Diversity wins big at the 68th Primetime Emmy Award show


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Diversity was the key word at this year’s Primetime Emmys, as the award show changed the conversation about race in the world of television. The ceremony proved to be a big night not only for television, but also for the actors and writers who received nominations.

Jimmy Kimmel was arguably the highlight of the night as the host of the ceremony. Fortunately, for viewers, Kimmel’s video and monologue were exceptionally exciting as he transitioned from hit show to hit show, from The People v. O.J. Simpson to Modern Family and Veep to James Corden’s Carpool Karaoke.

Fans of Kimmel’s show Jimmy Kimmel Live! understand his “feud” with Matt Damon. However, people who don’t watch his show would fail to grasp the nuance behind this part of the ceremony. Nevertheless, watching Damon ridicule Kimmel for his loss in the category of Outstanding Variety Talk Series to John Oliver was funny and represented a breath of fresh air from the few, but prevalent Donald Trump jokes.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus won Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Selina Meyer in Veep for the fourth consecutive year. Jeffrey Tambor’s portrayal as a transgender woman in Transparent won him Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.

One of the biggest surprises of the night was Tatiana Maslany’s win for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for BBC’s Orphan Black. Maslany won for her performance as Sarah Manning and five other clone characters in the show. After three seasons, she finally gained the attention she deserved at the ceremony this year. 

In addition, Rami Malek’s win for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in Mr. Robot became a big moment in the ceremony as he became the first minority and Egyptian-American actor to win in the category since 1998. Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang also came out victorious as they were recognized for their outstanding writing in the Netflix comedy Master of None. The ceremony became a celebration for minority actors throughout the industry, from Taraji Henson’s nomination for her role as Cookie Lyon in Empire to Courtney B. Vance’s win for his leading role as Johnnie Cochran in The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story.

For music lovers and anyone needing a break from constant jokes, Tori Kelly’s version of “Hallelujah” honoring late actors and actresses was angelic and truly moving. This rendition conjured fond memories of seeing David Bowie and Prince as well as Garry Marshall and Doris Roberts on the screen. This is always the saddest part of the night; however, Kelly’s voice and funny clips made this year’s memoriam tribute enjoyable to watch.

Kate McKinnon’s Emmy speech was one of a kind because she thanked two women — Ellen Degeneres and Hillary Clinton. McKinnon’s impersonations of these two women on Saturday Night Live fueled her career. She became well known for her accurate imitations of celebrities — she also impersonates Justin Bieber. This was also the first time she won the award after being nominated four times.

Overall, the Emmys succeeded in making a three-hour ceremony feel like an one-hour comedy show without several commercial breaks and over-the-top jokes. Kimmel was a spectacular host, Game of Thrones won for best drama series and Veep won for best comedy series. While the ceremony was a great night for celebrating television and diversity, it also served as proof that television is finally starting to mirror reality.