Emmys 2024 highlights: 'Shōgun' and 'Baby Reindeer' win big, passionate speeches about diversity and a very Canadian monologue

A night filled with standing ovations, passionate speeches and first-time wins, the 2024 Emmys proved to be an eventful evening celebrating the best of television. In an exciting end to the event, the FX series Shōgun, which was filmed in Canada, won the award for Outstanding Drama Series.

Anna Sawai and Hiroyuki Sanada both took home Emmys for lead actress and lead actor in a drama series. Sawai, who made history by becoming the first Asian woman to win in her category, dedicated her moment to "all the women who expect nothing and continue to be an example for everyone."

Hacks received the Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series, with Paul W. Downs thanking everybody in the cast and crew who made the show possible. He also highlighted the importance of having a lead character on an award-winning TV show who is over the age of 60.

"About 20 per cent of our population is over 60 plus, and there are only three per cent of those characters on television," Downs said. "I would like to see more of them because while I'm a great young supporting actor, I really want to be a great old lead."

A very Canadian start to the Emmys

Canadian father-son duo Eugene and Dan Levy started off the night with a well-received monologue, poking fun at each other, as well as some of the Emmy nominees, while still keeping it Canadian.

"In what can only be described as a cruel joke, two Canadians have been put in charge of playing you off tonight," Dan said.

"Canadians don't like interrupting anybody, it goes against our nature," Eugene added.

The Levys also mentioned the hotly debated decision to have The Bear included in the Comedy category for the Emmy Awards, and in fact, it's the most nominated comedy in Emmys history.

"I know some of you may be expecting us to make a joke about whether The Bear is really a comedy. But in the true spirit of The Bear, we will not be making any jokes," Eugene said.

When talking about Jonathan Bailey and Matt Bomer, both nominated for the series Fellow Travelers, Levy quipped: "Proving that you can be nominated for playing gay, even if you're not straight."

'We need more stories from excluded groups'

John Leguizamo took the Emmys stage to give a passionate speech about the diversity of the nominees in this year's awards.

"For years I didn’t complain about the limited roles my people were offered. The spicy sex pot, the Latin lover, the maid, the gang banger," he sad. "Turns out, not complaining doesn’t change anything."

Leguizamo went on to reference the full-page ad he took out in the New York Times calling on Emmy voters to recognize people of colour for their work.

Leguizamo went on to celebrate several Latinx, trans and Indigenous nominees, including Selena Gomez, Sofía Vergara, Nava Mau, Liza Colón-Zayas and Kali Reis.

"We need more stories from excluded groups, Black, Asian, Jewish, Arab, LGBTQ+ and disabled," Leguizamo said. "This show tonight is proof that our industry is making progress."

Greg Berlanti receives the Governors Award

Presented by Fellow Travelers star Matt Bomer and Dawson's Creek alum Joshua Jackson, Greg Berlanti was recognized with the Governors Award at the 2024 Emmys, awarded to, "an individual, company, or organization that has made a profound, transformational, and long-lasting contribution to the arts and/or science of television."

Berlanti famously put the first passionate gay kiss on TV in Dawson's Creek and cast the first transgender superhero on TV for Supergirl.

"Like so many Gen X kids in the '70s and '80s, the one coloured TV our family could afford was on around the clock in our house, and I watched and loved all of it," Berlanti said when accepting his award. "Now there wasn't a lot of gay characters on television back then and I was a closeted gay kid, and it's hard to describe how lonely that was at the time. ... Back then, the only way to tell if another kid might be gay was if he also watched Dynasty, Dallas and could name all four of the Golden Girls."

Berlanti went on to talk about the initial reports of AIDS coming up on the news, the first time he saw openly gay men on TV.

"They gave me hope that I may one day have their courage to come out and share my truth with the world," he said.

"When I think about how much the world had to change to make the life I'm living now possible, even in hindsight, it's unimaginable to me."

Berlanti went on to speak about his late mother, the person he said was the first person who believed in him.

"Her belief travels through me, and out to all of the kids out there that today who may feel alone, or other, or scared to share their truth with the world," he said. "If my mom were here she would want you to know that you are loved and you are worthy and you have a story to tell, and we need those stories now more than ever."

'Baby Reindeer' wins big

The Netflix hit Baby Reindeer won the Emmy for best limited series and best writing for a limited series, with Richard Gadd giving a powerful speeches accepting the awards.

"Look, 10 years ago I was down and out, right. I never, ever thought I'd get my life together," Gadd said. "I never, ever thought I'd be able to rectify myself with what had happened to me and get myself back on my feet again, and then here I am, just over a decade later, picking up one of the biggest writing awards in television."

"I don't mean that to sound arrogant. I mean it as encouragement for anyone who's going through a difficult time right now to persevere. ... No matter how bad it gets, it always gets better. If you're struggling, keep going, keep going. And I promise you things will be OK."

Gadd also won the award for lead actor in a limited series.

"If Baby Reindeer has proved anything it's that there's no set formula to this," Gadd said. "That you don't need big stars, proven IP, long running series, catch all storytelling to have a hit."

"The only constant across any success in television is good storytelling. Good storytelling that speaks to our time. So take risks, push boundaries, explore the uncomfortable. Dare to fail in order to achieve."

Earlier in the night, Gadd's Baby Reindeer costar Jessica Gunning won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.

"Thank you for trusting me to be your Martha. I will never, ever forget her or you or this," she said.

Jodie Foster wins her first Emmy

Famed actor Jodie Foster won her first Emmy Award for True Detective: Night Country, receiving a standing ovation from the audience.

Foster called working on True Detective: Night Country a "magical" experience.

"The Indigenous people, the Inupiaq and Inuit people of northern Alaska, they just told us their stories and they allowed us to listen, and that was just a blessing," she said. "It was love, love, love and when you feel that, something amazing happens. ... Love and work equals art."

Candice Bergen takes a jab at J.D. Vance

The legendary Candice Bergen took the stage at the 2024 Emmys to present the award for best lead actress in a comedy series. Before announcing the nominees and award winner, she spoke about her time leading the show Murphy Brown for 11 years.

"I was surrounded by brilliant and funny actors, had the best scripts to work with, and in one classic moment my character was attacked by vice president Dan Quayle when Murphy became pregnant and decided to raise the baby as a single mother," the Bergen said.

"Today a Republican candidate for vice president would never attack a woman for having kids. So as they say, my work here is done. Meow."