Emmy Awards 2020: Winners, nominees as Jimmy Kimmel hosts ‘virtual’ Hollywood ceremony held online from Los Angeles

Jennifer Aniston staged a mini-Friends reunion at the Emmys, as the virtual awards delivered a huge blow for the Australian nominees, including Hugh Jackman and Cate Blanchett. Schitt’s Creek swept the field with record wins in all four comedy categories, with winged trophies for lead actress Catherine O’Hara, supporting actress Annie Murphy and the show’s creators, lead actor Eugene Levy and his best supporting actor and director son, Daniel. The cast and nominees celebrated at a social distance and wearing masks, but broke with “pand-Emmy” protocols to hug each other at every prize presentation as the first half of this year’s virtual ceremony. Host Jimmy Kimmel, who presented the ceremony to an empty Staples Center, joked that President Donald Trump “should have built his wall up north” in order to keep out the Schitt’s Creek crusade on the US television awards, which went ahead without its red carpet and stars zooming in from their homes and hotel locations. The Emmy’s turned into a mini Friends reunion when Jennifer Aniston was joined by her BFFs and former co-stars Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow, in a skit that suggested the trio are living together. Kimmel had made an earlier joke that Aniston, who had joined him on stage at Staples Center in Los Angeles at start of the Emmys broadcast, needed to get home so she could receive an award if she won (she was nominated for Morning Wars). When he cut back to Aniston, she was joined by her Friends co-star, Courteney Cox. And when Kimmel asked if she actually lives in the same house as Aniston, as they did on the show, Cox said, “Of course I’m here, we live together.” Aniston added, “Yeah, we’ve been roommates since 1994”, referring to the year the iconic TV comedy began. Friends co-star Lisa Kudrow then entered the to shot, telling Kimmel, “Where else would I live?” While no male Friends cast members appeared, Aniston’s close friend, Ozark star Jason Bateman, joined the ladies as part of the skit, with the series streaming now on Foxtel’s Binge. The Friends cast are due to reunite for a new documentary special, which has been pushed back due to COVID-19. AUSSIE NOMINEES The Emmys delivered a blow for its Australian nominees, as Blanchett, Jackman, Snook and Collette missed out in their categories. Blanchett lost the Emmy for Best Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for her acclaimed show, Miss America. The award was won by Regina King, star of the most-nominated series of the night, Watchmen. King, wearing a Breonna Taylor shirt, said: “This is so freaking weird. I truly love being a thespian.” She also took the chance to get political, noting “Gotta vote, I would be remiss not to mention that being part of a show as prescient as Watchmen.” She finished stating, “Be a good human, rest in power RBG (Ruth Bader Ginsburg).” Blanchett was not on screen, one of the few actors not to be available on Zoom if they won. Hugh Jackman lost to his X-Men co-star, Mark Ruffalo, for his dual roles in I Know This Much Is True. In his impassioned speech, Ruffalo appealed to Americans better angels when it came to the upcoming election: “Vote for love and compassion and kindness and God bless ya.” And Unbelievable star Toni Collette was beaten by Uzo Aduba for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie. Collette, like London-based Blanchett, did not appear via Zoom either. Aduba, wearing a Breonna Taylor T-shirt, is best known for her role in Orange is the New Black. “Mom, I won,” Aduba said. Sarah Snook was also unlucky, losing out the supporting actress in a drama series to Ozark’s rising star Julia Garner – but still shared in the ensemble best drama win for Succession. The 32-year-old streamed into the ceremony from her Melbourne home, where she is in lockdown, fashioning an Emmy out of tinfoil in absence of holding the real gold gong. He also asked the young people in his life: “Please save us, sorry to ask.” Crudup won over Giancarlo Esposito for Better Call Saul, Bradley Whitford for the Handmaid’s Tale, Jeffrey Wright for Westworld and The Morning Wars’ co-star Mark Duplass as well as Succession’s Nicholas Braun, Kieran Culkin and Matthew Macfadyen. ‘IT’S A BIG NIGHT FOR ME’ The “Pand-Emmys” got off to their virtual start, with the show’s host Jimmy Kimmel joking “the world may be terrible but TV has never been better”. Presenting to an empty Staples Center in Los Angeles, the TV academy awards linked to 130 locations, with nominees video calling in from their homes or offsite venues. To add atmosphere to Kimmel’s opening monologue, producers cut to film from previous years, before the vacant theatre was show, with only cardboard cutouts and a real Jason Bateman sitting frozen in the front row. Bateman, who is nominated for his lead role in drama Ozark, refused to leave when Kimmel pointed him out, telling him: “Mind your business, Kimmel, it’s a big night for me.” When the host told him his condition of staying was that he had to laugh at all of Kimmel’s jokes, Bateman got up and ordered himself a car ride home. Jennifer Aniston was on hand to present the first award IRL, which she was nominated for as best supporting actress in a comedy series. Aniston engaged in some social distancing banter with Kimmel, cleaning, sanitising and burning the winner’s envelope on stage with a fire extinguisher. Former friends star Aniston asked Kimmel, “Why are you standing so far away from me?” Kimmel responded: “Dr [Anthony] Fauci said sixty feet, so …” Pretending not to hear him clearly, Aniston responded: “Sixty feet? No he said six feet.”