Best Drama Series
Winner - Succession
Runners Up - Andor, Better Call Saul, The Good Fight, The Last of Us, The White Lotus
Commentary - You know, for about the first half of the final season of Succession, I wasn't really into it as much as I should have been. After a few seasons, even the best shows start to have moments of fading that affect their quality. It is a natural phenomenon. But then, it kicked it into high gear for the last half, and proved why it will go down as one of the best television dramas of all time. It continued to be impeccably acted, deftly and wildly, darkly funny, and a model for high-wire, well-executed television entertainment. There were a lot of great television moments this year, and the drama categories are stacked with fruitful contenders, but yet again, one last time, Succession rose to the top.
Best Comedy Series
Winners - (TIE) Abbott Elementary and The Bear
Runners Up - Somebody Somewhere and Reservation Dogs
Commentary - Abbot Elementary continues to be a fun, engaging, timely network sitcom that deftly avoided the sophomore slump with amazing wit and radiant performances. But I could not walk away form here without recognizing the emergence of The Bear. The yin to Abbott Elementary's yang. A rough and tumble and way to realistic dark comedy that is tough as nails. What is does share with its co-winner is the amazing ensemble. Both of these shows tell us that great television comedies are built on great casts, and these two shows have some of the best on television. Winning triumphs all around.
Best Actor in a Drama Series
Winner - Pedro Pascal "The Last of Us"
Runners Up - Kieran Culkin "Succession", Diego Luna "Andor", Bob Odenkirk "Better Call Saul", Jeremy Strong "Succession"
Commentary - Pedro Pascal has been steadily gaining great roles on television for years. It is so nice to see him really breakthrough with HBO's The Last of Us. Unlike The Mandalorian, Pascal really got to showcase his acting chops. While still quiet like his Mandalorian character, he manages to still give a fully-realized performance full of grief, pain, and regret. It is a beautifully crafted performance, along with his chemistry with Bella Ramsey, and showcases that Pascal is one of our biggest talents.
Best Actress in a Drama Series
Winner - Sharon Horgan "Bad Sisters"
Runners Up - Sarah Snook "Succession", Melanie Lynskey "Yellowjackets", Christine Baranski "The Good Fight"
Commentary - One of the nicest surprises of Emmy nomination morning was the wonderful inclusion of Sharon Horgan for her role in Bad Sisters. Horgan is just fantastic in this role, while easily sharing the duties with an all-star cast across the board. She is darkly funny, shows incredibly chemistry, and brings an energy that makes this series a really great watch. I'm glad to see her get some recognition.
Best Actor in a Comedy Series
Winner - Jeremy Allen White "The Bear"
Runners Up - Steve Martin "Only Murders in the Building", Martin Short "Only Murders in the Building", D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai "Reservation Dogs"
Commentary - Jeremy Allen White's bravura, funny, sobering performance in The Bear is easily the best of the bunch this year, and should earn him his first, of hopefully many, Emmy awards.
Best Actress in a Comedy Series
Winner - Quinta Brunson "Abbott Elementary"
Runners Up - Bridget Everett "Somebody Somewhere", Natasha Lyonne "Poker Face"
Commentary - Quinta gets a lot of love for her writing skills, as she should, but I think she needs to be recognized for her performance in Abbott Elementary as Janine. Her humor, innocence, vulnerability, and ultimate strength make her an endearing television lead.
Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Winner - (TIE) Jonathan Banks "Better Call Saul" and Matthew Macfadyen "Succession"
Runners Up - Nicholas Braun "Succession", Will Sharpe "The White Lotus", Giancarlo Esposito "Better Call Saul"
Commentary - Okay, so I realized, with Better Call Saul ending, that I had never taken the chance to reward the standout performance of Jonathan Banks. The Emmys may have missed the mark in rewarding him, but I will not. However, probably my favorite performance of the bunch this year was Matthew Macfadyen, whose character is a riotous, searing addition to a stellar cast, and had a hell of a year on the show's last season.
Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Winner - Rhea Seehorn "Better Call Saul"
Runners Up - Jennifer Coolidge "The White Lotus", Elizabeth Debicki "The Crown", Meghann Fahy "The White Lotus", J. Smith-Cameron "Succession"
Commentary - How many years did we chamption Rhea Seehorn? This felt like the nomination of the century when Emmy voters finally took notice of her role in Better Call Saul. There was a reason she was a fan favorite for so long. She was magnificent in this series, and I am so happy to give her a final sendoff with this win.
Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Winner - (TIE) Chris Perfetti "Abbott Elementary" and Tyler James Williams "Abbott Elementary"
Runners Up - Phil Dunster "Ted Lasso", Ebon Moss-Bachrach "The Bear", Jeff Hiller "Somebody Somewhere"
Commentary - The dynamic duo of Chris Perfetti and Tyler James Williams continued to shine in this season of Abbott Elementary. Both are so funny, and yet showed some real moments of heart, plus their chemistry created some great bromance moments.
Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Winner - Lisa Ann Walter "Abbott Elementary"
Runners Up - Ayo Edebiri "The Bear", Janelle James "Abbott Elementary", Sheryl Lee Ralph "Abbott Elementary"
Commentary - A lot of love is given to Janelle James and Sheryl Lee Ralph, as it should. I reward them last year for their fantastic performances. But how can you honor them, and not honor the work of Lisa Ann Walter? She is just as powerful, poignant, funny, and awesome as her co-stars. This season, she really got the chance to show some of those acting chops, and was a standout among an amazing group of actors.
Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Winners (TIE) - Murray Bartlett "The Last of Us" and Nick Offerman "The Last of Us"
Runners Up - James Cromwell "Succession" and Michael McKean "Better Call Saul"
Commentary - One of the best episodes of television in recent memory was Long, Long Time. The haunting, powerful, beautiful episode was elevated by the jaw-dropping performances of Murray Barlett and Nick Offerman, who bring Bill and Frank to life with incredible poignancy. I am so happy that this episode earned Offerman his first, and well overdue, Emmy Award.
Best Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Winner - Anna Torv "The Last of Us"
Runners Up - Harriet Walter "Succession", Melanie Lynskey "The Last of Us", Carrie Preston "The Good Fight"
Commentary - Torv's brief, but powerful guest turn in The Last of Us was haunting, beautiful, sorrowful, and incredibly well-done. Torv makes the most of her screen time and leaves and indelible mark on the series.
Best Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Winner - Steve Martin & Martin Short "Saturday Night Live"
Runners Up - Luke Kirby "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel", Pedro Pascal "Saturday Night Live", Roy Wood Jr. "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah"
Commentary - The legends of Steven Martin and Martin Short getting to showcase their talents on Saturday Night Live? Enough said.
Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Winner - Taraji P. Henson "Abbott Elementary"
Runners Up - Becky Ann Baker "Ted Lasso", Quinta Brunson "Saturday Night Live", Judith Light "Poker Face"
Commentary - Taraji P. Henson comes blazing on the screen in Abbott Elementary as Janine's mom. She is bold, funny, and as you dig in to the layers, you realize Janine's reason for avoiding her. Her scenes with Sheryl Lee Ralph are pitch perfect, and show the depth of her façade. A great guest turn from our of our best.
Best Directing in a Drama Series
Winner - Peter Hoar "The Last of Us - Long, Long Time"
Runners Up - Peter Gould "Better Call Saul - Saul Gone", Mark Mylod "Succession - Connor's Wedding", Mike White "The White Lotus - Lotus - Arrivederci"
Commentary - This was an easy one. The beautiful sorrow of Long, Long Time was a high artist achievement, brilliantly constructed by Peter Hoar.
Best Writing in a Drama Series
Winner - Jesse Armstrong "Succession - Connor's Wedding"
Runners Up - Peter Gould "Better Call Saul - Saul Gone" and Craig Mazin "The Last of Us - Long, Long Time"
Commentary - Connor's Wedding is pitch-perfect Succession at its peak, with Jesse Armstrong's sharp, funny, wild script leading the lay, per usual.
Best Directing in a Comedy Series
Winner - Christopher Storer "The Bear - Review"
Runners Up - Randall Einhorn "Abbott Elementary - Teacher's Conference", Amy Sherman-Palladino "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel - Four Minutes", Rian Johnson "Poker Face - Escape from Shit Mountain", Lennon Parham "Somebody Somewhere - NMB NMP", Tim Burton "Wednesday - Wednesday's Child Is Full Of Woe"
Commentary - The Bear is so well crafted for a comedy series, and that is thanks to Christopher Storer's fantastic direction that picks up the characters, the chaos, and, surprisingly, the subtly of all the wild antics of a restaurant kitchen.
Best Writing in a Comedy Series
Winner - Hannah Bos, Paul Thureen, and Bridget Everett "Somebody Somewhere"
Runners Up - Quinta Brunson, Ava Coleman, and Kate Peterman "Abbott Elementary - Development Day", Christopher Storer "The Bear - System", Rian Johnson "Poker Face - Escape from Shit Mountain", and Brendan Hunt, Joe Kelly, and Jason Sudeikis "Ted Lasso - So Long, Farewell"
Commentary - Somebody Somewhere is a such a sweet, funny, poignantly crafted human story, and its subtle, yet surprisingly powerful writing is the core of its success.
