"But b*tch it's gonna have to be you." The 12 biggest moments from the 2022 Emmys.

It's TV Christmas time.

This year's Emmy Awards have just taken place in Tinseltown, and were a very welcome reminder that television over the past year has been spectacular.

From Succession to Yellowjackets to The White Lotus to Hacks to Abbott Elementary to... well, you get the idea. 

SO MUCH GOOD TV.

The biggest winners of the night were definitely The White Lotus in the limited series categories, Abbott Elementary and Ted Lasso in comedy and Succession in drama, but there were plenty of other glorious moments - from heartwarming speeches, to ridiculous jokes, to... Lizzo.

Here are the biggest moments from the 2022 Emmys, which, not to be dramatic, may have been the best awards show in years.

Sheryl Lee Ralph dropping truth bombs all over the red carpet.

The night's inspiring moments began hours before the ceremony even started, when Abbott Elementary's Sheryl Lee Ralph visited People/Entertainment Weekly on the red carpet.

She recalled filming 1992's Mistress with Robert De Niro, who gave her some (depressing, but truthful) advice.

He labelled her a DGA - a "damn great actress" - but told her that as a Black woman, the Hollywood powers that be were not looking at her, so she had to "wave the red flag" and demand to be seen.

"30 years later, I am SEEN with my Emmy nomination," she said on the red carpet.

"And thank God I didn't give up on me, because it's been a rough climb but it's worth every step."

Sheryl Lee Ralph on Emmy Nomination: "Thank God I Didn't Give Up on Me" #Emmys pic.twitter.com/Sy7ZEeWsDk

— People (@people) September 12, 2022

She also visited E!, where she had an equally iconic moment.

"And just know, if you don't make it at 10, you can make it at 30, if you don't make it at 30, you can make it at 50. If you don't make it at 50, you can make it at 60 and still give 'em goodness."

The icon. The legend. Ms. Sheryl Lee Ralph with all the advice you need. #Emmys2022 pic.twitter.com/3SoOwGS0mc

— The MN Movie Man ✨💥 (@joemnmovieman) September 12, 2022

AND GIVING THE SPEECH SONG OF THE NIGHT.

Sheryl Lee Ralph's night only got better once the ceremony began, with Abbott Elementary's incredible Mrs Howard taking out the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

Rather than give a speech, she SANG.

"I am an endangered species," she belted out. "I am a woman, I am an artist, and I KNOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW where my voice belongs."

It might have been the best Emmys moment ever.

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"Anyone who has ever, ever had a dream and thought your dream couldn't come true. I am here to tell you that this is what believing looks like. This is what striving looks like. And don't you ever, ever give up on you," she said.

CHILLS!!!!!!

Ralph is only the second Black woman to win this category. The first winner was Jackée Harry, 35 years ago.

In a super sweet show of support, Harry marked the moment on Twitter.

Winning my Emmy was a career highlight, but it was also a lonely experience.

For 35 years I’ve been the only black woman to win Outstanding Supporting Actresses in a Comedy Series.

But that all changes tonight… and it’s come full circle! #Emmys pic.twitter.com/TiyCwASVTI

— Jackée Harry (@JackeeHarry) September 13, 2022

Abbott Elementary creator Quinta Brunson also landed her first Emmy for writing.

And perhaps best of all, host Kenan Thompson shouted out the series for donating all its Emmy marketing money to buy supplies for public school teachers. 

Kenan Thompson's monologue... and dance.

The show began with host Kenan Thompson launching straight into a... dance scene to various (legally cleared) TV theme songs, including Friends, The Brady Bunch, Law & Order: SVU and Game of Thrones. 

Each... with a twist.

My personal favourite was the Law and Order: SVU theme. Don't pretend you don't shake your arse to the 'dun dun', even without the dance remix.

Kenan Thompson dances to a remix of the "Law & Order" theme at the #Emmys. https://t.co/h3GrtHDUA6 pic.twitter.com/VenjWV7Zsz

— Variety (@Variety) September 13, 2022

The segment was quickly roasted online, but come on! It was fun!

