This Is How You Take Up Space At The Emmys

The award show was full of historic wins, on and off the stage. Many of them were rooted in powerful acts of resistance.

At the 76th Emmy Awards on Sunday, Hollywood’s most decorated stars and up-and-comers alike graced the red carpet and stage for a televised series of wins, snubs and memorable personal expressions. And though the show might have been considered “snoozy” to some, it was a night that saw historic breakthroughs and acts of resistance against the white, cis hetero patriarchy that has historically owned Hollywood.

Here are some of the many pivotal moments from Sunday’s show.

‘Shōgun’ swept the Emmys — and the English-only haters.

The FX series won big with 18 awards — the most won by a single season of a show — including the coveted title of Outstanding Drama Series. But this win is marked by something much more symbolic. Roughly 70% of the show, which takes place in feudal Japan, is in Japanese, marking the first time a non-English-speaking show has won the best in drama award at the Emmys.

It’s easy to cast ”Shōgun” as a gamble or risk that just so happened to pay off; even the showrunners were surprised that it had made it this far. But its win has exposed a universal truth: Great shows come from great storytelling. The sweep was a triumphant middle finger to the notion that great art relies on Americentrism to solicit eyeballs and awards.