After four months of delays, the Primetime Emmy Awards returned Monday night with a belated ceremony honoring the best of the 2022–2023 television season. From cast reunions of iconic shows like “Martin,” “Ally McBeal,” and “Cheers,” to top award sweeps by “Succession” and “The Bear”, this year’s Emmy Awards ceremony was a true celebration of the medium and a fitting way to mark the award show’s 75th anniversary.
The Emmys weren’t the only ones to mark a milestone in 2023: this year also marked GIPHY’s eighth year in a row covering the ceremony. For all of the moments from Emmys’ past and present, you can visit the official Emmys GIPHY channel here.
Need a rundown of the biggest moments from this year’s ceremony? Here’s a quick look at the top GIFs and Clips from the 2023 Emmy Awards.
The Biggest Winners of the Night
HBO’s “Succession” and FX’s “The Bear” swept this year’s Emmys, taking home awards in top categories, including Best Drama and Best Comedy.
Members of the casts of both shows also nabbed top spots on our list of the most-viewed GIFs of the night.
For starters, Jeremy Allen White won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy for his role in “The Bear.” This GIF of him getting up to accept his award was the third most-viewed GIF of the night.
The cast and crew of “The Bear” also shared a group hug before getting up to accept the award for Outstanding Comedy Series. This GIF of White and Ayo Edebiri hugging writer Joanna Calo was the fifth most-viewed GIF of the night.
“Succession” also had big night on Monday as the cast and crew swept several top awards, including Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama and Outstanding Drama Series.
In his acceptance speech, show creator Jesse Armstrong thanked several cast members, including star Brian Cox “who the show was revolved around whether he was in it or not.” This GIF from Armstrong’s speech at the end of the night was the seventh most-viewed GIF of the night.
Internet darling Kieran Culkin won his first Emmy Award this year for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama for his performance as Roman Roy.
Culkin also won big on GIPHY: this GIF of Culkin in the crowd at the 2023 Emmys was the most-viewed GIF of the night.
The Best Acceptance Speeches
Like years past, this year’s Emmy Awards ceremony was the stage for several impassioned, and at times tearful, acceptance speeches as veterans and newcomers alike received their first-ever Primetime Emmy Award.
For starters, “Abbott Elementary” star Quinta Brunson won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy this year, making history as the first Black woman to win the award since Isabel Sanford in 1981.
Brunson was speechless as she accepted her award. In an emotional speech, Brunson thanked her family and cast-mates for letting her “live [her] dream and act out comedy.”
“I say that every time, but I just love comedy so much that I am so happy to be able to get this.”
“The Bear” star Ayo Edebiri also made waves with her acceptance speech for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy. In her speech, she thanked her parents for supporting her career and letting her do improv.
Of course, we can’t forget about “The White Lotus” star Jennifer Coolidge, who delivered this iconic line in her acceptance speech for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama.
And finally, “Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” star Niecy Nash won her first-ever Primetime Emmy Award this year for Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series.
Nash marked her win with an impassioned speech dedicated to “every Black and brown woman who has gone unheard, yet overpoliced.” She also recognized her own hard work, calling on others to believe in themselves.
“As an artist, my job is to speak truth to power, and baby, I’ma do it ’til the day I die. Mama, I won!”
Honorable Mention: the Presenters
This year’s presenters were another highlight of the show, as the Emmy Awards marked its 75th anniversary with a roster of TV legends making appearances as presenters.
For example, “Game of Thrones” star Peter Dinklage made a return to the Emmys stage for the first time since 2019 to present Outstanding Drama Series. This GIF of Dinklage addressing the crowd was the second most-viewed GIF of the night.
Here’s a rundown of five of our favorite GIFs of presenters from the 2023 Emmy Awards.
- Carol Burnett
2. Christina Applegate
3. Pedro Pascal
4. Quinta Brunson and Marla Gibbs
5. The cast of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”
For more from GIPHY, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @GIPHY.
