Linda Cardellini won her first Emmy Award after 30 years in television. Most viewers never got to see it happen.
Cardellini took home Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited/Anthology Series for DTF St. Louis over the weekend. Her co-star David Harbour also won his first Emmy for the same show. Both categories were presented at the Creative Arts Emmys, a separate ceremony that airs later and is not part of the main NBC broadcast.
Fans were outraged Monday as photos of Cardellini and Harbour celebrating flooded social media. The Television Academy posted video of the pair on Instagram, and the comments came fast.
Fans Demand Main Broadcast Return
“Ridiculous this isn’t on the main broadcast. Would you have also not wanted Jennifer Coolidge’s iconic speech or Owen Cooper’s historic win on the broadcast prior? Put these categories back next year,” one viewer wrote under the video.
Others echoed the frustration. “They were both fantastic. Please return these categories to the primetime broadcast next year,” another person commented. A third wrote: “Robbed us of watching her finally get her flowers on national television just to fit in more cringey skits @televisionacad.”
The categories moved to the Creative Arts Emmys were announced back in July when the full list of nominees came out. But casual fans only caught wind this week, as photos of beloved actors holding awards showed up on their feeds. Some wrote that they thought they had simply missed the Emmys entirely.
Other Winners Outside the Main Broadcast
Cardellini and Harbour were not the only notable names presented outside the main broadcast. Betty Gilpin won Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for Widow’s Bay, and Rob Reiner won Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for The Bear. Shailene Woodley took Guest Actress in a Drama Series for Paradise, while Ernest Harden Jr. won Guest Actor in a Drama Series for The Pitt.
The categories also included Guest Actor and Guest Actress in both Comedy and Drama Series — a wide sweep of performances that fans never saw honored live.
Dedicated viewers started cutting together their own versions of acceptance speeches they found online. One Widow’s Bay fan shared a screen-recorded version of Gilpin’s speech, refashioned into a poem.
Guilds Protested the Move
The decision to shift these categories was not without pushback. SAG-AFTRA, the DGA, and the WGA all protested when the change was announced in July. They tried to push the awards back into the main broadcast and failed.
In a joint statement, the guilds said the move “devalues” the work done by actors and others in the industry.
“The Emmys exist to celebrate the best of television and the artists who are central to bringing these stories to life. The decision to eliminate these categories from the primetime broadcast devalues the contributions of the talented people the Academy is meant to honor. An awards show dedicated to recognizing excellence should not reduce recognition for the artists whose work gives it meaning,” the statement read.
The guilds’ objections did not change the outcome. The categories stayed at the Creative Arts ceremony.
How to Watch the Missed Awards
- The Creative Arts Emmys edited broadcast airs Saturday, September 12, on FXX at 8 p.m. ET.
- It streams the next day on Hulu.
- The 78th Emmy Awards air live on NBC on Monday, September 14, at 8 p.m. EST.
- It will also stream on Peacock at the same time.
Peacock offers two subscription types. Premium with ads costs $12.99 per month. Premium Plus ad-free costs $19.99 per month. Annual plans give 12 months for the price of 10, at $129.99 with ads or $199.99 without. Premium Plus is also available through Prime Video with a seven-day free trial.
That edited broadcast will not restore the live moment. Cardellini’s first Emmy win in a 30-year career happened in a room most of her fans never saw.
Source: decider.com
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