From Zendaya to "Squid Game," All the History-Making Moments From the 2022 Emmys
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The 2022 Emmys was a night to remember as all the biggest stars in Hollywood gathered to celebrate some of their best work on screen and behind the scenes. On Sept. 12, actors, writers, creators, and more attended the 74th annual ceremony at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, where "Saturday Night Live" star Kenan Thompson emceed a festive evening that awarded both today's breakout talent and seasoned stars.
Among the bunch was notably "Euphoria"'s Zendaya, who made history after she secured her second-ever Emmy award for outstanding lead actress in a drama series — the same category she won in 2020 — making her the first Black woman to win that category twice and the youngest actor to win an acting statue twice at the Emmys.
"Squid Game" also had quite the historic evening with six total Emmy wins out of its 14 nominations, including Lee Jung-jae snagging a statue for best lead actor in a drama series. The hit Netflix series's other major primetime wins included outstanding directing for a drama series for creator Hwang Dong-hyuk. Not to mention, the "Abbott Elementary" crew had their own eventful night with multiple wins across casting and writing, including a groundbreaking solo win for Sheryl Lee Ralph.
Read ahead to check out all the other historic moments that took place at the 2022 Emmys.
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Zendaya Making History as the Youngest 2-Time Emmy Winner
On Sept. 12, Zendaya followed up her epic 2020 Emmys win for outstanding lead actress in a drama series with yet another victory in the same category, making her the youngest actor to ever win two acting Emmys. Zendaya's second win also helped her become the first Black woman to win the outstanding lead actress in a drama series category twice.
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"Squid Game" Winning a Major Primetime Emmy Award
"Squid Game" broke all kinds of barriers at the 2022 Emmy Awards with its six victories. The Netflix juggernaut earned creator Hwang an Emmy for outstanding directing for a drama series, making him the first Asian and first native Korean to snag the award. The show also won outstanding special visual effects in a single episode, outstanding stunt performance, and outstanding production design for a narrative contemporary program (one hour or more). "Squid Game" capped its first Emmys ceremony as the first foreign-language drama to take home some of the top awards of the night.
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Lee Jung-jae Becoming the First South Korean Star to Win Best Actor in a Drama Series
Similar to the creator of his Netflix series, "Squid Game" star Lee made history as the first South Korean and first Asian actor to win best lead actor in a drama series, a major award he accepted during the televised ceremony.
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Quinta Brunson's Historic Win For Outstanding Writing For a Comedy Series
"Abbott Elementary"'s Quinta Brunson made her own Emmys history with her first win as a TV creator for outstanding writing for a comedy series. The victory made her the third Black writer and second Black woman to win the award.
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Sheryl Lee Ralph Becoming the Second Black Woman to Win Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Ralph's emotional Emmys acceptance speech for best supporting actress in a comedy series also came with a historic win, as she's now the second Black woman in history to win that category. Jackée Harry was the first in 1987 for the sitcom "227."