The 9 most surprising, historic and memorable moments from past Emmys
The first Emmy Awards were handed out in 1949 (with tickets going for $5 a pop), honoring the best in Los Angeles area television. The event has expanded exponentially since then to include national programming, prime-time and daytime programming, cable and streaming, and a number of other categories over the decades. Through it all, the televised ceremonies — and their hosts — have been hailed and derided in just about equal measure. Here are nine moments from those evenings over the years that stand out as award-worthy in and of themselves.
‘I Love Lucy’ ran for six seasons, winning the best situation comedy Emmy in 1953 and 1954.
This is one of our nine most surprising, historic and memorable moments from past Emmys.
The comic actor’s acceptance speeches were always off-kilter but never off-color.
Isabel Sanford remains the only Black woman to have won the lead actress in a comedy award.
The comedian hosted the 2001 Emmys after 9/11 and terrorism concerns caused two cancellations.
The two comedians smooched in a parody of the Madonna-Britney Spears kiss that rocked MTV audiences.
At the 58th Emmy Awards, the comedian was brought onstage in a giant, sealed capsule — with just enough air to last through a three-hour ceremony.
Although ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ launched four years earlier on Netflix, Hulu’s tale of women forced to produce children for a new ruling class of men better caught the academy’s attention.
The “Pose” actor made history in 2019 becoming the first openly gay Black man to win the lead actor in a drama Emmy.
