At Monday night’s Emmy Awards ceremony, diamonds proved to be Hollywood’s best friend. 

Postponed from its original date of Sept. 18 amid the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards lit up the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles. Opening with a spoof of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, host Anthony Anderson performed a bright musical number to reflect on the shows that shaped his past, including “Good Times” and “The Facts of Life.” 

Earning the first award of the night, Ayo Edebiri was named Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her performance as Sydney Adamu in “The Bear.” Afterward, Quinta Brunson scored her second Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in “Abbott Elementary,” which she also created. Brunson and Marla Gibbs later presented the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie award to Niecy Nash-Betts, who used her time on stage to honor Black women beyond the industry.

“Finally, I accept this award on behalf of every Black and brown woman who has gone unheard yet overpoliced like Glenda Cleveland, like Sandra Bland, like Breonna Taylor,” Nash-Betts said. “As an artist, my job is to be true to power, and, baby, I’m going to do it till the day I die.” 

To continue the comedy celebration, both Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Jeremy Allen White became first-time Emmy winners for their work on “The Bear,” winning the Outstanding Supporting and Lead Actor awards, respectively. The series continued to find success throughout the night, receiving the awards for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series back to back. 

Leading the pack with 27 nominations, HBO’s family drama “Succession” was met with high praise for its fourth and final season, beginning with Matthew Macfadyen’s second win for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. Later, showrunner Jesse Armstrong was presented with his sixth Emmy for his work on the show, this time for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for the episode “Connor’s Wedding.” 

Between victories, several classic television casts reunited, beginning with the stars of the 1992 sitcom “Martin,” who joked about never earning recognition from the Television Academy. “Saturday Night Live” alumni Tina Fey and Amy Poehler returned to the iconic “Weekend Update” desk with quips about the nominees for Outstanding Variety Special (Live), which resulted in Elton John achieving EGOT status.

“Community” actors Joel McHale and Ken Jeong teased each other on stage before naming MTV’s “RuPaul’s Drag Race” the Outstanding Reality Competition Program of the year for the fifth time. Host RuPaul accepted the award alongside its crew and stars, advocating for the importance of drag acceptance.

“If a drag queen wants to read you a story at a library, listen to her because knowledge is power,” RuPaul said. “And if someone tries to restrict your access to power, they are trying to scare you. So listen to a drag queen.” 

Netflix’s limited series “Beef” was also a frequent victor of the night, with showrunner Lee Sung Jin winning his first two Emmys for Outstanding Directing and Writing in the genre. Steven Yeun and Ali Wong also contributed to the series sweep, receiving the Outstanding Lead Actor and Actress awards. Soon after, the comedy-drama was named the year’s Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series.

Following this, Hannah Waddingham and Colman Domingo took the stage to commemorate the efforts of the nonprofit LGBTQ+ advocacy organization GLAAD, which received the Television Academy’s annual Governors Award. Then, former “All in the Family” stars Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers introduced the “In Memoriam” performance, beginning with a testament to television pioneer Norman Lear. Charlie Puth joined music duo The War and Treaty to sing “See You Again” and the “Friends” theme song in honor of the industry creatives who died in 2023, including Matthew Perry and Stephen “tWitch” Boss. 

Ushering in the final big awards of the night, Kieran Culkin fought back tears while receiving his first Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his performance as Roman Roy in “Succession.” Afterward, the cast continued its celebration for his sister, Sarah Snook, on screen, who earned the Outstanding Lead Actress award in the same genre. During her speech, Snook expressed love for her daughter, who she was expecting while filming the show’s final season.

“The biggest thank you I think, though, is … to someone who won’t understand anything that I’m saying at the moment,” Snook said. “I carried her with me in this last season, and really it was her who carried me. … The proximity of her life growing inside me gave me the strength to do this and this performance.”

The penultimate prize was given to “The Bear,” which ended the evening with six Emmys upon earning the Outstanding Comedy Series award. Finally, Peter Dinklage presented the long-awaited Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series. For its very last Emmy Awards, “Succession” closed the night as the victor, tying “The Bear” with six wins at the ceremony. While accepting the trophy, Armstrong thanked Brian Cox for helming the show’s story and joked that its four-season run had solved all the societal problems it tackled.

Ending with a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards embraced the deep history of television while applauding the triumphs of today.