Netflix and Apple TV+, Dominating This Year's Emmy Awards... OTT Offensive

Beating Traditional Studios to Win 'Best Award'
Increasing Cases of Drama and Film Wins
Netflix Baeksang Trophy Also in Korea...

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] Online video services (OTT) swept the 'top awards' at the 'Emmy Awards,' one of the most prestigious awards in the American television industry, surpassing traditional studios.

According to the New York Times (NYT) on the 19th (local time), at the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards held in Los Angeles, California, Netflix's The Crown was selected as 'Outstanding Drama Series,' Queen's Gambit as 'Outstanding Limited Series,' and Apple TV Plus's Ted Lasso as 'Outstanding Comedy Series.'

The New York Times added that this is the first time a Netflix original work has won the Emmy Awards for Outstanding Drama and Limited Series.

Netflix had nominated 30 works for top awards in each category from 2013 until last year but had not won. Before The Crown, the only streaming service work to be selected as Outstanding Drama Series was Hulu's 2017 winner The Handmaid's Tale. This is Netflix's first win as a streaming service.

Both the lead actor and actress awards in the drama series category came from The Crown. Josh O'Connor, who played Prince Charles in The Crown, won the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, and Olivia Colman, who portrayed Queen Elizabeth II in the same drama, took home the Outstanding Lead Actress award.

The Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series award went to Ewan McGregor for Netflix's Halston, and the Outstanding Lead Actress award was given to Kate Winslet, the lead of Mare of Easttown, produced by wiip, a U.S. production company recently acquired by Korea's JTBC Studio. The Outstanding Lead Actor and Actress in a Comedy Series awards went to Jason Sudeikis and Jean Smart of Ted Lasso, respectively.

The Associated Press (AP) evaluated the sweeping of this year's Emmy Awards by works that met the public through streaming services as "clearly demonstrating the growing importance of streaming services in the broadcasting industry."

As OTT platforms' influence grows worldwide, the number of film and drama award wins is also increasing. At the Academy Awards, the largest film festival in the U.S., held in April, OTTs also showed strong performance. Netflix's Mank won two awards, including Production Design and Cinematography, at the 93rd Academy Awards held at Los Angeles Union Station and Dolby Theatre. Netflix won a total of seven awards that day.

Netflix has also been recognized domestically with Korean original works. At the 57th Baeksang Arts Awards held last May, it won trophies in three categories. Following the first nomination of a Netflix original work at the Baeksang Arts Awards last year, this year four works were nominated in seven categories. Among them, Jeon Jong-seo of Call won the Best Actress award in the film category, Park Ju-hyun of Extracurricular won the Best New Actress award in the TV category, and Jung Sung-jin and Jung Chul-min, VFX supervisors of Space Sweepers, won the Art Award in the film category.