Baby Reindeer, the popular and contentious British TV series, dominated the Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, taking home four prestigious trophies. The show’s creator and lead star, Scottish comedian Richard Gadd, received three awards for acting, writing, and executive producing. Co-star Jessica Gunning, who portrayed stalker Martha, earned the accolade for best supporting actress in a limited series. Gunning expressed her disbelief upon receiving the award, stating, “I honestly feel like I’m going to wake up any minute now and this whole thing has been a dream.”
The narrative of Gadd’s experience with a stalker and sexual abuse in the TV industry has sparked significant conversation this year. However, the show’s claim of being “a true story” has stirred controversy; the woman said to have inspired Gunning’s character is currently suing Netflix for defamation and privacy violations.
In his acceptance speech for best writing, Gadd reflected on his journey, sharing, “Ten years ago, I was down and out. I never thought I’d get my life together… and now here I am, just over a decade later, picking up one of the biggest writing awards in television.” He emphasized the show’s positive impact, noting its success in various countries despite a focus on its negative press coverage.
The comedy categories saw The Bear winning three acting awards, including best comedy actor for Jeremy Allen White, who plays Carmy. Liza Colon-Zayas was visibly emotional when awarded for best supporting actress. The show, known for its unique setting in a pressured restaurant kitchen, surprisingly lost the best comedy series award to Hacks, which also saw Jean Smart win her third Emmy for her role in the show.
In the drama categories, Elizabeth Debicki won best drama actress for her portrayal of Princess Diana in the last season of Netflix’s The Crown. However, The Crown did not secure additional awards in this category. Meanwhile, the Japanese historical drama Shogun achieved significant recognition, winning four trophies including best drama series, becoming the first non-English language show to achieve this feat. The show also celebrated wins for its lead actors, Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai.