The Canadian LGBTQ-centered comedy series Schitt's Creek cleaned up for its final season when the Television Academy showcased the Emmy Awards the evening of Sept. 20.
This was the 72nd Emmy ceremony, and was largely virtual thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
"Right now, do we need fun," said host Jimmy Kimmel, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The broadcast opened with him intercut with footage of an enthusiastic, celebrity-filled audience. After a few minutes, however, viewers saw Kimmel was actually in a nearly empty auditorium. Nominees stood by remotely from various locations around the world.
"You know how you can't get your parents to use FaceTime? Imagine that, times 100," Kimmel said.
Schitt's Creek received 15 nominations, winning nine and sweeping the major comedy categories, with wins for Outstanding Comedy Series; Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series ( openly gay co-creator/co-star Dan Levy; Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series ( Eugene Levy ); Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series ( Catherine O'Hara ); Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series ( Daniel Levy ); and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series ( Annie Murphy ). Daniel also won for directing.
"Our show is at its core about the transformative effects of love and acceptance," said Dan. His father, co-creator and co-star, Eugene Levy, praised his son for turning their premise into a celebration of inclusivity and a repudiation of homophobia.
Whenever Schitt's Creek's title was mentioned, ABC superimposed the show's title to emphasize that the speaker was not using an obscenity when they uttered the word "Schitt's."
RuPaul, who had already won an Emmy the night before at one of the Creative Arts Emmys ceremonies for hosting RuPaul's Drag Race—his fifth consecutive honor in that category—won another Sept. 20 when his show was named Outstanding Competition Program.
"It is an honor to make television," RuPaul said. "All the kids get to tell their story on our show and it's beautiful." He further urged the show's viewers: "Don't give up on love."
LGBTQ programming and creative personnel were most prominent amongst streaming and cable offerings; major networks got only a minute number of nods associated with LGBTQ material in major categories, thanks largely to the final season of Will & Grace, which received five nominations this year.
Among LGBTQ performers who did not win were lesbian actress Holland Taylor for her portrayal of Ellen Kincaid in executive producer Ryan Murphy's series Hollywood. Openly gay actor Jim Parsons was also nominated for his portrayal of agent Henry Willson in Hollywood.
Tituss Burgess earned another nomination for his portrayal of Titus Andromedon in this year's Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. The Reverend. Billy Porter received another nomination for Pose this year—but lost to Jeremy Strong's performance in HBO's Succession. Lesbian actor Cherry Jones won for a guest-starring role on Succession in the Sept. 19 Creative Arts ceremonies; she also won last year for a guest appearance on Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale.
Tyler Perry was also given the Academy's Governors Award Sept. 20. During his acceptance speech, he emphasized principles of diversity among employees at his Atlanta-based studio, noting that LGBTQ individuals were among the workers there. Transgender actor Laverne Cox was among the presenters that night—a group which, aside from television personalities, also included essential workers across the United States.
