Hollywood’s best entertainers took home Emmys on Monday night, marking television’s biggest night at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Lizzo, Zendaya, Quinta Brunson and Sheryl Lee Ralph set social media ablaze after winning an Emmy in their respective categories.
The first major award of the evening for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series went to Sheryl Lee Ralph, for her role as the religious Kindergarten teacher, Barbara Howard in the popular sitcom Abbott Elementary.
The Tony-award nominated singer was seen struggling to comprehend her win when she was announced as the winner. Once she made it up onto the stage, she took a moment to herself before belting out an extraordinary rendition of Dianne Reeve’s “Endangered Species”.
“I am an endangered species / but I sing no victim song,” she began. “I am a woman, I am an artist, and I know where my voice belongs.”
Facing a standing ovation, Ralph continued:
“To anyone who has ever had a dream and thought your dream wouldn’t, couldn’t happen, I am here to tell you this is what believing looks like, this is what striving looks like – and don’t you ever give up on yourself.”
“If you get a Quinta Brunson in your corner, if you get a husband like mine in your corner and children like mine, and if you’ve got friends like everybody who voted for me, then anything is possible.”
Backstage Ralph told the media, “I’ve been singing that song for years because I think of myself as an artist, as a woman, and especially as a woman of colour, I’m an endangered species.”
“There are so many young actors, artists, even kids that think they know what they’re going to do in life,” she continued. “Find your voice and put it where it belongs.”
The last time a black woman won Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series was in 1987, when Jackée Harry won for her role on the sitcom, 227. Harry commended Ralph’s win on Monday night by tweeting:
“For 35 years I’ve been the only black woman to win Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. But that changes tonight…and it’s come full circle!”
Quinta Brunson, Ralph’s co-star and the creator of Abbott Elementary, won an Emmy for Best Writing for a Comedy Series — her first ever Emmy, and only the second time a black woman has won the award.
“Thank you for believing in a story from four years ago and thinking it would be a good TV show,” she said, addressing her co-show runners, Justin Halpern and Patrick Schumacker.
Brunson was also nominated this year for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Comedy Series as the executive producer of her show.
Lizzo followed suit, delivering a powerful and inspiring speech after accepting her award for Best Competition Series for her Prime Video show Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls — the 34-year old’s first ever Emmy.
Taking the stage with the cast and crew of her show, she told audiences she was “very emotional.”
“The trophy is nice but my emotion is for these people who are on this stage with me, the stories that they share — they’re not that unique, they just don’t get the platform.”
“Let’s just tell more stories,” she implored.
“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. If I could go back and tell little Lizzo something, I’d be like, “You gonna see that person, but b*tch, it’s going to have to be you.”
Zendaya took home her second Emmy for her role in the hugely popular drama, Euphoria.
“I just wanna say my greatest wish for Euphoria is that it would help heal people,” she said accepting her award.
“I want to say thank you to everyone who has ever shared their story with me and I want anyone who has ever loved a Rue or feels like they are a Rue, I want them to know I am so grateful for your stories and I carry them with me and I carry them with her.”
Other prominent female winners of the night include Jean Smart, who took home Best Lead actress in a comedy series for her role in Hacks, Amanda Seyfried for Best Lead actress in a limited series or TV movie for playing Elizabeth Holmes in The Dropout, Jennifer Coolidge for Best Supporting actress in a limited series or TV movie for her role in The White Lotus, and Julia Garner for Best Supporting actress in a drama series for her role in Ozark.