Sinead Butler
Sep 13, 2022
NBC
It was one of the biggest nights for TV, as the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards took place in Los Angeles, California, hosted by Kenan Thompson - and there was certainly an evening full of entertainment.
With our favourite stars on the small screen from shows such as Succession, Ted Lasso, The White Lotus, Stranger Things, Squid Game and Euphoria, the award show was full of memorable moments.
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Some of the biggest winners this year include Succession for Outstanding Drama Series, Ted Lasso for Outstanding Comedy Series, and The White Lotus, for Outstanding Limited series and Lee Jung-jae became the first Asian star to win the Emmy award for Best Male Actor in a Drama for his role in Squid Game - see the full list of winners here.
Though it wouldn't be an award show without the internet reacting to every moment and delivering some entertaining commentary and memes.
Here are some of the best moments and memes from the 2022 Emmy Awards:
Kenan Thompson's Leonardo DiCaprio joke
Host of the night, Kenan Thompson surprised the audience with an age gap joke about Leonardo DiCaprio and Zendaya during the ceremony when he wished the Euphoria star a happy birthday.
"Zendaya just turned 26, happy birthday. 26 is a weird age in Hollywood. Young enough to play a high school student, but too old to date Leonardo DiCaprio," Thompson said, as the camera panned to Zendaya who covered her face to hide her reaction.
\u201c\u201cZendaya just turned 26, happy birthday. 26 is a weird age in Hollywood. Young enough to play a high school student, but too old to date Leonardo DiCaprio.\u201d - Kenan Thompson at the #Emmys\u201d— philip lewis (@philip lewis) 1663029147
Proving the DiCaprio age joke never gets old.
Zendaya wins second Emmy
Euphoria star Zendaya took home the lead actress in a drama series award for her portrayal of Rue and in her acceptance speech thanked her character and creator Sam Levinson.
“My greatest wish for Euphoria was that it could help heal people, and I wanna say thank you to everyone who has shared their story with me," she during her speech.
Zendaya also became the first Black woman to win the Emmy for Lead Actress in a Drama Series twice and is also the youngest two-time winner of any Emmy in history.
\u201cZendaya\u2019s speech for winning \u2018Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series\u2019 at the 2022 Emmy Awards!\u201d— Zendaya Updates (@Zendaya Updates) 1663036071
"Anyone who has loved a Rue or feels like they are a Rue, I'm so grateful to you and your stories and I carry them with me and I carry them with her.”
And fans of the actor were delighted at her success:
\u201cWatching Zendaya go from Shake It Up to winning two Emmys\u201d— peter danvers-wu\ud83d\udc84 (@peter danvers-wu\ud83d\udc84) 1663035752
\u201c\u201cand the emmy goes to\u2026.ZENDAYA\u201d\u201d— bell\u22c6 \ud83e\ude90 Z EMMY TAKEOVER (@bell\u22c6 \ud83e\ude90 Z EMMY TAKEOVER) 1663035750
\u201cMY ZENDAYA\u201d— ari! (@ari!) 1663038616
Viewers also loved Sandra Oh's reaction to Zendaya's win:
\u201ci am literally sandra oh cheering for zendaya as she wins her SECOND emmy award #Emmys\u201d— Nora Dominick (@Nora Dominick) 1663035787
\u201cSandra Oh being this happy for Zendaya was my fave thing\u201d— The Hive \ud83e\udee7 (@The Hive \ud83e\udee7) 1663036966
\u201cshe was so happy for her \ud83e\udd79\ud83d\ude2d\u201d— cait \u26a2 sandra oh emmy win\ud83d\udd6f (@cait \u26a2 sandra oh emmy win\ud83d\udd6f) 1663035907
Jennifer Coolidge's hilarious acceptance speech (and dance)
Jennifer Coolidge won her first Emmy for her performance in HBO’s The White Lotus but had the internet talking about her acceptance speech for the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie award.
"I just want to say I took a lavender bath tonight right before the show and it made me swell up inside my dress and I’m having a hard time speaking,” Coolidge said. “This is so thrilling because … I didn’t think it was going to happen.”
As she fumbled with her acceptance speech letter Coolidge added: "Hold on, wait, wait, I love you," as she thanked her producers and executives and agents.
