LOS ANGELES – Nate Bargatze‘s hosting debut at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday proved a steady hand guiding a ceremony that balanced celebratory moments with pointed acknowledgements of current events. The comedian navigated the three-hour show at the Peacock Theater with a down-to-earth style, even incorporating a running gag stemming from his pre-show pledge to donate $100,000 to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures for every minute the show ran over time – ultimately contributing a total of $350,000.
The evening wasn’t solely focused on lightheartedness. Academy Chair and CEO Cris Abrego used his platform to address recent political challenges to public broadcasting, stating, “Congress had voted to defund it and silence yet another cultural institution.” He emphasized the unifying power of storytelling, notably “in times of cultural regression,” and championed shows that challenge the status quo, declaring, “In a moment like this, neutrality is not enough… Culture does not come from the top down, it rises from the bottom up.”
Highlights included a warmly received reunion of “Everybody Loves Raymond” stars ray Romano and Brad Garrett,who presented the award for comedy series. Jennifer Coolidge’s presentation of the award for supporting actress in a comedy was particularly memorable,delivering a rambling,characteristically offbeat monologue about a role she’d played – “I played a horny grandmother having a colonoscopy during a power outage and I had to play a lot of levels” – and lamenting her removal from a group chat with fellow nominees.
Hannah Einbinder won the award for supporting actress in a comedy series for ”Hacks.” While Bargatze’s charity gimmick initially created pressure for concise acceptance speeches, the show eventually settled into a natural rythm, with winners delivering heartfelt remarks.