This Monday night, NBC and Peacock featured the most prestigious award show in television, the 72nd annual Emmy Awards. Hosted this year by SNL cast member Kenan Thompson. The evening was full of light-hearted humor, fun and celebration. 

Excitement was in the air, but not toward the looks given that night. Although there were some lovely gowns and tuxedos, the fashion that evening wasn’t special. If anything, the greatest fashion statement was Thompson cosplaying as Khaleesi from “Game of Thrones” in the opening dance sequence. 

The room was filled with star-studded A-list celebrities you know and love like Selena Gomez, Andrew Garfield, Zendaya, Lizzo and so many more. The most talked about nominated shows were  “White Lotus,” “Succession,” “Abbott Elementary,” “Dopesick,” and, of course, “Euphoria.” 

We got to watch Zendaya accept her second Emmy for Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Rue in “Euphoria.” Now, you would have to be living under a rock to not have seen the amazing performance she has given as this character in the past two seasons of Sam Levinson’s hit HBO show, “Euphoria.” Her speech was touching as she thanked the world for embracing this character as much as she had. She emotionally shared:“…I’m so grateful for your stories. I carry them with me, and I carry them with her.” She is now the first black woman in history to win an Emmy in this category twice, and if anyone deserves it, it is her.

Other winners of the evening included Sheryl Lee Ralph for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for “Abbott Elementary,” who to my surprise started her powerful speech with a song that brought the audience members to their feet. This was her first Emmy win ever. Another heartfelt acceptance speech came from Lizzo, who also won her first Emmy that night in the Competition program category for her new Amazon Prime Video show, “Watch Out For The Big Grrrls.” She preached about the importance of sharing more stories. I was touched by her sharing the significance of inclusion. Lizzo shared “When I was a little girl, all I wanted to see was me in the media. Someone fat like me, black like me, beautiful like me.” 

Overall, I would say this has been one of the more refreshing awards shows this year. Nothing was too over the top visually. No one was slapped or banned. There seemed to be minimal awkward acceptance speeches, and very talented people were awarded and nominated across the board. I think other major award shows should take notes. 

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