But her play-off music then attempted to drown out her speech, but Coolidge was having none of it as she declared: "Hold on. No! This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing!"
Then suddenly the hilarious apt songHit the Road Jack by Ray Charles began to play as Coolidge began to awkwardly dance to the music, causing a massive cheer from the audience.
\u201cHere's Jennifer Coolidge's hilarious #Emmys acceptance speech. https://t.co/h3GrtHDmKy\u201d— Variety (@Variety) 1663031887
Fans of the actor thoroughly enjoyed Coolidge's entertaining speech and moves.
\u201cJennifer Coolidge deciding to dance when the #Emmys attempted to play her off is a truly perfect moment\u201d— Jarett Wieselman (@Jarett Wieselman) 1663031803
\u201cJennifer Coolidge trying to speak at the #Emmys\u201d— Sean Abrams (@Sean Abrams) 1663031825
\u201cJennifer Coolidge spending the last 10 seconds of her speech saying \u201cwait, hold on\u201d and then dancing to \u201cHit the Road Jack\u201d? Give it another Emmy.\u201d— R. Eric Thomas (@R. Eric Thomas) 1663031727
\u201cI don't want to live in a world that doesn't let Jennifer Coolidge speak as long as she wants\u201d— Megh Wright (@Megh Wright) 1663031769
Lizzo's inspiring and emotional acceptance speech
Grammy Award-winning singer Lizzo now has an Emmy to add to her award collection after she was awarded the Outstanding Competition Prize for her Prime Video series Watch Out for the Big Grrrls.
\u201cLizzo accepts the #Emmy for competition series for #WatchOutForTheBigGrrrls: "When I was a little girl, all I wanted to see was me in the media. Someone fat like me. Black like me. Beautiful like me." https://t.co/h3GrtHDmKy\u201d— Variety (@Variety) 1663032587
I’m very emotional, “The trophy is nice, but my emotion is for these people who are on the stage with me,” she continued.
“The stories that they shared, they’re not that unique. They just don’t get told. Let’s just tell more stories.” “When I was a little girl, all I wanted to see was me in the media,” she continued.
\u201cThis is for the BIG GRRRLS \u270a\ud83c\udffe\u201d— FOLLOW @YITTY (@FOLLOW @YITTY) 1663035561
“Someone fat like me. Black like me. Beautiful like me.” “If I could go back and tell little Lizzo something, I would be like, ‘You’re going to see that person, but b*tch, it’s going to have to be you,” she shouted which the audience applauded.
“Make some noise for my big girls!" she exclaimed, and afterwards posted a tearful selfie with her award to Twitter where she wrote: "This is for the BIG GRRRLS."
With multiple Grammy's and now an Emmy Award winner, people have pointed out that Lizzo is halfway to EGOT (acronym for the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards).
\u201cLizzo can EGOT. I feel it.\u201d— Lynda Carter (@Lynda Carter) 1663032296
\u201clizzo is going to be an egot winner within the next 10 years just watch\u201d— s (@s) 1663032636
Jimmy Kimmel playing dead during Quinta Brunson's acceptance speech
Viewers shared their anger at Jimmy Kimmel after the late-night TV host pretended to be a dead body, dragged onstage by actor Will Arnett, but kept the gag up when the winner of Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series was announced.
So when Qunita Brunson won and began her acceptance speech, she was accompanied by Kimmel who remained lying on the floor next to her.
\u201cQuinta Brunson deserved better than giving her acceptance over Jimmy Kimmel\u2019s \u201cdead\u201d body. #Emmys #AbbottElementary\u201d— Garin Pirnia (@Garin Pirnia) 1663035216
\u201cJimmy Kimmel should have left the stage during Quinta\u2019s speech. Highly disrespectful #Emmys\u201d— philip lewis (@philip lewis) 1663035436
\u201cI\u2019m gonna need Jimmy Kimmel to get his ass up and stop trying to take Quinta\u2019s shine. #Emmys\u201d— Finessa_Trilliams\ud83d\udc8b\ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udded \ud83d\udc1d (@Finessa_Trilliams\ud83d\udc8b\ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udded \ud83d\udc1d) 1663035110
After her speech, Brunson was asked in the press room how she felt about Kimmel's commitment to the skit: "I know Jimmy Kimmel, and I don't know, I felt like the bit didn't bother me that much. I don't know what the internet thinks," PEOPLE reported.
