By Robert Goldrich
LOS ANGELES --Going into tomorrow’s primetime Emmy Awards telecast on ABC, Watchmen (HBO) and The Mandalorian (Disney+) are tied for the lead with seven Emmys apiece over the five nights of Creative Arts ceremonies. Watchmen got to seven by adding two more Creative Arts Emmy wins tonight (9/19) during the “virtually live” proceedings on the FXX network–for Outstanding Casting and Outstanding Sound Editing for a Limited Series, Movie or Special.
Also scoring two Emmys this evening–for Original Dramatic Score and Stunt Coordination for a Drama Series, Limited Series or Movie–to reach a total of seven was The Mandalorian.
Among other marquee wins tonight were The Last Dance (ESPN) topping the Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series category, The Cave (National Geographic) garnering the Emmy for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking, Bad Education (HBO) earning distinction as Outstanding Television Movie, Rick And Morty (Adult Swim) as Outstanding Animated Program and Cheer (Netflix) as Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program.
Tying for Outstanding Children’s Program were Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (Netflix) and We Are The Dream: The Kids Of The Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest (HBO).
Sandy Hook Promise’s “Back-to-School Essentials” PSA–directed by Henry-Alex Rubin of SMUGGLER for BBDO New York–won the primetime commercial Emmy (see separate story here).
Perhaps a harbinger of things to come with tomorrow’s precedent-setting hybrid virtual/live primetime Emmy Awards telecast–where glitches and surprises could be in the offing–was a snafu in tonight’s FXX presentation when there was confusion over the winner for best guest actor in a drama series. While the screen read Ron Cephas Jones for This Is Us, the voiceover announced the Emmy recipient as being Jason Bateman for The Outsider. After an ensuing commercial break, an on-screen supered apology appeared, clarifying that Jones had won the Emmy.
Jones saw his family make a bit of history. Back on Thursday–night four of the Creative Arts Emmys–his daughter, Jasmine Cephas Jones, took the best actress Emmy for short-form comedy or drama series on the strength of her performance in #FreeRayshawn (Quibi). Thus the actors became what’s believed to be the first father-daughter Emmy winners in the same year. In the virtual backstage press room, Ron Cephas Jones said, “As a parent that’s the most fulfilling that I could ever feel at the moment. Winning another Emmy (his second in recent years for This Is Us) is the icing on the cake, but to see my daughter progress and move into this place where she’s earned an Emmy is beyond words and I tear up every time I think about it.”
Here’s a rundown of Saturday evening’s Creative Arts Emmy winners:
Outstanding Animated Program
Rick And Morty • The Vat Of Acid Episode • Adult Swim • Rick and Morty, LLC
Outstanding Children’s Program
TIE BETWEEN:
Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance • Netflix • The Jim Henson Company
Lisa Henson, Executive Producer
Halle Stanford, Executive Producer
Louis Leterrier, Executive Producer
Jeffrey Addiss, Co-Executive Producer Will Matthews, Co-Executive Producer
Javier Grillo-Marxuach, Co-Executive Producer
Blanca Lista, Co-Executive Producer
Ritamarie Peruggi, Produced by
We Are The Dream: The Kids Of The Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest • HBO • HBO Documentary Films in association with Know Wonder
Mahershala Ali, Executive Producer
Amatus Karim Ali, Executive Producer
Mimi Valdés, Executive Producer
Julie Anderson, Executive Producer
Amy Schatz, Produced by
Diane Kolyer, Produced by
Outstanding Commercial
Back-to-School Essentials – Sandy Hook Promise
SMUGGLER, Production Company
BBDO New York, Ad Agency
Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series
The Last Dance • ESPN • A Mandalay Sports Media Production in association with NBA Entertainment, ESPN Films, Netflix
Jason Hehir, Produced by
Mike Tollin, Executive Producer
Estee Portnoy, Executive Producer
Curtis Polk, Executive Producer
Connor Schell, Executive Producer
Gregg Winik, Executive Producer
