Abbott Elementary’s Quinta Brunson Makes History With First Emmys Win

Abbott Elementary's Quinta Brunson made major history with her 2022 Emmys win for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. Find out what made it so special.

By Daniel Trainor Sep 13, 2022 2:35 AMTags
Watch: Quinta Brunson "Feels Good" About Representing Teachers on TV

Quinta Brunson's Emmy win came with a side of history. 

The Abbott Elementary creator's victory for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series made her just the third Black writer and the second Black female writer to win the award.

Previously, Larry Wilmore won the category in 2002 for The Bernie Mac Show and Lena Waithe took home the Emmy for Master of None in 2017, an award she shared with Aziz Ansari.

During her acceptance speech, Quinta gave a shout-out to Larry, saying, "I do want to thank Larry Wilmore for teaching me to write television as well as he did."

Quinta also used the opportunity to give major thanks to her family and co-workers.

"I have to thank my mom, dad, brothers and sisters, my cousins," she said, "We would be here forever if I tried to name my cousins and uncles and aunts. My husband and my incredible cast and show for helping me to make this show and make the pilot, thank you."

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Emmys 2022 Red Carpet Fashion

Earlier in the evening, Quinta told Live From E! why the show's connection to her mother is so important.

"My mom was a teacher," Quinta said on the red carpet. "I was so close to it all my life. I was in my mom's class. Schools like Abbott, with Black children and Black teachers who care about them, they're very special places. Places of community and safety and morals and intense humor."

 

Chris Haston/NBC via Getty Images

More than that, though, Quinta explained that showing all facets of the school—the good, the bad and the very, very funny—was crucial.

"That was what was important to me, the funny of that kind of environment—every day these people show up and do this job, and there's something endearing in that," she said. "I'm so happy we've done such a good job that teachers feel represented by what we do. It wasn't necessarily our goal but I think we've done a good job of sticking to the accuracy that teachers represent."

For all of the night's big winners, keep scrolling!

(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)

Outstanding Comedy Series

Abbott Elementary
Barry
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Hacks
WINNER: Ted Lasso
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Only Murders in the Building
What We Do in the Shadows

Outstanding Drama Series

Better Call Saul
Euphoria
Ozark
Severance
Squid Game
Stranger Things
WINNER: Succession
Yellowjackets

Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series

Dopesick
Inventing Anna
Pam & Tommy
The Dropout
WINNER: The White Lotus

Outstanding Competition Program

WINNER: Lizzo's Watch Out for the Big Grrrls
Nailed It!
RuPaul's Drag Race
Top Chef
The Amazing Race

The Voice

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Jodie Comer, Killing Eve
Laura Linney, Ozark
Melanie Lynskey, Yellowjackets
Sandra Oh, Killing Eve
Reese Witherspoon, The Morning Show
WINNER: Zendaya, Euphoria

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Jason Bateman, Ozark
Brian Cox, Succession
WINNER: Lee Jung-jae, Squid Game
Bob Odenkirk Better Call Saul
Adam Scott, Severance
Jeremy Strong, Succession

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary
Kaley Cuoco, The Flight Attendant
Elle Fanning, The Great
Issa Rae, Insecure
WINNER: Jean Smart, Hacks

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Donald Glover, Atlanta
Bill Hader, Barry
Nicholas Hoult, The Great
Steve Martin, Only Murders in the Building
Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building
WINNER: Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series

Toni Collette, The Staircase
Julia Garner, Inventing Anna
Lily James, Pam & Tommy
Sarah Paulson, Impeachment: American Crime Story
Margaret Qualley, MAID
WINNER: Amanda Seyfried, The Dropout

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series

Colin Firth, The Staircase
Andrew Garfield, Under the Banner of Heaven
Oscar Isaac, Scenes From a Marriage
WINNER: Michael Keaton, Dopesick
Himesh Patel, Station Eleven
Sebastian Stan, Pam & Tommy

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series

Patricia Arquette, Severance
WINNER: Julia Garner, Ozark
Jung Ho-yeon, Squid Game
Christina Ricci, Yellowjackets
Rhea Seehorn, Better Call Saul
J. Smith-Cameron, Succession
Sarah Snook, Succession
Sydney Sweeney, Euphoria

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Nicholas Braun, Succession
Billy Crudup, The Morning Show
Kieran Culkin, Succession
Park Hae-soo, Squid Game
WINNER: Matthew Macfadyen, Succession
John Turturro, Severance
Christopher Walken, Severance
Oh Yeong-su, Squid Game

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Alex Borstein, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Hannah Einbinder, Hacks
Janelle James, Abbott Elementary
Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live
Sarah Niles, Ted Lasso
WINNER: Sheryl Lee Ralph, Abbott Elementary
Juno Temple, Ted Lasso
Hannah Waddingham, Ted Lasso

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Anthony Carrigan, Barry
WINNER: Brett Goldstein, Ted Lasso
Toheeb Jimoh, Ted Lasso
Nick Mohammed, Ted Lasso
Tony Shalhoub, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Tyler James Williams, Abbott Elementary
Henry Winkler, Barry
Bowen Yang, Saturday Night Live

Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series

Jane Adams, Hacks
Harriet Sansom, Hacks
Jane Lynch, Only Murders in the Building
WINNER: Laurie Metcalf, Hacks
Kaitlin Olson, Hacks
Harriet Walter, Ted Lasso

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series

Jerrod Carmichael, Saturday Night Live
Bill Hader, Curb Your Enthusiasm
James Lance, Ted Lasso
WINNER: Nathan Lane, Only Murders in the Building
Christopher McDonald, Hacks
Sam Richardson, Ted Lasso

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series

Hope Davis, Succession
Marcia Gay Harden, The Morning Show
Martha Kelly, Euphoria
Sanaa Lathan, Succession
Harriet Walter, Succession
WINNER: Lee You-mi, Squid Game

Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series

Adrien Brody, Succession
James Cromwell, Succession
WINNER: Colman Domingo, Euphoria
Arian Moayed, Succession
Tom Pelphrey, Ozark
Alexander Skarsgård, Succession

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series

Connie Britton, The White Lotus
WINNER: Jennifer Coolidge, The White Lotus
Alexandra Daddario, The White Lotus
Kaitlyn Dever, Dopesick
Natasha Rothwell, The White Lotus
Sydney Sweeney, The White Lotus
Mare Winningham, Dopesick

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series

WINNER: Murray Bartlett, The White Lotus
Jake Lacy, The White Lotus
Will Poulter, Dopesick
Seth Rogen, Pam & Tommy
Peter Sarsgaard, Dopesick
Michael Stuhlbarg, Dopesick
Steve Zahn, The White Lotus

Outstanding Television Movie

Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers
Ray Donovan: The Movie
Reno 911!: The Hunt For QAnon
The Survivor
Zoey's Extraordinary Christmas

Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program

Below Deck Mediterranean
Cheer
WINNER: Love On The Spectrum U.S.
RuPaul's Drag Race Untucked
Selling Sunset

Outstanding Structured Reality Program

Antiques Roadshow
Fixer Upper: Welcome Home
Love Is Blind
WINNER: Queer Eye
Shark Tank

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