US Racism Expos? 'Watchmen' Sweeps 11 Emmy Awards Categories

Jimmy Kimmel is hosting the event at the Emmy Awards ceremony held online on the 20th (local time).
[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Eunbyeol Kim] The HBO drama "Watchman (WatchmanㆍPasugun)," which exposed racial discrimination in the United States, swept 11 categories at the Emmy Awards, known as the Academy Awards of the American broadcasting industry.

According to AFP and others on the 20th (local time), "Watchman" won a total of 11 awards, including the "Limited Drama Series" award and the screenplay award, at the 72nd Emmy Awards held online, making it the most awarded work.

"Watchman" is a superhero crime drama inspired by the "Tulsa Race Massacre," in which white supremacists killed over 300 Black people in 1921. Based on the comic of the same name released in the early 1980s, this work was praised for well integrating American political issues and social realities, including racial discrimination, into the drama.

AFP reported, "'Watchman' portrayed all the topics dividing the United States into extremes ahead of the November presidential election through the drama, including issues of white supremacists and police violence as well as debates over mask-wearing."

The "Watchman" production team dedicated their acceptance speech to the Black souls who perished in the Tulsa massacre. Executive producer Damon Lindelof said, "The only way to put out the fire is to fight against it," adding, "History is a mystery divided into one million puzzle pieces. Finding the pieces sometimes hurts us, but ultimately helps us."

The top drama award went to HBO's "Succession." "Succession" is a drama depicting internal power struggles within a media conglomerate family and is regarded as a satire of Rupert Murdoch's family, who built a media empire. In the comedy category, the Canadian sitcom "Schitt's Creek" swept 9 awards, becoming a hot topic.

HBO, buoyed by the success of "Watchman" and "Succession," swept 30 awards, while Netflix won 21 awards thanks to strong performances from dramas like "Ozark."