Andrew Thompson, Executive Producer
Exceptional Merit In Documentary Filmmaking
The Cave • National Geographic • A Danish Documentary Production in co-production with Ma.Ja.De Hecat Studio Paris Madam Films
Kirstine Barfod, Produced by
Sigrid Dyekjær, Produced by
Outstanding Television Movie
Bad Education • HBO • HBO Films in association with Automatik, Sight Unseen and Slater Hall Productions
Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program
Cheer • Netflix • One Potato Productions, Boardwalk Pictures and Caviar
Greg Whiteley, Executive Producer
Andrew Fried, Executive Producer
Dane Lillegard, Executive Producer
Jasper Thomlinson, Executive Producer
Bert Hamelinck, Executive Producer
Adam Leibowitz, Supervising Producer
Arielle Kilker, Producer
Chelsea Yarnell, Producer
Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded)
Dave Chappelle: Sticks & Stones • Netflix • Lathan TV | Pilot Boy
Outstanding Casting For A Limited Series, Movie Or Special
Watchmen • HBO • HBO Entertainment in association with White Rabbit, Paramount Television, Warner Bros. Television & DC Comics
Victoria Thomas, CSA, Casting by
Meagan Lewis, CSA, Location Casting
Outstanding Choreography For Variety Or Reality Programming
So You Think You Can Dance • Routines: I’ll Be Seeing You, Mambo Italiano, The Girl From Ipanema • FOX • dick clark
productions, LLC and 19 Entertainment
Al Blackstone, Choreographer
Outstanding Cinematography For A Single-Camera Series (One Hour)
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel • It’s Comedy Or Cabbage • Prime Video • Amazon Studios
M. David Mullen, ASC, Director of Photography
Outstanding Contemporary Costumes
Schitt’s Creek • Happy Ending • Pop TV • Not A Real Company Productions, Inc.
Debra Hanson, Costume Designer
Darci Cheyne, Assistant Costume Designer
Outstanding Contemporary Makeup (Non-Prosthetic)
Euphoria • And Salt The Earth Behind You • HBO • HBO Entertainment in association with Reasonable Bunch, A24, Little Lamb, Dreamcrew, ADD Content Agency | HOT | TCDY Productions
Doniella Davy, Department Head Makeup Artist
Kirsten Sage Coleman, Assistant Department Head Makeup Artist
Tara Lang Shah, Makeup Artist
Outstanding Directing For A Variety Special
Dave Chappelle: Sticks & Stones • Netflix • Lathan TV | Pilot Boy
Stan Lathan, Directed by
Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series
Saturday Night Live • Host: Eddie Murphy • NBC • SNL Studios in association with Universal Television and Broadway Video
Eddie Murphy as Host
Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series
Saturday Night Live • Host: Eddie Murphy • NBC • SNL Studios in association with Universal Television and Broadway Video Maya Rudolph as Senator Kamala Harris
Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series
This Is Us • After The Fire • NBC • 20th Century Fox Television
Ron Cephas Jones as William Hill
Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series
Succession • Tern Haven • HBO • HBO Entertainment in association with Project Zeus, Hyperobject Industries and Gary Sanchez Productions
Cherry Jones as Nan Pierce
Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Competition Program
RuPaul’s Drag Race • VH1 • World of Wonder Productions
RuPaul, Host
Outstanding Interactive Extension Of A Linear Program
Mr. Robot • Season_4.0 ARG • USA Network • Ralph Interactive, 5th Column Games
USA Network
Ralph Interactive
5th Column Games
Roxanne Parades, Producer
Jeff McKibben, Writer
Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction For A Variety Series
Saturday Night Live • Host: John Mulaney • NBC • SNL Studios in association with Universal Television and Broadway Video
Geoffrey Amoral, Lighting Director
Richard McGuinness, Lighting Director William McGuinness, Lighting Director
Tim Stasse, Lighting Director
Trevor Brown, Lighting Director
Outstanding Main Title Design
Godfather Of Harlem • EPIX • ABC Signature Studios Mason Nicoll, Creative Director/Editor
Peter Pak, Designer/Lead Animator/Art Director
Giovana Pham, Designer
Cisco Torres, Animator
Outstanding Music Composition For A Series (Original Dramatic Score)
The Mandalorian • Chapter 8: Redemption • Disney+ • Lucasfilm Ltd.
