IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Best Emmy Awards winners’ speeches over the years

Viola Davis, Meryl Streep and Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Emmy Awards-winning speeches | Image: Screenshot/Youtube

Aside from the red-carpet looks, the acceptance speeches of every awards show are something that the viewers look forward to. Sometimes it’s not the movie or series title that makes an actor’s win memorable, but the things they say on stage when they receive the trophy, as every dialogue is a testament to the emotion, spontaneity and aspiration that brought them there at that moment.

As we celebrate the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards today, Jan. 16, let’s look back on the 10 most memorable acceptance speeches that have been uttered on the Emmy stage–speeches that made us, cry, laugh and everything in between.

1. Viola Davis 

It was a historic moment in 2015 when Viola Davis became the first African American to win an Emmy for best actress in a drama for her excellent performance as Annalise Keating in ABC’s “How to Get Away with Murder.” Aside from this important fact, Davis’ acceptance speech gained her a larger acclaim, making everyone say no one deserves the trophy more than her, as she gave a significant speech about diversity in Hollywood. The “Fences” star shed light on how people of color, particularly women, rarely get opportunities that will give them the chance to be recognized on a wider scale.

‘In my mind, I see a line. And over that line, I see green fields and lovely flowers and beautiful white women with their arms stretched out to me, over that line. But I can’t seem to get there no how. I can’t seem to get over that line.’

That was Harriet Tubman in the 1800s. And let me tell you something: The only thing that separates women of color from anyone else is opportunity.

You cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there. So here’s to all the writers, the awesome people that are Ben Sherwood, Paul Lee, Peter Nowalk, Shonda Rhimes, people who have redefined what it means to be beautiful, to be sexy, to be a leading woman, to be black.

And to the Taraji P. Hensons, the Kerry Washingtons, the Halle Berrys, the Nicole Beharies, the Meagan Goods, to Gabrielle Union: Thank you for taking us over that line. Thank you to the Television Academy. Thank you.

2. Meryl Streep

Meryl Streep is undeniably one of the pillars of Hollywood. With more than 250 nominations and wins from different awarding bodies, she is no doubt the reigning queen of acting. Streep has delivered many memorable speeches over the span of her career, but her acceptance speech during the 2004 Emmy Awards became an iconic moment given how sassy and witty it was as she threw a remark on how “overrated” she is. 

“Oh boy, thank you! You know there are some days when I myself think I’m overrated—but not today! I’m sorry, I know Glenn [Close] is my friend, she’ll forgive me and Helen Mirren is an acting-god and nobody has put a performance on film better than Judi Davis in “The Judy Garland Story” and the only one of the group is Emma Thompson, who will hold a grudge for the rest of her life, but who cares? 

Oh I have so many people to thank, mostly Mike Nichols, my master and commander, you know my king. And Al Pacino and all the boys, Ben, Patrick, Justin, thank you so much for everything you gave me. Oh and I can sing this just as well. But Tony Kushner, the bravest thing in the world is that writer that sits alone in a room and works out his grief, his rage, his imagination and his deep desire to make people laugh. And he makes the work of art and then transforms the world with the truth, because that’s all we want—you know that’s all we need! Thank you! Thank you very much!”

3. Melissa McCarthy

During the 63rd Emmy Awards, the nominees for the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series category did a surprising move as they lined up on stage and held hands as they waited to see whose name was to be declared the winner, as if they were in a beauty pageant. The nominees were Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation), Melissa McCarthy (Mike & Molly), Martha Plimpton (Raising Hope), Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie), Tina Fey (30 Rock) and Laura Linney (The Big C). This candid moment led McCarthy to give her priceless reaction and genuine speech as she was announced the winner with her trophy, crown and flower, utterly occupying the spirit of a real beauty pageant.

“Holy Smokes! Wow! It’s my first and best pageant ever! Oh my God – there’s so many pe- stop that clock! – Uh, there’s so many people I want to thank. Oh my God my sweet, lovely husband Ben; I wish you were here; he’s not. My lovely sister Margie is here. I’m sorry I’m a crier!