. Kimmel quipped: “Oh thank you, you also have sexy feet”. SCHITT’S SHOW Presenter Jason Sudekis had an on-screen COVID-19 test before awarding hit comedy Schitt’s Creek with the Emmy for Best Comedy Series, continuing the shows’s incredible and well-deserved clean sweep. The series beat Curb Your Enthusiasm, Dead To Me, The Good Place, Insecure, The Kominsky Method, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel and What We Do In the Shadows to win the Emmy for Best Comedy Series. Daniel Levy, wearing a kilt, said “Our show at its core is about the transformational effects of love and acceptance, that is something we need now more than ever.” Levy then called for people to vote in the upcoming US elections – “I’m so sorry for making this political but I had to.” Eugene Levy praised the show for its “inclusivity” and “castigation of homophobia.” Elton John said he loved the show because “I found out Daniel Levy was named after one of my songs.” Earlier, the Emmys for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series went to Catherine O’Hara for Schitt’s Creek, beating Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini for Dead to Me, Rachel Brosnahan for The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, Issa Rae for Insecure and Tracee Ellis Ross for Black-ish. O’Hara said: “I will forever be grateful to Eugene and Daniel Levy for the bestowing upon me playing a woman of a certain age, my age, who gets to be her ridiculous self.” She also gave shout outs to her wardrobe, make up and hair staff – with her character Moira Rose infamous for constant wig change. The outstanding lead actor in a comedy series award also went to Schitt’s Creek, via actor Eugene Levy. He accepted the trophy and quipped: “You see, I told you I was good.” Levy thanked his wife Deb, daughter Sarah and especially son, Daniel who he paid tribute for taking “our show and brilliantly guided it to this Emmy party tonight, so thank you son.” The award for Best Writing for a Comedy Series continued the early blitz by Schitt’s Creek, the comedy which just wound up with an acclaimed final series. Writer and star Dan Levy noted, “Writers don’t get awards” and thanked his fellow writers for sharing their “traumatising, embarrassing, deeply triggering things so the Rose family could be who they are” and said working on the hit show has been the “most cathartic experience of his life”. The Emmy for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series was won by Daniel Levy of Schitt’s Creek. “The internet’s about to turn on me,” Levy joked. He praised the “six year master class” of his dad Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara who “led by example, without ego and with excitement.” “To play David Rose has been the greatest experience of my life. This is a night to remember. This is completely overwhelming.” Zendaya beat out an all-star nominees list, including Laura Linney, Jennifer Aniston and reigning champ, Jodie Comer, to win the Outstanding Lead Actress Emmy for her role as a drug-addicted teen in HBO drama, Euphoria. “Thank to the TV academy and all the other incredible women in this category, i admire you all,” Zendaya said. Speaking as the voice of her generation, the singer and actress, said: “I know there is hope in the young people and to those on the street [protesting] … I see you, I admire you, I thank you. Woah, thank you!’ In the final award, Succession was awards the Emmy for Best Drama Series, beating Better Call Saul, The Crown, The Handmaid’s Tale, Killing Eve, Star Wars – The Mandalorian, Ozark and Stranger Things. The show’s award-winning writer Jesse Armstrong gave out “un-thank yous” to corona virus and Donald Trump and Boris Johnson for their “crummy and uncoordinated response” to the pandemic. As well as awards for direction and writing, the show saw Jeremy Strong win best actor, while Australia’s Snook lost but had fashioned an Emmy award out of tinfoil. RuPau’s Drag Race won Best Competition Series, beating cooking shows Nailed It and Top Chef and the US versions of singing shows The Voice and The Masked Singer. Host RuPaul Charles made a special note to the viewers of the show, stating “All the kids get to tell their stories on our show and it’s beautiful. A special not to the viewer, I know how you feel right now, just know that you are loved and don’t give up on love. Believe in love and the power of love.” Ru was joined by Drag Race stars Jaida Essence Hall, Heidi in Closet and Widow Von Du. KIMMEL BLASTED Recent headlines about the forced hysterectomies of women imprisoned by ICE, as well as the lingering sensitivities about the arrests of ‘illegal’ immigrants under the Trump administration made this a sore point for some viewers who took their outrage to social media. “Bro, f*ck, Jimmy Kimmel for making a joke about ice. literally wtf is so funny about ppl tearing families apart?? f*ck you, @jimmykimmel.” Another overtly political joke saw Kimmel receive “ballots” from a Russian-speaking mailman called “Derek ‘Magic’ Johnson who said he got his job at the US Postal Service, “just before election, 2016.” Later, Kimmel suggested, “Trump should