The 2017 Emmy Awards started off on the right note.
Keeping in line with tradition, host and comedian Stephen Colbert kicked off the ceremony in a musical number, featuring a much-appreciated and unexpected guest verse from Chance The Rapper. In a show that took on a well-executed climate of political commentary, the Chicago-bred rapper and activist didn ‘t shy away from the issues either, making sure to slide in a few poignant lyrics for viewers everywhere.
"I love television, it's a pleasant distraction/But just imagine taking action/I like Brooklyn Nine-Nine, in fact I'm addicted/But where's the cop show where one gets convicted?” he rapped.
In a time in which awards show are often going above and beyond to pull a few laughs from audience members in an awkward and often desperate plea, Colbert actually did so with ease in his opening monologue, sparing no one of the Donald Trump allusions and even recruiting former Whte House press secretary Sean Spicer for a cameo no one saw coming.
Notable winners of the evening included actor, writer, rapper, and director Donald Glover, known musically as Childish Gambino, who walked away with two trophies, laying claim to the feat of being the first black person to win Outstanding Directing In a Comedy Series, and also nabbing the award for Outstanding Lead Actor In a Comedy series all for his Atlanta television series.
Riz Ahmed, also known as Riz MC, took home the win for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series, becoming the first male actor of Asian descent to win an Emmy for acting while comedian Aziz Ansari won Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series alongside actress and writer Lena Waithe for the “Thanksgiving” episode of Ansari’s Master of None Netflix series. This win gave Waithe the title of being the first black woman to win an Emmy for writing in comedy.
Another big win in the night came towards the close of the broadcast as Sterling K. Brown of This Is Us took to the stage to accept his award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, taking home his second Emmy and becoming the first black actor to win in the category since 1998. The historic momet was however cut short when he played off by the music signaling his time to wrap up. Nonetheless, he remained on stage to finish up his speech until his mic was cut. Upon his arrival backstage, Brown finished up the speech that everyone didn't get to hear the first time around.