My Mom and Dad who supported me forever and shouldn’t have and just said ‘keep doing what you’re doing.’ I’m from Plainville, Illinois, and I’m standing here and it’s kind of amazing.

I work with the best cast and the best crew and I love them all. And Chuck Laurie fought for me. And Peter Roth you are like a handsome cheerleader in a suit. Nina Tassler, Les Moonves, I’m gonna carry you both around tonight for a while.

Um, oh my God our writers—Mark Roberts—writing your beautiful little funny weird plays for us, and the cast. I love you all so much. I go to work—I show up early like a dork, every day because I kinda can’t wait to see people. Vivi, you can go to bed now. Georgie, I love you. And, oh God I know I’m forgetting somebody, I don’t have my list. Anybody I forgot I just want to say thank you. Holy smokes!”

4. Julia Louis-Dreyfus

People have been calling Julia Louis-Dreyfus the queen of Emmy speeches as she graced the stage many times, each being a memorable and amusing moment. Her speech during the 2012 Emmy Awards was a hilarious one, as she “accidentally” switched and started reading off of Amy Poehler’s speech notes, thanking NBC and the team of “Parks and Recreation,” even though that wasn’t her show. But her speech the following year received more great laughs and has been dubbed the speech deserving its own Emmy as she brought her “Veep” co-star Tony Hale on stage and went on to thank everyone involved in the show except for him.

5. Susan Lucci

Susan Lucci’s 1999 Daytime Emmy win gave the most heartfelt speech in Emmy history, as it was a long-overdue one given that it took her 19 nominations before she finally won, and when she did, she got a standing ovation that lasted for several minutes before and after she went on stage. Her speech moved the audience to tears as it focused on thanking the people for recognizing her 19 times instead of dwelling on losing that many times. After not believing that moment would ever happen, Lucci mentioned the “poems and letters and drawings and balloons and chocolate cakes” that her children had given her to make her feel better if she did lose that night.

6. Rue McClanahan

Many consider “The Golden Girls” one of the most important shows of this lifetime as it showcases the lives of four older women who broke barriers and stereotypes on television. The four lead actresses won their Emmys for their respective characters, but Rue McClanahan’s acceptance speech for her trophy in 1987 was noteworthy after she recalled the 27-year journey that took her there.

7. Merritt Wever

The Emmy stage might have witnessed many funny moments and speeches over the years, but Merritt Wever gave the most brief, direct and comical speech in Emmy history. In 2013, Wever won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her performance in “Nurse Jackie.” And she went on stage just to say, “Thanks so much. Thank you so much! Um, I’ve got to go. Bye.”

8. Greg Garcia

An acceptance speech always includes a list of people to thank, but Greg Garcia chose to go the other way around after he named the people he didn’t want to thank, including his eighth-grade social studies teacher and a boss who forced him to clean gum off a shoe after he won an Emmy for Writing for a Comedy Series in 2006.

9. Billy Crystal

Even though this wasn’t an acceptance speech for an award, this Emmy delivery was one of the most memorable as comedian Billy Crystal paid a touching tribute to his longtime friend and legendary actor Robin Williams during the 66th primetime Emmy Awards, after he died two weeks before the ceremony.

“For almost 40 years he was the brightest star in the comedy galaxy, but while some of the brightest of celestial bodies are actually extinct, their molten energy long since cooled, miraculously, because they float in the heavens so far away from us now, their beautiful light will shine on us forever. And the glow will be so bright, it will warm your heart and make your eyes glisten, and you’ll think to yourselves, Robin Williams, what a concept.”

10. Fred Rogers

Fred Rogers gave a profound, touching speech for his Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997 after he made the audience cry by requesting they ponder and think about the people who inspired and brought them to where they were at that moment, that moment of success, to be sitting in that room full of noteworthy people in a prestigious event.