Emmys 2021: Hannah Waddingham and Brett Goldstein win best supporting actress and actor in a comedy for Ted Lasso

Hannah Waddingham and Brett Goldstein won Emmy Awards for best supporting actress and actor in a comedy for their work in Ted Lasso, delivering two early prizes for the Apple TV show on a night that promises to be a battleground for a new generation of streaming services.

Waddingham portrays a scheming team owner and Goldstein a once star player who is past his prime in the series about a US college football coach who moves to England to lead a Premier League soccer team. Both Waddingham and Goldstein were relative unknowns in Hollywood before the show, an uplifting comedy that struck a chord with viewers and critics during the dark days of the pandemic.

The 73rd Emmy Awards promises to be a major battleground for a new generation of streaming services, with shows produced by AT&T Inc.’s HBO Max, Amazon.com Inc.’s Prime Video, Apple Inc. and Walt Disney Co.’s Disney competing with Netflix Inc., the leader in streaming.

The Emmy Awards, given by the Television Academy, are considered the highest honors in the TV business. The show isn’t watched by as many people as the Oscars or the Grammys, and awards programs, in general, have been losing viewers in recent years. Still, the wins can provide a publicity boost, particularly for new services looking to acquire subscribers and attract talent.

Comedian Cedric the Entertainer is hosting the show, which is airing live on both CBS and Paramount. The academy is putting on an in-person ceremony at the L.A. Live entertainment district in downtown Los Angeles. Last year, the academy held a smaller ceremony, delivering the statuettes to winners at their homes.

“They said this was outdoors; it’s not,” actor Seth Rogen joked in presenting the first award. “Why is there a roof? It’s more important we have chandeliers than we make sure we don’t kill Eugene Levy.”

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Ted Lasso was nominated for 20 Emmys, the most ever for a first-year comedy, and is the favorite to capture best comedy series. The show is Apple’s first big breakout hit in terms of critical plaudits, social media conversation and industry prestige, and the wins Sunday night should drive more customers to Apple TV, the iPhone maker’s paid streaming service. Produced by Warner Bros.’ TV studio, Ted Lasso just concluded its second season and has been renewed for at least one more.

Many Hollywood figures have expressed skepticism about Apple’s foray into entertainment. It has not acquired a catalog of shows to fill out its library for Apple TV, and it has been wary of igniting controversy with its programs. Yet the company is dominating one category at the TV industry’s biggest annual gala less than two years after introducing the service.