After the first couple of awards, he gave a monologue with all the usual jokes: about Zendaya turning 26, ageing her out of Leonardo DiCaprio's prospects, about Netflix's money problems, about Succession being very white and about Martin Short and Steve Martin being very old.

All the classics.

Michael Keaton's speech.

Michael Keaton won the first award of the night - Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie - for Dopesick.

And he was handed the Emmy by the Queen of Television herself, OPRAH. A double win.

Image: Getty.

Keaton delivered a speech all about his lifelong love of television, which began when his dad won a black and white television in a raffle.

"I fell in love with it and I would go and I would reenact these scenes or create my own scenes," he said. 

"My parents and brothers and sisters would watch me out the window and to this day, they were never demeaning, they were never dismissive they never looked down upon it.

"They never made fun of me. In fact, they would ask me to reenact scenes for them. My folks weren't exactly patrons of the arts. They weren't patrons of anything, frankly. I want to thank them. I want to just thank all those people in my family for never making me feel foolish."

He then spoke about making mistakes.

"That's the thing about feeling foolish and making a fool of yourself there's huge power and merit in that and I'm glad I made a fool of myself over and over and over again," Keaton said.

He ended with a message for those who did - and didn't - believe in him.

"There have been some doubters over the years. You know what? We're cool," he said, before raising his statue for he "true believers".

Jennifer Coolidge simply being Jennifer Coolidge, Emmy winner.

Jennifer Coolidge is an absolute icon. Every single time she opens her mouth it's just... spectacular.

And her speech after winning Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie was no exception.

"Hey, hi," she began. "Wow. What a night."

You just read that in her voice, didn't you?

Hilariously, she said she took a lavender bath before the show which made her "swell up" in her dress.

"I'm having a hard time speaking," she said, before remembering (with an "oh shit", no less) that she'd written down some thank yous on a piece of paper

Jennifer Coolidge deciding to dance when the #Emmys attempted to play her off is a truly perfect moment pic.twitter.com/bBkOykRMZA

— Jarett Wieselman (@JarettSays) September 13, 2022

Then, the music started playing to signal her off the stage, AND SHE STARTED DANCING TO IT.

We do not deserve her.

It was a massive night for The White Lotus overall, with Murray Bartlett winning Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie and creator Mike White won in the writing and directing categories.

Oh, and the entire series taking out Outstanding Limited Series. And season two is just around the corner!

Lizzo's win for Outstanding Competition Program.

Lizzo was sobbing from the moment her Prime Video series, Lizzo's Watch Out for the Big Girls, took out Outstanding Competition Program.

SHE BEAT RUPAUL, YOU GUYS.

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"I'm very emotional," she said through tears. 

"The trophy is nice but my emotion is for these people who are on this stage with me. The story that they shared They're not that unique, they just don't get the platform. Telling stories - let's just tell more stories.

"When I was a little girl, all I wanted to see was me in the media. Someone fat like me, black like me, beautiful like me. If I could go back and tell little Lizzo something, I'd say 'you're gonna see that person but bitch it's gonna have to be you'.

This is for the BIG GRRRLS ✊🏾 pic.twitter.com/MjxGKcfsGG

— FOLLOW @YITTY (@lizzo) September 13, 2022

Geena Davis is honoured with the Governor's Award for her contribution to gender inclusion in Hollywood.

Sarah Paulson and Shonda Rhimes awarded Geena Davis with the Governors Award, which recognises "an individual, company, or organisation that has made a profound, transformational, and long-lasting contribution to the arts and/or science of television".

In 2004, Davis launched the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, which has worked collaboratively with the entertainment industry to dramatically increase the presence of women in media and change how they are portrayed.

Madeline Di Nonno, the president and CEO of the institute, also came onstage to accept the honour.

"Tonight is about honouring the best of television, and as you know, as Lizzo knows, television can often directly impact how people see themselves and judge their value in the world," Davis said.

