Emmy Awards 2024: 8 Most Memorable Moments

Carol Burnett, 90, gave a shout-out to the real victims of sexism

Applegate hailed Burnett as the first female host of a comedy variety show in the era of Jack Benny, Red Skelton, Andy Williams and no other women. Burnett, looking remarkably youthful at 90, noted her own historical importance as the first female host of a comedy variety show from 1967 to 1978. “A lot has changed in the last 46 years for the better. Progress has been made, and it truly warms my heart to see how well men are doing in comedy!” Her famous deadpan was never livelier. Burnett presented the best comedic actress award to Abbott Elementary’s Quinta Brunson, who became the first Black woman to win in the category since Isabel Sanford in 1981.

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Jennifer Coolidge

Chris Pizzello/AP Photo

Jennifer Coolidge, 62, gave a flawless performance as a flustered winner

Accepting her supporting drama actress win for The White Lotus, Coolidge spoke in her characteristic breathless speedy way. “I want to thank the evil gays!” she cracked, referring to the bad guys who murder her on the show. But when she finished up her spiel, she was movingly on the level in a way that registered with everybody in her age demo.

“I just want to say one thing. I had a little dream in my little town, and everyone said it was impractical and it was far-fetched, but it did happen after all! So don’t give up on your dream. Thank you!”

Marla Gibbs (left) with Quinta Brunson.

Phil McCarten/Invision for the Television Academy/AP Images

Marla Gibbs, 92, announced her nonretirement

When copresenter Brunson asked legendary star of The Jeffersons Marla Gibbs, 92, how she lasted so long in Hollywood, Gibbs replied, “Oh, that’s easy, baby. The wage gap! I got to work 21 years before I could retire —  but if you great writers write something for me, I’ll just keep on working and cut into that wage gap. Black don’t crack, baby!” She added the sweet words all grownups love to hear: “It’s never too late.”

Niecy Nash-Betts

Phil McCarten/Invision for the Television Academy/AP Images

Niecy Nash-Betts, 53, thanked the right person

Nash-Betts, who won best supporting actress for the limited series Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, didn’t thank her mom or agent or God, though she did thank showrunner Ryan Murphy. “You know who I want to thank? I want to thank me, for believing in me and doing what they said I could not do.”

But she wasn’t thinking of herself alone, adding, “I accept this award for every Black and brown girl who has gone unheard and over-policed!” She cited the woman she played, Glenda Cleveland, who tried to get cops to bust her serial killer neighbor Dahmer, but was ignored, as well as police-violence victims Sandra Bland and Breonna Taylor.​​

Elton John, 76, Achieved EGOT status

With his win for Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium, John enters the elite EGOT group – those who have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony. John wasn’t present to accept the award because he was recovering from a knee operation, but his husband David Furnish, 61, joined the team on stage to grab the trophy. “We knew this show would be historic because it was going to be Elton’s last-ever show in North America on tour. We knew it would be historic because it was Disney’s first-ever live global stream. We didn’t know it was going to be historic because it was going to win a man who has created the soundtrack to all of our lives, who’s done so much great for society, who is all of our heroes, we didn’t know it was going to win him an EGOT," executive producer Ben Winston said while accepting the award. Only 18 people have joined the EGOT club, including Audrey Hepburn, Rita Moreno, 92, Viola Davis, 58, and Andrew Lloyd Webber, 75.

"Succession" creator and showrunner Jesse Armstrong (left), actor Brian Cox (center) and the rest of the cast and crew accept the award for outstanding drama series during the 75th Emmy Awards.

Chris Pizzello/AP Photo

Succession won the night, and its grownup writer made history

Frankly, while we loved all the young actors (Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook and Matthew Macfadyen) who won for Succession, the night’s most-honored show, we would’ve liked the top dog, Brian Cox, 77, as the show’s plutocrat paterfamilias, to win too. But it was a win for grownups, since he led the show and it won best drama, and writer Jesse Armstrong, 53, made Emmy history with his fourth consecutive win for best drama writing, and Mark Mylod, 59, won his third best director Emmy.

RuPaul (center) and winners of outstanding reality TV competition program for "RuPaul's Drag Race" pose in the press room at the 75th Emmy Awards.

Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images

RuPaul shared the love

The outstanding reality competition program winner RuPaul Charles, 63, proclaimed his Emmy for RuPaul’s Drag Race was a victory for royals everywhere. “Thank you so much,” he said. “Lovely, lovely people. We are so honored to have this award. Listen, you guys are just pure lovely for honoring our show. And recognizing all of these queens. ... They’re beautiful.” After last year’s startling upset Emmy victory by new show Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls, things are back to normal in the Emmy reality category: RuPaul wins again, for the fifth time. And that’s not counting his show’s eight straight wins for the Creative Arts Emmy, which honors technical achievements.