Green light: Squid Game, the global television phenomenon, made history at the 2022 Primetime Emmy Awards with wins for outstanding lead actor in a drama series and outstanding directing for a drama series. Netflix took home 3 awards at the show, bringing the grand total to 26 Emmy wins for the season. “TV is all we have,” said 2022 Primetime Emmy Awards host Kenan Thompson to kick off an evening honoring the television performers you love.
The night opened with a musical medley honoring songs from beloved series, including the Stranger Things opening theme and an homage to Eddie Munson’s shredding of Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” in Season 4.
Ozark’s Julia Garner won her third Emmy Award for outstanding supporting actress in a drama series for playing Ruth Langmore, winning every year she’s been nominated. Garner thanked Ozark showrunner Chris Mundy and “all the writers in the writers room” for writing Ruth, “she’s changed my life.” She also thanked co-stars Jason Bateman for “taking a chance on me” and Laura Linney for being “such a guiding light to me.”
Squid Game star Lee Jung-jae won the Emmy for outstanding lead actor in a drama series for his portrayal of Seong Gi-hun. He’s the first Asian winner ever in the category, first native Korean winner and first ever for a non-English language series. In his acceptance speech, he thanked director Hwang Dong-hyuk for “making realistic problems we all face come to life.” He also paid homage to his Squid Game team and, in Korean, thanked everyone watching in Korea.
Director Hwang won the award for outstanding directing for a drama series for Squid Game’s “Red Light, Green Light” episode. He’s the first Asian winner ever in the category, first native Korean winner and first ever for a non-English language series. In his acceptance speech, he said that following Squid Game’s 14 Emmy nominations, people kept telling him that he made history. “But I don’t think I made history by myself. It was you who opened up the doors for Squid Game by inviting us here tonight at the Emmys. We all made history together” He went on to say that he hopes Squid Game won’t be the last non-English series to be at the Emmys — and that this won’t be his last Emmy. “I’ll be back with Season 2.”
See below for all the wins Netflix took home this year, including wins at the Creative Arts Emmys, with Stranger Things running up that hill with five.
Outstanding lead actor in a drama series
Lee Jung-jae, Squid Game
Outstanding directing for a drama series
Hwang Dong-hyuk, “Red Light, Green Light”
Outstanding supporting actress in a drama series
Julia Garner, Ozark
Outstanding actor in a short-form drama or comedy series
Tim Robinson, I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson
Outstanding guest actress in a drama series
Lee You-mi, Squid Game
Outstanding special visual effects in a single episode
Squid Game, “VIPs”
Outstanding production design for a narrative contemporary program (one hour or more)
Squid Game, “Gganbu”
Outstanding period and/or character hairstyling
Bridgerton, “The Viscount Who Loved Me”
Outstanding prosthetic makeup
Stranger Things, “Chapter Four: Dear Billy”
Outstanding music supervision
Stranger Things, “Chapter Four: Dear Billy”
Outstanding sound editing for a comedy or drama series (one hour)
Stranger Things, “Chapter Seven: The Massacre at Hawkins Lab”
Outstanding sound mixing for a comedy or drama series (one hour)
Stranger Things, “Chapter Seven: The Massacre at Hawkins Lab”
Outstanding stunt performance
Squid Game, “Stick to the Team”
Outstanding stunt coordination for a drama series, limited or anthology series or movie
Stranger Things
Outstanding animated program
Arcane, “When These Walls Come Tumbling Down”
Outstanding structured reality TV program
Queer Eye
Outstanding unstructured reality TV program
Love on the Spectrum U.S.
Outstanding short-form animated program
Love, Death + Robots, “Jibaro”
Outstanding narrator
Barack Obama, Our Great National Parks
Outstanding picture editing for an unstructured reality program
Love on the Spectrum U.S., Episode 1
Outstanding casting for a reality program
Love on the Spectrum U.S.
Outstanding individual achievement in animation
Arcane, “The Boy Savior”
Arcane, “Happy Progress Day!”
Arcane, “When These Walls Come Tumbling Down”
The House
Love, Death + Robots, “Jibaro”
