The 10 Best Moments from the 2024 Emmy Awards

With Eugene and Dan Levy hosting, the 76th annual Primetime Emmy Awards were primed to be a fun night.

And the show did not disappoint. From the father-son duo's hilarious show opener, to Jean Smart's epic sixth Emmy Award win to Selena Gomez's cheeky nod to "childless cat ladies," the 2024 Emmy Awards were chock-full of heartwarming moments, friendly jabs and of course, hilarious bits.

Check out all the best moments from this year's show, below.

Father-son funny duo Eugene and Dan Levy opened the show by taking playful jabs at each other.

Dan got the teasing started by making fun of his father for trying to "convince Ryan Murphy to cast us as the Menendez brothers." 

Eugene, who's played a TV dad numerous times, teased his son back, saying that his "most rewarding dad role ever has been being your dad ... in Schitt's Creek, because it got me my first acting Emmy."

Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez "murdered" their bit as they presented the first award of the night.

Short was the first to rib his Only Murders in the Building costar and longtime friend, saying, "Steve, let me say what an honor it is to be working with someone who looks like he's fallen and can't get up."

Never one to be silently roasted, Martin swiftly responded, "And let me say what an honor it is for me to be working with someone who looks like a former women's tennis champion."

Their "straight man" costar Gomez added a quip of her own: "And let me say, what an honor it is to work with two men who are this far away from being childless cat ladies."

The comment was a reference to Republican vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance, who recently used the phrase to describe Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris.

Liza Colón-Zayas took home her very first Emmy!

The Bear actress won for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series for her role as Tina Marrero on the hit show.

"Thank you for lowering the microphone for me," she joked at the beginning of her acceptance speech.

"Thank you to my husband David Zayas, he told me to write a speech and I didn't, because I didn't think it would be possible," she continued. "How could I have thought it would be possible to be in the presence of Meryl Streep and Carol Burnett and Janelle and Sheryl Lee Ralph? I love you all, I revere you to the bottom of my heart. My mamí, mamí, I thank you. My family, my grandkids, thank you."

"Thank you for giving me a new life with this show," she concluded. "And to all the Latinas who are looking at me, keep believing and vote. Vote for your rights."

Presenting outstanding lead actress in a comedy series, Murphy Brown star Candice Bergen referred back to the cultural furor that arose when, in 1992, former Vice President Dan Quayle attacked the sitcom for promoting poor family values.

“In one classic moment, my character was attacked by Vice President Dan Quayle when Murphy became pregnant and decided to raise the baby as a single mother,” Bergen recalled.

“Today, a Republican candidate for vice president would never attack a woman for having kids,” she joked, referring to J.D. Vance’s comments deriding “childless cat ladies.”

Bergen concluded cheekily, “So as they say, my work here is done. Meow!”

Jean Smart simply does not get the spotlight she deserves — at least, according to her acceptance speech.

The legendary actress took home her sixth Emmy, winning in the lead actress in a comedy series category for her work in Hacks.

"And I appreciate this, because I just don't get enough attention," the 72-year-old actress joked, adding amid laughter from the audience, "I'm serious!"

Smart previously won the same award in 2021 and 2022 for the same role.

When Saturday Night Live alumni Kristen Wiig, Seth Meyers and Maya Rudolph joined current cast member Bowen Yang to present outstanding writing for a variety special, they used creator -

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Lorne Michaels as the butt of their jokes.

“We heard that our dear friend, our mentor Lorne Michaels, has been nominated for and lost the Emmy 85 times. He has never won," Wiig said, as the camera cut to a grinning Michaels in the audience.

Rudolph declared that Michaels was "robbed, while Yang encouraged his boss, “It gets better. Just because SNL didn't work doesn't mean your next idea won't. Keep dreaming."

Meyers corrected his fellow SNL stars, informing them that Michaels has won 21 Emmys and SNL has won over 200.

Rudolph pivoted: “I can't believe you're complaining about this, Lorne. Not to be rude, but grow up.”

Ron Howard and Henry Winkler, former stars of Happy Days, reunited on the Emmys stage to celebrate the show’s 50th anniversary and present outstanding directing for a comedy series. The two gathered on a recreated set of the show’s iconic restaurant, Arnold’s Drive-In, to which Howard commented, “This is fantastic.”

Winkler added, “Feels like home.”

Howard and Winkler fussed about the ceremony not introducing them with Happy Days’ theme song, and Howard suggested that Winkler play the jukebox like he did in the series. 

“First of all, I'm out of practice," the Barry actor said — before performing Fonzie's iconic jukebox slam and triggering the music.

To present outstanding drama series, members of The West Wing’s fictional Bartlet administration — Martin Sheen, Richard Schiff, Dulé Hill, Allison Janney and Janel Moloney — appeared on a recreated Oval Office set. Hill began by turning to Sheen, who played the show’s President Jed Bartlet, and saying he and his castmates “had the honor of serving your administration.”

Schiff spoke about the show's memorable political storylines, then pointed out, "Today ... storylines can be plucked right off the news — storylines that writers would have deemed a bit far-fetched, if not utterly ridiculous, 25 years ago.”

The cast then did their civic duty, with Moloney emphasizing “the importance of everyone making sure to be registered and to vote.”

FX's Shōgun continued its historic Emmys season during the Sunday night ceremony, winning four more categories in addition to the 14 Creative Arts Emmys it won at the Sept. 7 and 8 ceremony. Frederick E. O. Toye won outstanding directing for a drama series, and Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai accepted the awards for outstanding lead actor and actress in a drama series, respectively.

The series claimed outstanding drama series near the end of the night against The Crown, Fallout, The Gilded Age, The Morning Show, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Slow Horses and 3 Body Problem. Before leaving the stage, Sanada took the mic to express his gratitude in Japanese as co-creator Justin Marks translated.

"We would like to express our deepest gratitude to all the crew and directors and masters who have inherited and supported our samurai period dramas up until now," they said. "The passion and dreams that we have inherited from you have crossed oceans and borders."

Eugene and Dan Levy brought out their former Schitt’s Creek costars Annie Murphy and Catherine O’Hara for one more hilarious bit to cap off the night. Murphy, who did not walk the red carpet, made a surprise appearance before the night’s last award.

“They said the shining star of Schitt’s Creek is going to present the final award of the night, so…” Murphy announced herself to her onscreen dad and brother, to which Eugene replied that there’s “a little confusion here.”

The actress responded, “You can stay onstage, but just kind of scootch back a bit.”

Dan then clarified that they were about to announce the final presenter: their on-screen mother, Catherine O’Hara. Murphy finished the bit by awkwardly stepping back, as O’Hara strolled out to present outstanding comedy series.

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