Saturday Night Live had a huge night at the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday thanks to the most contentious election season of all time.
NBC's long-running sketch comedy show went into the night with an astounding 22 category nods, tying only with Westworld as the most-nominated show of this year's Emmys. Ultimately, SNL walked away with quite a haul.
Related: Here are all the major winners at the Primetime Emmy Awards 2017
After winning the Outstanding Variety Sketch Series trophy, series creator Lorne Michaels admitted that he'd never expected the sketch show to make it to a second season... no less 43.
Of course, SNL's previous season attracted the most headlines in years, particularly since US president Donald Trump frequently rage-tweeted when Alec Baldwin parodied him. It was this portrayal that earned Baldwin an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.
"I suppose I should say, 'At long last, Mr President, here is your Emmy'," he joked in his acceptance speech, prodding Trump's repeated complaints about never winning an award for The Celebrity Apprentice.
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There was also a controversial moment as Kate McKinnon collected her own Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Award, when play-off music began just as she thanked Trump's election rival Hillary Clinton for her "grace and grit".
Even before its success at Sunday night's (September 15) glitzy Hollywood gala, SNL had picked up some major wins during the Creative Arts Emmy Awards ceremony last weekend.
Melissa McCarthy scooped Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her bawdy portrayal of now-fired White House press secretary Sean Spicer, in a category where fellow SNL host Kristen Wiig was also nominated.
Plus, Dave Chappelle won the Outstanding Guest Actor Award for his landmark post-election episode — again nominated against fellow SNL hosts Tom Hanks and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
There will be a lot of success to live up to when Saturday Night Live returns on September 30 with guest host Ryan Gosling, musical guest JAY-Z and the return of Alec Baldwin as Trump.
Stephen Colbert hosted the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards from Los Angeles' Microsoft Theater, airing live on CBS in the US.
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Justin is a freelance entertainment journalist and writer. He first joined Digital Spy as a freelance entertainment reporter in 2010 and also worked as a sub-editor for the brand, serving as Night News Editor from 2016 to 2024. Over more than a decade, Justin has covered numerous major entertainment events from the US and has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo. He's written for titles across the Hearst network, plus the likes of CBR and Us Weekly.