Best Limited Series
Winner - Beef
Runners Up - This is Going to Hurt, Fleishman is in Trouble
Commentary - A wild, fun, dark, surprisingly empathetic piece of Art, Beef is an explosion on screen, and, no offense to some of these other contenders, but this race was not even close. Led by incredible performances from Ali Wong and Steven Yeun, whose bold chemistry is infectious. Wong, who most might assume is out of her element, showcases her depth and dramatic flair. Yeun, a quiet and powerful performer, lets his wild side out, and the two combined together, along with a stellar supporting cast, bring to life this dark masterpiece.
Best TV Movie
Winner - Fire Island
Runners Up - Hocus Pocus 2, Prey, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story
Commentary - Fire Island does not reinvent the wheel. It is, at its core, a romantic comedy. But, I loved it. I loved the representation, the quirky characters, the fun, dirty, and the heartfelt screenplay by Joel Kim Booster. A great cast brings chemistry and wit, and it really is a great way to spend a couple of hours.
Best Actor in a TV Movie/Limited Series
Winner - Steven Yeun "Beef"
Runners Up - Ben Whishaw "This is Going to Hurt", Joel Kim Booster "Fire Island", Evan Peters "Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story"
Commentary - See Best Limited Series
Best Actress in a TV Movie/Limited Series
Winner - Ali Wong "Beef"
Runners Up - Dominique Fishback "Swarm", Jessica Chastain "George & Tammy", Kathryn Hahn "Tiny Beautiful Things"
Commentary - See Best Limited Series
Best Supporting Actor in a TV Movie/Limited Series
Winner - Paul Walter Hauser "Black Bird"
Runners Up - Richard Jenkins "Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story", Conrad Ricamora "Fire Island", Bowen Yang "Fire Island"
Commentary - Paul Walter Hauser's unique, haunting, and jaw-dropping portrayal of Larry Hall is awards worthy.
Best Supporting Actress in a TV Movie/Limited Series
Winner - Niecy Nash-Betts "Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story"
Runners Up - Margaret Cho "Fire Island", Ashley Park "Beef", Maria Bello "Beef"
Commentary - I have adored Niecy Nash for years, and this is not the first time that I have taken the chance to reward her. I didn't love Dahmer, and I think the general reaction was mixed to the series. But I cannot deny how great Niecy was in this series. As the exasperated neighbor who tries, in vain, to expose the monster, Nash-Betts brings a sorrow, a helplessness, and yet, a tenacity to her character that lit up the screen.
Best Directing in a TV Movie/Limited Series
Winner - Lee Sung Jin "Beef - Figures of Life"
Runners Up - Paris Barclay "Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story - Silenced",Dan Trachtenberg "Prey", Lucy Forbes "This is Going to Hurt - Episode 1"
Commentary - See Best Limited Series
Best Writing in a TV Movie/Limited Series
Winner - Joel Kim Booster "Fire Island"
Runners Up - Lee Sung Jin "Beef - The Birds Don't Sing, They Screech in Pain", Adam Kay "This is Going to Hurt"
Commentary - See Best Television Movie
Best Variety Series
Winner - A Black Lady Sketch Show
Runners Up - The Problem With Jon Stewart, The Daily Show With Trevor Noah, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
Commentary - This is the last time that I will get to reward A Black Lady Sketch Show, and it kind of breaks my heart. This groundbreaking, funny, boundary-pushing series from the brilliant mind of Robin Thede was a masterwork of comedy, with its top-notch and visually stunning direction, and its wild writing, and a rotating cast and guest stars that were some of today's best.
Best Variety Special
Winner - Carol Burnett: 90 Years Of Laughter + Love
Runners Up - Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium, Fortune Feimster: Good Fortune, Leanne Morgan: I'm Every Woman, 75th Annual Tony Awards
Commentary - This special was such a beautiful, fun, and heartwarming tribute to one of the best to every do it, and it was easily the best of the bunch.
Best Directing in a Variety Series/Special
Winner - Bridget Stokes "A Black Lady Sketch Show - I’m Clapping From My Puss"
Runners Up - Hamlish Hamilton and Shawn Carter "The Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show Starring Rihanna", Paul Miller "Carol Burnett: 90 Years Of Laughter + Love", Paul Dugdale "Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium", Glenn Weiss "The Oscars"
Commentary - See Best Variety Series
Best Writing in a Variety Series/Special
Winner - Wanda Sykes "Wanda Sykes: I’m An Entertainer"
Runners Up - A Black Lady Sketch Show, Fortune Feimster "Fortume Feimster: Good Fortune", John Mulaney "John Mulaney: Baby J", Patton Oswalt "Patton Oswalt: We All Scream"
Commentary - Wanda's latest, I'm An Entertainer, is a politically-charged, brutally honest, and wildly funny special that proves why she is one of the best comedians of our time.
Best Animated Series
Winner - Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal
Runners Up - Archer, Bob's Burgers, The Great North
Commentary - Primal has a cinematic quality to it, that elevates it as one of the best animated series on television.
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