Ludwig Göransson, Composer
Outstanding Period And/Or Character Hairstyling
Hollywood • A Hollywood Ending • Netflix • Netflix Michelle Ceglia, Department Head Hairstylist
Barry Lee Moe, Assistant Department Head Hairstylist
George Guzman, Hairstylist
Michele Arvizo, Hairstylist
Maria Elena Pantoja, Hairstylist
Outstanding Production Design For A Narrative Period Or Fantasy Program (One Hour Or More)
The Crown • Aberfan • Netflix • Left Bank Pictures in association with Sony Pictures Television Martin Childs, Production Designer
Mark Raggett, Art Director
Alison Harvey, Set Decorator
Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Comedy Series
Insecure • Lowkey Trying • HBO • HBO Entertainment in association with Issa Rae Productions, Penny for Your Thoughts Entertainment and 3 Arts Entertainment
Nena Erb, ACE, Editor
Lynarion Hubbard, Additional Editor
Outstanding Sound Editing For A Limited Series, Movie Or Special
Watchmen • This Extraordinary Being • HBO • HBO Entertainment in association with White Rabbit, Paramount Television, Warner Bros. Television & DC Comics
Brad North, Supervising Sound Editor
Harry Cohen, Sound Designer
Jordan Wilby, Sound Effects Editor
Tiffany S. Griffith, Dialogue Editor
Antony Zeller, Foley Editor
A.J. Shapiro, Foley Editor
Sally Boldt, Music Editor
Zane Bruce, Foley Artist
Lindsay Pepper, Foley Artist
Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (One Hour)
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel • A Jewish Girl Walks Into The Apollo… • Prime Video • Amazon Studios
Mathew Price, CAS, Production Sound Mixer
Ron Bochar, Re-Recording Mixer
George A. Lara, Foley Mixer
David Boulton, ADR Mixer
Outstanding Stunt Coordination For A Drama Series, Limited Series Or Movie
The Mandalorian
DISNEY+
Ryan Watson, Stunt Coordinator
Outstanding Writing For A Variety Special
Dave Chappelle: Sticks & Stones • Netflix • Lathan TV | Pilot Boy
Dave Chappelle, Written by
After 20 Years of Acting, Megan Park Finds Her Groove In The Director’s Chair On “My Old Ass”
Megan Park feels a little bad that her movie is making so many people cry. It's not just a single tear either — more like full body sobs.
She didn't set out to make a tearjerker with "My Old Ass," now streaming on Prime Video. She just wanted to tell a story about a young woman in conversation with her older self. The film is quite funny (the dialogue between 18-year-old and almost 40-year-old Elliott happens because of a mushroom trip that includes a Justin Bieber cover), but it packs an emotional punch, too.
Writing, Park said, is often her way of working through things. When she put pen to paper on "My Old Ass," she was a new mom and staying in her childhood bedroom during the pandemic. One night, she and her whole nuclear family slept under the same roof. She didn't know it then, but it would be the last time, and she started wondering what it would be like to have known that.
In the film, older Elliott ( Aubrey Plaza ) advises younger Elliott ( Maisy Stella ) to not be so eager to leave her provincial town, her younger brothers and her parents and to slow down and appreciate things as they are. She also tells her to stay away from a guy named Chad who she meets the next day and discovers that, unfortunately, he's quite cute.
At 38, Park is just getting started as a filmmaker. Her first, "The Fallout," in which Jenna Ortega plays a teen in the aftermath of a school shooting, had one of those pandemic releases that didn't even feel real. But it did get the attention of Margot Robbie 's production company LuckyChap Entertainment, who reached out to Park to see what other ideas she had brewing.
"They were very instrumental in encouraging me to go with it," Park said. "They're just really even-keeled, good people, which makes... Read More