From the moment host Anthony Anderson stepped out on stage, it was clear the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards were going to go by fast. The “Black-ish” star announced that instead of ending acceptance speeches with play-off music, they would instead play off TV’s biggest stars with something  “no one can ignore” — Anderson’s own mother, Doris Bowman. These opening moments set the tone for a fast-paced, densely packed evening of awards commanded by a trio of unstoppable shows: “Succession,” “The Bear” and “Beef.” 

Perhaps the least surprising award of the night was the coveted outstanding drama series award, which went to “Succession” for the third time.  Creator Jesse Armstrong quipped that the satire’s final season had now “fixed” the problematic connection between partisan politics and news coverage.

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The whole night was a final coronation for the HBO drama, which won six awards. Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook and Matthew Macfadyen all repeated their Golden Globes wins for best lead actor in a drama, best lead actress in a drama  and best supporting actor in a drama, respectively. Culkin’s speech, in true “Succession” fashion, was equal parts comedy and drama. He tearfully thanked his mother “for giving [him] life and [his] childhood,” then promptly asked his wife for more children onstage. 

On the comedy side, FX’s breakout hit “The Bear” led the way, taking home six awards including outstanding comedy series.  Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri and Ebon Moss-Bachrach all received awards for their performances, though Moss-Bachrach’s more notable moment was planting a gigantic kiss on the mouth of actor-producer Matty Matheson in the middle of his speech accepting the outstanding comedy series award. Post-kiss, Matheson passionately thanked “restaurants as a whole” for inspiring their gripping look at the industry. 

Netflix’s “Beef” was yet another unstoppable force in the limited series category, winning five trophies including outstanding limited or anthology series. Creator Lee Sung Jin accepted the award, taking a moment to address the show’s portrayal of suicidal ideation, thanking those who shared their own stories after watching the series. 

“Beef” stars Steven Yeun and Ali Wong received the lead acting awards in the limited series category, with Yeun thanking his character for teaching him that “judgment and shame is a lonely place, but compassion and grace is where we can all meet.”

Though these three shows largely controlled the evening, they weren’t the only awards that captured the crowd’s attention. Niecy Nash-Betts’ acceptance speech for best supporting actress in a limited series, awarded for her performance in “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,” was the most rousing of the evening. Nash-Betts thanked herself before accepting the award “on behalf of every Black and brown woman who [has] gone unheard, yet overpoliced.” 

RuPaul also had a powerful social message for the crowd after accepting the outstanding reality competition award for “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” stating that “If a drag queen wants to read you a story, listen to her.” Elton John’s award for best variety special (live), typically a less-notable moment of the show, was the final accomplishment required for the music icon to become the 19th EGOT winner in history.

The final season of “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” won outstanding talk series, with the former host returning to accept the award and thank his predecessor — and fellow nominee  — Jon Stewart. “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” switched from outstanding talk series to outstanding scripted variety series after seven straight trophies in the former category, and won yet again. After accepting the award, Oliver hilariously attempted to draw the ire of Anderson’s mother by naming members of Liverpool Football Club’s starting lineup before getting the “wrap it up” message he wanted. 

The show was also full of reunions of beloved television casts. From Ted Danson presenting  awards from the “Cheers” bar to the cast of “Ally McBeal” dancing their way to their own presentations, the night paid tribute to shows far beyond the ones nominated. Anderson’s hosting  — alongside his maternal sidekick — was also a highlight, and the two were especially praised for keeping the show within its allotted three-hour runtime. 

The customary “In Memoriam” segment, featuring a musical performance by Charlie Puth and The War and Treaty, closed with a bittersweet rendition of “Friends” theme “I’ll Be There For You” in honor of the late Matthew Perry.

Conspicuously absent from the honors was AMC drama “Better Call Saul,” which wrapped up its six-season run with 53 total nominations and zero wins. The final season of the “Breaking Bad” spinoff wasn’t the only show to go out with a whimper, as HBO dramedy “Barry” also got no wins for its final season despite six nominations this year. Despite these snubs, it was a very successful 75th installment for the Television Academy’s annual celebration.