There were moments when I felt a little conflicted going into this Emmys season. The climate both nationwide and within the industry has been sobering, clouded by economic headwinds and creative constraints. For all the excellent shows deserving of recognition, I was concerned that no one would be in the mood to celebrate.
But it’s in relative darkness that we can shine most brightly as beacons of comfort and inspiration, and that coming together to support one another feels particularly cathartic. The 77th Emmy Awards telecast — hosted by Nate Bargatze and once again brilliantly executive produced by Jesse Collins Entertainment — scored a four-year ratings high, the best viewership turnout since the last time this year’s broadcast partner, CBS, carried the ceremony in 2021. There were historic wins, including Tramell Tillman as the first Black actor to win Supporting Actor in a Drama Series and Owen Cooper’s achievement as the youngest male actor ever to win a Primetime Emmy, while The Studio set a new record for most Emmys earned by a comedy, with 13. An awards ceremony is only as good as the work it awards, and the tune-in for this year’s Emmys is a testament that our artists are making shows that help people laugh, provoke their minds and move their hearts.
Meanwhile, the biggest ovation of the night went to Stephen Colbert. The beloved host had the entire Peacock Theater audience on its feet every time he took the stage (he served as the evening’s first presenter), and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’s well-deserved first Emmy for Outstanding Talk Series sparked an outpouring of joy throughout the room that exemplified this community at its best: a unified body of storytellers who — to paraphrase Colbert’s acceptance speech — have the ability to transform experiences of loss into love.
That spirit is what motivated my own onstage remarks about the power and responsibility that the Television Academy wields in moments like these, to be stalwart defenders of culture and its creators whenever authoritarian forces seek to restrict voices and access. And as if we needed any more proof that television matters, consider the nationwide outcry when the FCC threatened Jimmy Kimmel Live! last month. I hope the dramatic incident will serve as a reminder that audiences turn to — and will support — artists who speak truth to power. As an industry, when we remain faithful to that calling, they will have our backs.
This chair letter originally appeared in emmy magazine, issue #12, 2025.
