Every major awards show boasts some major firsts, from actors getting long overdue trophies to people making history. There were plenty of major firsts at the 69th Emmy Awards Sunday night.
Laura Dern’s first Emmy win
The Dern-aissance is indeed upon us. The actress had been nominated six times for an Emmy (beginning in 1992), but this was her first win. She got the trophy for Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie for her role as Renata in “Big Little Lies.”
First African-American man to win for Outstanding Directing in a Comedy
Glover won his first Emmy award of the night for Outstanding Directing in a Comedy for “Atlanta,” but he also made history by being the first African-American man to win in that category. He took the stage later for Best Actor in a Comedy Series. This was also his first Emmy ceremony as a nominee.
Bruce Miller’s first win
The showrunner for “The Handmaid’s Tale” earned his first nomination for writing in a drama series and took home the trophy. It was also the first award the Hulu drama took home Sunday night.
First time we’ve seen Stephen Colbert’s butt
When you get diagnosed at Westworld you have to strip down, so I guess it was mandatory.
Alexander Skarsgård’s first Emmy win
The actor, who previously graced our small screens on “True Blood,” won his first Emmy for his work as the abusive and troubled husband of Nicole Kidman in “Big Little Lies.” It was also his first nomination.
Ann Dowd’s first Emmy win
The character actress had a stellar year with two Emmy nominations for “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “The Leftovers.” Dowd won her first Emmy ever as Aunt Lydia in the Hulu drama, beating out strong contenders like costar Samira Wiley.
First African-American woman to win for comedy writing
Aziz Ansari and Lena Waithe won for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series for the “Master of None” episode “Thanksgiving,” but it was Waithe who conceived of the idea and made the acceptance speech. She was the first Black woman to get nominated in her category and now, is the first to win.
Riz Ahmed also makes acting history
For his role on “The Night Of,” Riz Ahmed was awarded the Best Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie award. However, he also became the first man of Asian descent to win in a major acting category. It was also his first Emmy win.
“Black Mirror” gets its first Emmys
Since the show made it over to Netflix in Season 3, it finally qualified for the Primetime Emmys. It was nominated for three and won two awards, both for the excellent and heartbreaking “San Junipero.”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ record
The actress broke records last year with her win, but broke even more this year by collecting the most Emmys won by a single performer for one role. This is her sixth win for her work on “Veep.” It’s also her seventh win in the Best Actress in a Comedy Series category (also a record).
Nicole Kidman gets her first Emmy
The actress has won an Oscar and two Golden Globes but with “Big Little Lies,” she landed her first Emmy nomination — and win.
Elisabeth Moss finally wins one
The actress had been nominated eight times before, but she finally won an Emmy statue for “The Handmaid’s Tale.”
Hulu becomes an Emmy player
With “The Handmaid’s Tale,” Hulu entered itself as a major awards contender. The series won for Best Drama, the first Hulu original to do so. It also swept many other categories Sunday night.
