a lifeline for so many around the globe this year, delivering a constant source of entertainment, information and inspiration during some of our most difficult days,” said Frank Scherma, the academy’s chairman and CEO when the nominations were announced in July.

“We are thrilled to honor the diversity of storytelling in television today by recognizing talented artists, programs, producers, directors and craftspeople throughout our industry and celebrating their commitment to this extraordinary medium.”

—Sarah Whitten

Netflix dominated the Creative Arts Emmys with 34 wins

Fueled by “The Queen’s Gambit” and “The Crown,” Netflix garnered 34 wins at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards last weekend.

The Creative Arts Emmy Awards are given out to behind-the-scenes personnel like production designers, video editors, cinematographers, casting directors and set decorators and are given out ahead of the primetime ceremony.

Disney+ took home the second-most awards with 13 and HBO and HBO Max tallied 10.

Netflix’s “The Queen’s Gambit” tallied nine wins while Disney+’s “The Mandalorian” and NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” scored seven a piece.

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Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC. NBCUniversal owns NBC.

—Sarah Whitten

How the Television Academy plans to pull off a socially distanced Emmys ceremony

With the coronavirus pandemic still raging, the Emmy Awards will once again break with tradition.

Since 2008, the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles has been the go-to venue for the annual television awards, but this year the ceremony will take place at L.A. Live’s Event Deck, a space that offers indoor and outdoor locations for the production.

This year’s red carpet will be smaller than previous years with only around 500 guests attending the ceremony in Los Angeles, compared with several thousand in previous years.

The show will also feature several satellite events that the telecast will cut to when necessary. The cast and producers of the Netflix show “The Crown” are holding their own Emmy ceremony in London, much like the team behind “Schitt’s Creek” did during last year’s telecast. Other shows that will be video conferencing into the ceremony include ” Top Chef” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”

Attendees will follow strict Covid-19 protocols throughout the ceremony that mimic safety measures put in place on Hollywood sets. This includes testing all participants, requiring vaccinations and ensuring that everyone is wearing a mask when they are not on camera.

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These mandates are similar to ones instituted at previous awards ceremonies in the last year.

—Sarah Whitten

How to watch the 2021 Emmy Awards without cable

The 73rd Emmy Awards are set to kick off Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

For those that wish to tune into the annual awards show, but don’t have cable, there are plenty of options.

The ceremony will be available to stream on:

—Sarah Whitten

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Source: NBC New York

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