Emmys 2021: The Crown and Ted Lasso sweep major categories on night without a single winning actor of colour

The stars of the small screen gathered together in Los Angeles on Sunday night (19 September) to celebrate the best in television at the 2021 Emmy Awards.

Netflix’s royal hit The Crown and Apple comedy Ted Lasso were the big winners at the ceremony, which saw The Crown secure the prize for Best Drama Series, plus four acting wins for its stars Gillian Anderson, Olivia Colman, Josh O’Connor and Tobias Menzies.

Ted Lasso’s lead star Jason Sudeikis, meanwhile, took home the Best Lead Comedy Actor trophy, and and Hannah Waddingham and Brett Goldstein won best supporting Actress and Actor.

The 73rd Emmy Awards saw most nominees attend in person, although many British stars appeared from a separate Emmys hub in London. Seth Rogen joked that there were not enough Covid measures in place at the event.

Another British winner was Michaela Coel, who won Best Limited Series writing for her sexual consent drama I May Destroy You. “I dedicate this story to every single survivor of sexual assault,” she said on stage.

Despite a record number of diverse nominees, there wasn’t a single winner of colour in any of the acting categories. Actors who were considered frontrunners included Pose stars Billy Porter and MJ Rodriguez, the late Michael K Williams for Lovecraft Country, Michaela Coel for I May Destroy You and Bowen Yang for Saturday Night Live.

Kate Winslet won Lead Actress in a Limited Series for playing the lead detective in Mare of Easttown. In her speech she said Mare is a “middle-aged, imperfect, flawed mother who made us all feel validated”.

Her Mare of Easttown co-stars Evan Peters and Julianne Nicholson also both won Supporting Actor and Actress for their performances in the show.

Olivia Colman, who lost her father during Covid, gave an emotional speech when accepting her award for Best Actress in a Drama Series for The Crown.

The ceremony, hosted by US comedian Cedric the Entertainer, was held after a year when TV became a form of escape for many of those suffering during the pandemic.

Read about the biggest talking points from the night here, and find the full winner’s list here.