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HBO bests Netflix at Emmy Awards

September 21, 2020

HBO was the big winner at the 72nd Emmy Awards, with its shows Watchmen and Succession both claiming multiple awards.

Netflix had achieved a record number of nominations in the lead up to the ceremony, but it was HBO that proved the biggest winner on the night. HBO took home 34 Emmys versus Netflix’s 27.


Jimmy Kimmel hosted the event from a nearly empty Staples Center in Los Angeles, with most winners accepting their awards via Zoom.

Succession, a drama about a media conglomerate family of dysfunctional rogues, won awards for best writing, directing, best series and best actor for Jeremy Strong. In his winner’s speech, Jesse Armstrong, the show’s British creator, attacked Donald Trump, Boris Johnson and “the media moguls who do so much for the people in power”.

Watchmen, effectively a prequel and a sequel to the celebrated 1980s comic book series by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, took home 11 awards out of 26 nominations, the most of the evening. Show writer Damon Lindelof dedicated his award(s) to the victims and survivors of the Tulsa massacre of 1921 – an event depicted in the pilot episode of the series.

Other winners included Last Week Tonight with John Oliver for best variety series, RuPaul’s Drag Race for best competition series, Bad Education for best TV film and The Morning Show’s Billy Crudup for supporting actor in a drama, which brought Apple its only award of the evening.

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