have built his wall up north” after the Canadian show Schitt’s Creek swept the Emmys field. David Letterman presented the variety/talk show gong to The Last Week Tonight With John Oliver. Oliver received his award from a remote-controlled box, which opened to a shower of glitter. “The academy has basically sent a small bomb to my home and given this year, I wouldn’t have been surprised if it exploded and set off a small wildfire here in New York.” And in one of the show’s most unusual presenting moments actor Randall Park appeared on stage leading an alpaca, making an Al Pacino joke. He was presenting the award for Best Writing in a limited series, movie or dramatic sequel. It was won by Damon Lindelof and Cord Jefferson for Watchmen, the most-nominated show of the night. In another segment, Kimmel asked celebrities to let viewers know how they have been “passing quaran-time.” Bob Odenkirk, inside what looked like a chicken coop, said he was “hiding from my family,” while Modern Family’s Ty Burrell joked: “What have I been doing? you mean ‘who have I been doing?’” with a wink. TV legend, Bob Newhart, now 91, deadpanned he had “given up skydiving and alligator wrestling” because of the global virus. NOMINEES AND WINNERS DRAMA SERIES Better Call Saul The Crown The Handmaid’s Tale Killing Eve The Mandalorian Ozark Stranger Things Succession – WINNER COMEDY SERIES Curb Your Enthusiasm Dead to Me The Good Place Insecure The Kominsky Method The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Schitt’s Creek – WINNER What We Do in the Shadows LEAD ACTRESS, DRAMA Jennifer Aniston, The Morning Show Olivia Colman, The Crown Jodie Comer, Killing Eve Laura Linney, Ozark Sandra Oh, Killing Eve Zendaya, Euphoria – WINNER LEAD ACTOR, DRAMA Jason Bateman, Ozark Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us Steve Carell, The Morning Show Brian Cox, Succession Billy Porter, Pose Jeremy Strong, Succession – WINNER SUPPORTING ACTOR, DRAMA Nicholas Braun, Succession Billy Crudup, The Morning Show – WINNER Kieran Culkin, Succession Mark Duplass, The Morning Show Giancarlo Esposito, Better Call Saul Matthew Macfadyen, Succession Bradley Whitford, The Handmaid’s Tale Jeffrey Wright, Westworld SUPPORTING ACTRESS, DRAMA Helena Bonham Carter, The Crown Laura Dern, Big Little Lies Julia Garner, Ozark – WINNER Thandie Newton, Westworld Fiona Shaw, Killing Eve Sarah Snook, Succession Meryl Streep, Big Little Lies Samira Wiley, The Handmaid’s Tale LEAD ACTRESS, COMEDY Christina Applegate, Dead to Me Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Linda Cardellini, Dead to Me Catherine O’Hara, Schitt’s Creek – WINNER Issa Rae, Insecure Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish LEAD ACTOR, COMEDY Anthony Anderson, Black-ish Don Cheadle, Black Monday Ted Danson, The Good Place Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method Eugene Levy, Schitt’s Creek – WINNER Ramy Youssef, Ramy SUPPORTING ACTOR, COMEDY Mahershala Ali, Ramy Alan Arkin, The Kominsky Method Andre Braugher, Brooklyn Nine-Nine Sterling K. Brown, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel William Jackson Harper, The Good Place Daniel Levy, Schitt’s Creek – WINNER Tony Shalhoub, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Kenan Thompson, Saturday Night Live SUPPORTING ACTRESS, COMEDY Alex Borstein, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel D’Arcy Carden, The Good Place Betty Gilpin, GLOW Marin Hinkle, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live Annie Murphy, Schitt’s Creek – WINNER Yvonne Orji, Insecure Cecily Strong, Saturday Night Live LIMITED SERIES Little Fires Everywhere Mrs. America Unbelievable Unorthodox Watchmen – WINNER TV MOVIE American Son Bad Education – WINNER Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings: These Old Bones El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend LEAD ACTRESS, TV MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES Cate Blanchett, Mrs. America Shira Haas, Unorthodox Regina King, Watchmen – WINNER Octavia Spencer, Self Made Kerry Washington, Little Fires Everywhere LEAD ACTOR, TV MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES Jeremy Irons, Watchmen Hugh Jackman, Bad Education Paul Mescal, Normal People Jeremy Pope, Hollywood Mark Ruffalo, I Know This Much Is True – WINNER SUPPORTING ACTRESS, TV MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES Uzo Aduba, Mrs. America – WINNER Toni Collette, Unbelievable Margo Martindale, Mrs. America Jean Smart, Watchmen Holland Taylor, Hollywood Tracey Ullman, Mrs. America SUPPORTING ACTOR, TV MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Watchmen – WINNER Jovan Adepo, Watchmen Tituss Burgess, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend Louis Gossett Jr., Watchmen Dylan McDermott, Hollywood Jim Parsons, Hollywood VARIETY TALK SERIES The Daily Show With Trevor Noah Full Frontal With Samantha Bee Jimmy Kimmel Live! Last Week Tonight With John Oliver – WINNER The Late Show With Stephen Colbert HOST FOR A REALITY OR COMPETITION PROGRAM Bobby Berk, Karamo Brown, Tan France, Antoni Porowski, and Jonathan Van Ness, Queer Eye Nicole Byer, Nailed It Barbara Corcoran, Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner, Daymond John, Robert Herjavec, and Kevin O’Leary, Shark Tank RuPaul, RuPaul’s Drag Race – WINNER Padma Lakshmi and Tom Colicchio, Top Chef Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman, Making It