A Roundup Of The Historic 2020 Emmy's Best Speeches, Messages, Moments, And All-Too-Relevant Jokes

Late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel had the sole responsibility of making sure the 72nd Emmys stayed true to what it was—an entertaining, celebratory awards night! The veteran comic did a stellar job overall, considering that the venue, LA's Staples Center, was pretty much empty save for crew and a handful of guests. Jimmy was left to talk to teleprompters and maneuver video calls throughout the evening in lieu of in-person stage presentations, acceptance speeches, and performances—a first for the Emmy Awards since it began in 1949.

Photo Credit: @variety

A running joke in the 2020 Emmys was that it was taking place "nowhere and everywhere at the same time." That's because the ceremony still "welcomed" guests in a pandemic-friendly way, with celeb guests enjoying the show from the safety of their homes all over the world, but still dressed to the nines! A massive LED screen stage backdrop was set up to show how nominees, winners, and guests enjoyed the night in spite of (extreme) physical distancing measures put in place.

Photo Credit: @abcnetwork

Last but not least, Jimmy's jokes need to get some love, too! He often polarizes viewers as a host, but this time, it looked like he struck the right notes by going light on the politics, keeping things cheerful and tugging on heartstrings. He had several great punchlines but one that proved particularly meaningful for the event was this: "This has been a miserable year. This has been a year of division, injustice, disease, Zoom school, disaster and death... And what did we find in that dark and lonely tunnel? I'll tell you what we found. A friend, who's there for us 24 hours a day—our old pal television."

Photo Credit: @abcnetwork

Speaking of the pandemic, instead of feeling frustrated about how COVID-19 ruined Hollywood's awards ceremonies, production stylists took a whole other approach and turned it into a hilarious "theme." Mannequins dressed in hazmat suits (instead of promo girls dressed in sponsor-approved OOTDs), Emmy statues bearing hand sanitzer, and Jimmy Kimmel presenting in a protective blown-up bubble were just some of the things spotted at the event venue. The details meant to make light of the situation didn't go unnoticed!

Photo Credit: @variety

Jason Bateman was one of the few who actually showed up for the Emmy Awards in the flesh. He sat in the front row, surrounded by cardboard cutouts of his fellow celebs, even exchanging banter with Jimmy Kimmel until he jokingly decided he'd gotten bored and that it was time to call the car and go home.

Photo Credit: Still from "Jimmy Kimmel's Emmys 2020 Opening Monologue - Emmy Awards" on the ABC YouTube channel

Jennifer Aniston was there, too! She dropped by just to execute a joke with Jimmy and make his solo hosting a little less lonely. As Jimmy was emphasizing the need to be extra conscious of hand hygiene by dousing an envelope with sanitzer, he chucked it in a metal bin and set it on fire for good measure. Enter, Jennifer, who came prepared with a fire extinguisher.

Photo Credit: Still taken from "Jennifer Aniston Saves the Emmys!" from the Jimmy Kimmel Live YouTube channel

After Jennifer's stint as an Emmys firefighter, this happened! This mini reunion of the F.R.I.E.N.D.S.' ladies was definitely a welcome sight. We don't often see Lisa Kudrow, Jennifer Aniston, and Courtney Cox hanging out these days (or should we say Phoebe, Rachel, and Monica hanging out in a familiar apartment?), but what's a better excuse to see each other than watching and participating in the Emmys at home? Jennifer might not have gotten the Best Actress (Drama Series) award, but having lifelong gal pals by her side is a whole other win on its own.

Photo Credit: @variety

Four-time Emmy Award-winner Regina King didn't just take home the Best Actress (Limited Series) award, but she took the chance to make a political statement during her virtual acceptance speech. Like other Hollywood events in recent years, celebs have used their time in the limelight to bring forward important social issues and this time was no different as the Black Lives Matter movement took front and center. Check out the T-shirt she's wearing under her fuchsia suit; the face of Breonna Taylor is clearly printed on it, and for good reason. Breonna, an emergency medical technician, was another black woman unjustly shot dead in March by white policemen.

Photo Credit: @fashionbombdaily

Zendaya made history. The 24-year-old became the youngest recipient of the Best Actress (Drama Series) award, and only the second black woman to receive it (the first was Viola Davis in 2015). The Disney alum was recognized for her performance in "Euphoria."

Photo Credit: @abcnetwork

Dan Levy was crazy happy for his dad, Eugene Levy, after winning the Best Actor (Comedy Series) award for his role in quirky comedy, "Schitt's Creek." The fact that Dan also scooped up the Best Supporting Actor award for the same show made the win so much sweeter! It's also been almost a full four decades since Eugene was recognized at the Emmys, and winning for the second time alongside his son made the experience a truly magical one.

Photo Credit: @abcnetwork

The Muslim actor and show producer of "Ramy" (a semi autobiographical series) poked fun at himself for bowing out of the Emmys race. Though emerging empty-handed in an Emmys edition that was noticeably more diverse in its nominees and winners, he did make comedy gold with this little gag. A person carrying an Emmys trophy wearing full PPE gear seemingly appeared at his home, knocking on a window to get his attention only to wave goodbye and walk away with the award that he didn't get.

Photo Credit: @ramy_youssef

Mark Ruffalo's acceptance speech for his Best Actor (Limited Series) award focused on encouraging Americans to exercise their rights and the need for diversity. His speech echoes most of those shared that night that emphasized the plight of Black Americans to be treated justly and humanely.

Photo Credit: @markfuffalo

For audiences that keep up with awards ceremonies for glamorous red carpet arrivals and all the most stunning fashion moments, they didn't exactly get what they were expecting, but many were amused to see how many stay-at-home nominees and awardees still got dressed nonetheless! Here's Julia Garner, winner of the Best Actress (Drama Series) award, one of the very few actresses who got creative with their "glam" looks for the evening. Other stars who still went through the priming and prepping process included Catherine O'Hara and Zendaya.

Photo Credit: @juliagarnerofficial