"And in the time since I launched the institute, we've made a great deal of progress but still there's more work to do, of course."

Amazing.

Also amazing was the absolute power move of Davis realising her gown would make climbing the Emmy stairs difficult and summoning a room full of men to help her.

love the divine Geena Davis realizing her walk up the stairs was gonna end badly, summoning help, and having a whole FLEET of men race to her side pic.twitter.com/XAYY3eqLu2

— ya girl (@goldengateblond) September 13, 2022

Squid Game becomes the first ever non-English language series to win an Emmy.

The Emmy for Outstanding Directing In A Drama Series went to Hwang Dong-hyuk for Squid Game - the first non-English language series to win an Emmy.

"I don't think I made history by myself because it was you who opened up the doors for Squid Game, inviting us here tonight at the Emmys. So I believe I have to say we all made history together," he told the room.

"I hope Squid Game won't be the last non-English series here at the Emmys. And I also hope this won't be my last Emmy either," he joked, saying he'll see us after season two. 

He spoke it into existence, as soon after Lee Jung-jae won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.

Image: Getty.

They weren't the only members of Squid Game in attendance either...

That extremely creepy robot doll also made an appearance too. Because of course.

Zendaya won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series... again.

This really is Zendaya's world.

The Euphoria star won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for the second time (after her first 2020 win) - making her the first Black woman to win category twice, and the youngest two-time winner of any Emmy in history.

Image: Getty.

She thanked the show's crew for making such a safe space for her to tell the story of teenage addict Rue.

"My greatest wish for Euphoria was that it could help heal people," she said.

"I want to thank anyone who has loved a Rue or feels that they are a Rue, I want you to know that I'm so grateful for your stories. I carry them with me and I carry them with her."

Ted Lasso wins Outstanding Comedy Series.

Turns out you can't go past Jason Sudeikis in a moustache.

Ted Lasso took out comedy's biggest award, Outstanding Comedy Series, for the second year in a row - after both Sudeikis and Brett Goldstein won Outstanding Lead Actor and Outstanding Supporting Actor respectively, AND MJ Delaney won Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series.

Image: Getty.

It seems like on this stage, AFC Richmond is unbeatable.

Selma Blair gets a standing ovation.

Image: Getty.

Selma Blair was tasked with presenting the final award of the night, for Outstanding Drama Series.

Before she could begin talking, the crowd got to its feet to show her some love.

Blair announced her MS diagnosis in 2018, and has been open about her struggles with the autoimmune disease so seeing her on this stage was such a great moment.

She called the winner by turning the card around to the camera - no Oscars Moonlight/La La Land moment here! Phew!

The Roy family reigns supreme.

Everyone's favourite dysfunctional family has won... again.

Succession took out the night's final award, for Outstanding Drama Series and made some jokes about nepotism given the whole... well, royal family news.

Creator Jesse Armstrong said there may be "a bit more voting involved" in their win than in King Charles' recent accession to the throne. 

"I'm not saying we're more legitimate in our position than he is. We'll leave that to other people."

LOL.

Image: Getty.

It's doubly funny considering the entire premise of Succession is about nepotism.

Earlier in the night, Matthew Macfadyen kicked off the show's wins by beating a bunch of his co-stars for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.

not the plot of succession being real pic.twitter.com/nTePasvZLd

— alexandra (@miIfceo) September 13, 2022

Armstrong also won for writing on the show's incredible season three finale episode.

"It didn't always feel good when I was writing it ... it felt wrong," he reflected.

"Just because things feel bad doesn't mean they're right or good. They're often bad. But to my fellow writers out there. If you're blind to all the merits and can only see the faults in what you're doing, it doesn't mean it's bad. It could just mean you're a proper writer."

And just like that, TV Christmas is over for another year.

Time for the traditional nap on the couch, I think.

Chelsea McLaughlin is Mamamia's Senior Entertainment Writer and co-host of The Spill. For more pop culture takes, recommendations and sarcasm, you can follow her on Instagram.

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