The 76th Emmys: Award Show or Reality Show?

Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater welcomed nominees from across the country to the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards to celebrate another year of television. While this marked the second award ceremony of 2024—as last year’s Emmys were delayed due to Hollywood strikes—there was no lack of new controversy bubbling at the surface. With Shogun (2024–) sweeping awards and the debate over The Bear’s (2022–) classification as a comedy, even hosts Eugene and Dan Levy couldn’t fully salvage the show from its longstanding traditions of problematic speeches, bad jokes, and passive-aggressive jabs. 

As always, some series dominated the night. Shogun made history by winning an unprecedented 18 trophies in a single season, leaving viewers stunned. The show, a Hollywood adaptation of a samurai-era historical fiction piece, delves into the power struggles surrounding the Tokugawa Shogunate’s founding, featuring breathtaking visuals and a genuine appreciation for Japanese cinema and culture. The historical accuracy of the sets and costumes, combined with battle scenes and powerful monologues, makes this series undeniably the first of its kind. Coming into the night with 14 wins from the Creative Arts Emmys just a week prior, Shogun became the first non-English-language show to win Best Drama. Leading actors Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai won awards for Outstanding Lead Actor and Actress, respectively, making them the first Japanese performers to do so in the Drama category. 

Though the show is beloved by fans worldwide, critics raised concerns over whether it truly deserved such widespread recognition at the expense of other series. While technically and graphically stunning, some argue that other nominees had richer storytelling and highlighted more diverse experiences. These comments fit into a larger debate over the Television Academy’s criteria, specifically the concern that big-budget productions overshadow more innovative works. Critics argue that 3 Body Problem (2024–) exemplifies the intersection of science fiction and deep philosophical questions about society and that in an era when technological advancement is so important, this series deserves more recognition. Even in light of these comments, the Japanese government proudly hailed Shogun’s success across mainstream media as a monumental achievement for the country and its people.

Meanwhile, The Bear was also hard to miss, securing seven Emmys—all in the Comedy category. This categorization surprised many viewers, as the series is often more akin to a drama. Despite its occasional humor, The Bear is often described as emotionally intense and challenging to watch, as it deals with the significance and implications of the main character’s brother’s suicide and features intense guilt, shame, and grief. However, producers defended this classification, arguing that since the purpose of the series is to display the complexities and moments of daily life, the show is meant to be, at its core, a sitcom. A more logical explanation is the Television Academy’s requirement that all series with episodes less than half an hour compete in the comedy category, which was implemented in 2015. This rule was created to make a clearer separation between dramas and comedies, but it seems to have done the opposite.

The show joins a long line of “category fraud,” in which series with heavy emotional content compete in comedies to increase their chances of winning awards. Other productions that have been accused of this include Barry (2018–), Russian Doll (2019–), and Fleabag (2016–). Even the host Eugene Levy couldn’t help poking fun at The Bear’s categorization during his opening monologue. The controversy gained more traction online after the Shogun sweep in Drama—many speculated that if The Bear had been placed in the same category, it would likely not have achieved the same level of success as it did in Comedy. The debate continued online when Hacks (2021–) star Hannah Einbinder’s mother voiced her frustration in a now-deleted angry tweet on the night of the event, expressing her hatred for The Bear. 

Though the controversies were brewing, speeches kept the event alive and its action moving. Besides some awkward jokes that didn’t quite land the way the hosts intended (which is to be expected at the Emmys), Eugene and Dan Levy were generally well-received by both the nominees and the viewers. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for some of the award speeches. Candice Bergen notably made a few playful but pointed jabs at Vice Presidential candidate JD Vance, referring to his disparaging remarks about “childless cat ladies.” She used the opportunity to highlight the way politics has influenced women’s roles in society, linking the issue to her time on Murphy Brown (1988–2018). While her speech received a sufficient number of laughs, it raises concerns over whether politics has a role in such events. 

The feminist train didn’t last long; Billy Crudup caused backlash during his acceptance speech by referring to his wife, Naomi Watts, as “eye candy.” Online criticism by viewers who found this comment inappropriate also argued that this represented an older era of television and should not be tolerated. Award speeches not just at the Emmys but also at all entertainment award events have a history of downplaying the accomplishments of female nominees. The most notable example is the 2020 Golden Globes, where host Ricky Gervais received backlash for his multiple jokes surrounding stereotypes about women in the industry. As he attempted to shed light on the sexual harassment in Hollywood at the time, many felt as though he trivialized the situation in doing so. It’s disheartening to see the misogynistic trend continue. 

In the end, the 76th Emmy Awards showcased many new, innovative shows, but only a select few received real recognition from the event. With a handful of series sweeping every year, this celebration of television has become redundant, explaining the lack of viewership in the last couple of years. These criticisms aren’t new, but it seems like the Television Academy is trying to change these problematic rituals. With a more diverse set of winners and some better jokes, the Emmys have the chance to rewrite their reputation. Until then, this supposedly prestigious event will only lose credibility.