The 69th Annual "Prime-Time" Emmy Awards were presented this past weekend. The title of the show may have lost a bit of its relevance over the years, as more viewers continue to stream shows "on demand," but the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has definitely increased its efforts to recognize directors, writers, and performers from diverse cultures and backgrounds.
One thing is for sure, the 2017 Emmys celebrated the creative talents of women in a big way. Both the Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Limited Series winners featured casts dominated by females. From the record-breaking win by Julia Louis Dreyfus, in the Best Actress in a Comedy category, to newcomer Lena Waithe's historic win for comedy writing, women were honored in several categories. Here are just a few of the fabulous female winners and some examples of their finest work that you can check out here at KCLS.
- Julia Louis Dreyfus: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Veep
With this, her 6th consecutive win, Louis Dreyfus has officially broken the record for the most Outstanding Lead Actress awards for the same role. Candice Bergen had previously held that records for her performance as Murphy Brown on the series of the same name. She is also now tied with fellow actress Cloris Leachman for the most Emmy awards earned by an individual performer.
2. Elisabeth Moss: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for The Handmaid's Tale
Moss was not the only winner when it comes to The Handmaid's Tale. Director Reed Morano became only the third woman ever to win the award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series. In addition, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series went to Moss' costar Anne Dowd.
3. Lena Waithe: Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for Master of None
Waithe made history as the first African-American woman to win an Emmy for writing in a comedy series. The episode she wrote, with co-star Aziz Ansari is called "Thanksgiving" and details her character's experience coming out as a lesbian.
4. Kate McKinnon: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Saturday Night Live
Although Kate McKinnon steals almost every scene she is a part of on Saturday Night Live, this award is largely based on her portrayal of Hillary Clinton during and after her campaign for president in 2016.
5. Laura Dern: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for Big Little Lies
Dern had been nominated for an Emmy 6 times before finally winning this year. Big Little Lies also won the award for Outstanding Limited Series and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series went to Nicole Kidman.