She continued: "Jimmy gave me my first big late-night spot. He was one of the first people to see Abbott. He Instagram messaged that he saw this comedy and thought it was one of the greatest comedies of all time. He was so excited it was going to be on ABC.
So I think in that moment, I was just really happy that it was Jimmy up there. I kind of just consider him one of the comedy godfathers. I'm a huge fan of Will Arnett, so I was wrapped up in the moment.
"Tomorrow, maybe I’ll be mad at him, Brunson added. "I'm going to be on his show on Wednesday, so I might punch him in the face. I don't know what's going to happen."
Sheryl Lee Ralph sang her acceptance speech
As award acceptance speeches go, Sheryl Lee Ralph stunned the audience and viewers when she took the time to sing when she won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in Abbott Elementary.
"I am an endangered species, but I sing no victim song," she sang, as names of those she wished to thank flashed across the screen. "I am a woman, I am an artist, and I know where my voice belongs."
\u201cSheryl Lee Ralph blew the roof off the #emmys with this speech!\u201d— philip lewis (@philip lewis) 1663030244
Ralph also made history as the second Black winner for supporting actress in a comedy, following Jackée Harry’s win for “227” in 1987.
People took to Twitter to praise Ralph for her acapella performance.
\u201cGive Sheryl Lee Ralph a Tony for her Emmy acceptance speech, please and thank you.\u201d— R. Eric Thomas (@R. Eric Thomas) 1663029878
\u201cSheryl Lee Ralph\u2019s acceptance song/speech healed me, cured my depression, erased all past traumas, replenished my electrolytes, etc etc etc\u201d— Tom Zohar (@Tom Zohar) 1663030750
\u201ci\u2019m sorry the way sheryl lee ralph just launched into these flawless vocals someone give her a grammy while she\u2019s up there too\u201d— Rio (@Rio) 1663029883
Matthew Macfayden won Emmy for Best Supporting Actor
Twitter expressed their love for Matthew Macfayden after he won the Best Supporting Actor award for his role as the hilariously spineless and ambitious Tom Wambsgans in the HBO series Succession.
In his acceptance speech, the British actor said: "I'm deeply flattered and thrilled to bits. It's a pleasure and a privilege to play this bonkers gift of a role."
Macfayden beat out his fellow Succession co-stars Kieran Culkin and Nicholas Braun for the award which someone pointed out is very Tom Wambsgans of him.
\u201cok but Matthew Macfadyen ultimately winning when his castmates didn't is a very Tom Wambsgans move!!!\u201d— Karen Chee (@Karen Chee) 1663039832
While there were some perfect moments of Macfayden as Tom Wambsgans from the show to serve as the perfect reaction memes.
\u201cEMMY WINNER MATTHEW MACFADYEN\u201d— plum (@plum) 1663029071
\u201cturned on the emmys to see matthew macfadyen won and turned em right back off. i don\u2019t need any more information today\u201d— kelsey weekman (@kelsey weekman) 1663030067
\u201cMe when Matthew McFadyen won for playing Tom Wambsgans in Succession @HBO @hbomax\u201d— Laurie Crosswell (@Laurie Crosswell) 1663071908
Succession creator makes a royal jab at King Charles III
Succession creator Jesse Armstrong made a dig at King Charles III during his acceptance speech after the HBO series won the award for Outstanding Drama Series.
\u201cSuccession Writer Jesse Armstrong jokes about King Charles III after winning Best Drama Series at the #Emmys2022.\n\nArmstrong: \u201cEvidently a little bit more voting involved in our winning than Prince Charles.\u201d\n\nBrian Cox: \u201cKeep it royalist.\u201d\u201d— The Recount (@The Recount) 1663038873
The native Brit took the opportunity to speak about the historic events back home, reflecting that it was a "Big week for successions."
He then added: "Evidently a little more voting involved in our winning than Prince Charles."
"Keep it royalist," Brian Cox chimed in, as the Scottish actor who plays Logan Roy attempted to take the sting out of the comment.
"I’m not saying we’re more legitimate in our position. We’ll leave that to other people," Armstrong added.
See a list of all the 2022 Emmy winners here.
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