Elton John's EGOT win, 'Grey's Anatomy' reunion, and other highlights of the 2024 Emmys
The 2024 Emmys was one for the books!
Apart from the glamorous red carpet looks, this year’s Emmys held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Jan. 16 (Philippine time) was made unforgettable with various moments—from historic firsts to interactions between A-list stars interactions and emotional acceptance speeches.
Here are the highlights of the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards.
Historic first wins
Abbott Elementary star Quinta Brunson became the first Black woman in 42 years to win Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, following the late Isabel Sanford who won in 1961.
"Thank you so much, I love making Abbott Elementary so much and I am so happy to be able to live my dream and act out comedy, and I say it every time and I just love comedy so much that I am so happy to be able to get this," she said in her acceptance speech.
"I didn’t prepare anything because I just didn't think... Oh god. I love my mom, my dad, my sisters, my brothers. My entire family so much. I love my husband. I'm so happy. I love my cast. Oh, I love Abbott Elementary. Thank you so much,” she continued.
Making another historic feat is actress Ayo Edebiri, who earned her first Emmy after being named Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in the series The Bear. She's the third Black woman to win in the category following Jackée Harry in 1987 and fellow-nominee
“Thank you so much for loving me and letting me feel beautiful and Black and proud of all of that. I just love you so much. Probably not a dream to immigrate to this country and to have your kid be like, 'I want to do improv,' But you're real ones." she said as she thanked her parents in her acceptance speech.
Ali Wong became the first Asian woman to win the Outstanding Lead Actress award for her role in Beef. Her co-star Steven Yeun also earned his first-ever Emmy for his role as Danny Cho in the series.
Other first-time Emmy winners include Jeremy Allen White for Outstanding Lead Actor in Comedy for his role in The Bear and Black Bird star Paul Walter Hauser who rapped his acceptance speech after winning Best Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series.
Christina Applegate’s surprise appearance
Actress Christina Applegate made a powerful Emmys return following her multiple sclerosis diagnosis—a chronic disease of the brain and central nervous system.
After some time away from the spotlight, Applegate made a surprise appearance as the first presenter of the ceremony, which gained applause and a standing ovation.
Christina Applegate gets a standing oviation when presenting. (🎥:Courtesy of the Television Academy and FOX) pic.twitter.com/yQXWJFmymx
— Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) January 16, 2024
“Oh my god, you're totally shaming me with disability by standing up," she quipped. "It's fine. Body not by Ozempic."
She was also named as this year’s Best Lead Actress in Comedy for her role in Dead to Me.
"It's been an honor to play funny, flawed, complex characters like the women nominated for Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series," she said in her acceptance speech.
Jennifer Coolidge gives special mention to 'evil gays' after her win
Jennifer Coolidge made the crowd laugh after giving a shoutout to the “evil gays” as she accepted the award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role in The White Lotus, referencing her iconic line in the series, “These gays... they’re trying to murder me.”
“I want to thank all the evil gays,” she quipped in her acceptance speech. After joking and being cut off, Coolidge left a brief inspirational message.
"I had a little dream in my little town, and everyone said it was impractical and it was far-fetched," she said. "But it did happen after all, so don’t give up on your dream."
'Green creature' in the crowd
Drag queen Princess Poppy turned heads with her bizarre ensemble amid the glamorous fashion of fellow attendees.
In her interview with Entertainment Weekly, Poppy said that she took inspiration from Roz from Monsters, Inc., and the witch from Tom Cruise’s 1985 movie Legend.
A green creature has been spotted at the #EMMYs. pic.twitter.com/KCUYKTF8No
— Pop Base (@PopBase) January 16, 2024
"I wanted to do the exact opposite of what is expected of you when you go to an event like this. I wanted to take decorum and turn it on its head," she told EW.
“Mainly, I wanted to be a troll-slash-hag. I wanted to be so shocking that you just have to turn and look at me—in the worst way possible,” she continued.
Grey's Anatomy reunion
Stars of the longest-running medical show treated their fans with a mini-reunion at the event. In a post by the Television Academy on X, Grey's Anatomy stars Ellen Pompeo (Meredith Grey), Chandra Wilson (Miranda Bailey), James Pickens Jr. (Richard Webb), Katherine Heigl (Izzie Stevens), and Justine Champers (Alex Karev) were all smiles as they posed for a photo, with a backdrop resembling a room in Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.
Elton John secures EGOT status
Elton John is the 19th person to become an EGOT winner after bagging his first Emmy, completing the four letters of the acronym that stands for Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony, which are all prestigious award-giving bodies in the entertainment scene. He secured EGOT status with his Best Variety Special (Live) win for his Disney+ variety show Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium.
"We won an Emmy and I am on cloud nine! Receiving this recognition is a testament to the passion and dedication of everyone involved, and I am so deeply grateful," he said in a statement shared on Instagram.
"Whilst I am gutted that I couldn’t be there to accept this award in person, my heartfelt thanks go out to the Academy and all those who took the time to vote. This award reflects the collective effort and creativity of an amazing team," he added.
