SINGAPORE – The much-delayed 75th Primetime Emmy Awards finally took place on the night of Jan 15 in Los Angeles, coming on the heels of a months-long labour strike by writers and actors in Hollywood.

Hosted by Black-ish star Anthony Anderson, the milestone edition of the show honoured primetime television programming which aired from June 1, 2022, to May 31, 2023.

Family drama Succession and restaurant tale The Bear were top of the class with six wins each.

Succession’s wins were for its acclaimed final season, while The Bear swept the board for its debut season, which was released in June 2022. Its second season, which was released in June 2023, will be eligible for the next edition of the Emmys.

Here are five highlights from the event.

1. Black and Asian actors win big

The comedy Beef (2023), about a bitter feud that erupts after a road-rage incident, swept the limited series category with five wins, marking a historic night for Asian Americans in television.

Its leads Steven Yeun and Ali Wong won best actor and actress in a limited series. Wong is the first Asian to win in her category. 

Series creator Lee Sung-jin took home three major Emmys – for outstanding limited series, directing and writing. He is the first Asian to pull off this feat.

The first two wins presented during the ceremony went to African-American women. The Bear’s breakout star Ayo Edebiri won in the supporting category, while Quinta Brunson, the creator and star of the elementary school-set workplace comedy Abbott Elementary, won for lead actress. This is the first time both awards have gone to black women in the same year.

After five nominations, actress Niecy Nash-Betts got a standing ovation during her speech when she won her first Emmy, supporting actress in a limited series, for true-crime adaptation Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.

In one of the most rousing speeches of the night, the 53-year-old star thanked herself. “I want to thank me for believing in me and doing what they said I could not do, and I want to say to myself in front of all you beautiful people, ‘Go on, girl, with your bad self. You did that.’”

According to The Hollywood Reporter, five of the 12 acting Emmys were given to performers of colour, which ties with the 1991 edition for the most number of wins awarded to minority actors.

2. Grey’s Anatomy cast reunites

To celebrate its 75th anniversary, the Emmys paid tribute to television and stars through the decades. The cast of beloved comedy Cheers (1982 to 1993) returned to the series’ famous bar set, the cast of Ally McBeal (1997 to 2002) did a dance number, and cult-favourite comedy Community (2009 to 2015) co-stars Ken Jeong and Joel McHale presented together.

But no reunion garnered as much attention as the one of the cast of Grey’s Anatomy (2005 to present). On the cusp of its 20th season, the show’s original cast members Ellen Pompeo, Justin Chambers, James Pickens Jr, Chandra Wilson and Katherine Heigl commemorated the longevity of the hit series. 

The appearance of Heigl was particularly noteworthy as she famously had a feud with series creator Shonda Rhimes before her exit in Season 6.

3. The fake Kieran Culkin and Pedro Pascal beef

At the Golden Globes earlier in January, Succession star Kieran Culkin won best actor in a drama series for his portrayal of a media mogul’s good-for-nothing son.

As Pedro Pascal was also a hot favourite in the same category for apocalyptic drama The Last Of Us, Culkin joked in his winning speech then: “Suck it, Pedro.”

While presenting at the Emmys, Pascal, who showed up in an arm sling, said: “Kieran Culkin beat the sh** out of me.”

In truth, the actor had injured his shoulder in a fall. Still, that did not stop Culkin from presenting a stone-cold face when the camera panned to him, although he eventually cracked up in laughter.

Pascal and Culkin were both nominated for best actor in a drama series at the Emmys. The win went to Culkin.

4. Winners and smooches

The Emmys were marked less by tears of happiness and more by kisses of joy.

Notable smooches included Wong sharing a sweet kiss with her beau, Barry (2018 to 2023) star Bill Hader, when she was named best actress for Beef. Wong, who announced her separation from ex-husband Justin Hakuta in 2022, had made her first public appearance with new boyfriend Hader earlier at the Golden Globes.

While they might play a dysfunctional father-and-son pair in Succession, series star Brian Cox shared a quick and affectionate peck with on-screen son Culkin when the latter won his best actor trophy.

But the biggest and longest smooch of the night belonged to The Bear stars Matty Matheson and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. When the cast went onstage to collect their trophy for outstanding comedy series, Matheson, a real-life chef who plays a handyman in the series, thanked restaurant workers in his speech.

He was interrupted by Moss-Bachrach, who was so excited by the win that he grabbed Matheson by the face and kissed him, drawing cheers from the cast and audience.

5. Goodbye to a Friend

American singer Charlie Puth took the stage and played the piano for the In Memoriam segment with a rendition of his 2015 hit See You Again.

The segment remembered stars like Brooklyn Nine-Nine cast member Andre Braugher, who died of lung cancer in December 2023; Dame Angela Lansbury, who died at age 96 in 2022; and Euphoria actor Angus Cloud, who died of an accidental overdose at 25 in 2023.

When it came time to honour late Friends star Matthew Perry, who died of acute effects of ketamine at age 54 in October 2023, See You Again segued into a soulful rendition of the comedy’s theme song, I’ll Be There For You.

List of winners

Best drama series: Succession

Best comedy series: The Bear

Best limited or anthology series or movie: Beef

Best comedy actor: Jeremy Allen White, The Bear

Best comedy actress: Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary

Best drama actor: Kieran Culkin, Succession

Best drama actress: Sarah Snook, Succession

Best actor, limited or anthology series or movie: Steven Yeun, Beef

Best actress, limited or anthology series or movie: Ali Wong, Beef

Best drama supporting actor: Matthew Macfadyen, Succession

Best drama supporting actress: Jennifer Coolidge, The White Lotus

Best comedy supporting actor: Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Bear

Best comedy supporting actress: Ayo Edebiri, The Bear

Best supporting actor, limited or anthology series or movie: Paul Walter Hauser, Black Bird

Best supporting actress, limited or anthology series or movie: Niecy Nash-Betts, Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story

Best directing, drama: Mark Mylod, Succession

Best directing, comedy: Christopher Storer, The Bear

Best directing, limited or anthology series or movie: Lee Sung-jin, Beef

Best drama writing: Jesse Armstrong, Succession

Best comedy writing: Christopher Storer, The Bear

Best writing, limited or anthology series or movie: Lee Sung-jin, Beef

Best writing, variety series: Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

Best talk series: The Daily Show With Trevor Noah

Best scripted variety series: Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

Best variety special (live): Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium

Best reality competition: RuPaul’s Drag Race