Awards season has officially taken hold of Hollywood, and with all the usual glitz, glamour, and general fanciness that goes along with red-carpet nights devoted to industry honors. The 2023 Emmys, held at Los Angeles’s Peacock Theater on Monday, were no exception: Pretty much everyone looked incredible—with some special standouts, of course—and there was no shortage of memorable onstage moments. Below, find the ones we loved the most, from Niecy Nash-Betts’s emotional acceptance speech to Kieran Culkin’s hilarious plea to his wife from the stage.
The (elaborate!) tributes to history’s most beloved TV shows
I’m not always a fan of award show skits and bits (get John Mulaney and Nick Kroll to execute them, or just don’t bother!), but the 2023 Emmys’ tributes to landmark television shows—ranging from I Love Lucy to Martin to Game of Thrones—was a pitch-perfect reminder of the small screen’s power to delight, no matter what year it is or how old we are.
Niecy Nash-Betts dedicating her first Emmy win to “unheard, yet overpoliced” Black and brown women
“I accept this award in honor of every Black and brown woman who has gone unheard yet overpoliced, like Glenda Cleveland, like Sandra Bland, like Breonna Taylor,” Nash-Betts said while accepting her award for her work on Netflix’s Dahmer, adding: “As an artist, my job is to speak truth to power, and I’m going to do it until the day I die. Mama, I won!”
The Succession cast being all-around sweeties
It was a huge night for Succession, and deservedly so, given the show aired its series finale in May. Yet its stars didn’t miss the opportunity to cement themselves as fan favorites, from Kieran Culkin using his acceptance speech to lobby his wife for more kids (“You said maybe, if I win!”) to Matthew MacFayden thanking Sarah Snook, as well as “my other onscreen wife, Nicholas Braun.” Plus, Culkin finally got his kiss from daddy, so we can all rest easy.
Tina Fey slyly plugging the newly released Mean Girls remake
It was a joy to see Tina Fey and Amy Poehler team up for an award show bit yet again. If some of their jokes fell slightly flat, I definitely laughed out loud when Poehler derisively referred to the Tonys as “celebrating the best in musicals based on movies that will probably be movies again,” with Fey popping in to say: “There’s nothing wrong with that.” You go, Glenn Coco!
The Age of Ayo beginning in earnest
When Ayo Edebiri accepted her first Emmy for her role on FX’s The Bear, she didn’t miss her chance to show off her signature blend of heart and comedic chops, telling her parents (who were in the audience): “Probably not a dream to immigrate to this country and have your child be like, ‘I wanna do improv,’ but you’re real ones.” Plus, she looked effortlessly stunning in custom Louis Vuitton, and kept her long-running Ireland bit going on the red carpet. What more can you ask for?
