2022 Emmy Awards: The Most Viral Moments of the Night

Award Shows By TooFab Staff |
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Here are the moments everyone will be talking about.

Television's biggest stars stepped out for the 74th annual Emmy Awards on Monday -- and we've got the night's most buzz-worthy moments right here.

This year's telecast was hosted by "Saturday Night Live" star Kenan Thompson and went down at the Microsoft Theater after spending the evening outside at L.A. Live's Event Deck in 2021.

Throughout the evening, there were some amazing acceptance speeches, some killer jokes at the expense of people in the audience and at least one "disrespectful" moment that blew up on Twitter.

Keep reading for the night's must-see moments!

Kenan Opens the Show with a Dance and Roast

The show kicked off with a big dance number set to remixed versions of famous TV opening themes.

The medley included "Friends" -- after which Thompson gave a shoutout to "Living Single" -- and "The Brady Bunch" -- with the OG Bradys in the room -- before tunes like "Law & Order" and "Game of Thrones" got the night club remix. Kenan even got in on the dancing action -- even rocking a white Targaryen wig at one point while doing it.

During his opening, Kenan poked fun at NBC -- joking nobody under 20 knows what network TV is -- and "Yellowjackets," saying it was "hard to watch" because "it's on Showtime," getting quite the laugh from the show's cast.

He also cracked, "Zendaya just turned 26 last week. 26 is a weird age in Hollywood. You're young enough to play a high school student but you're too old to date Leonardo DiCaprio," as Zendaya hid her head in laughter.

Of "Succession," he joked it was "the only show with three brothers but no brothers."

Micheal Keaton Gets Bleeped

Picking up the first trophy of the night for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for "Dopesick," Michael Keaton was bleeped when he dropped an f-bomb at the end of his speech.

"Over the years, we've all been through a lot of tough times. There have been some doubters. I've had some doubters," he said. "You know what? We're cool. But I also had those people for all these years when the times were tough who were the true believers ... I f---ing love you, man."

His win also got people talking about "Batgirl" and how bad an idea it was for Warner Bros. to shelve a movie with Keaton's Batman return in it.

Sheryl Lee Ralph's Speech Wins the Night

Sheryl Lee Ralph won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her incredible work on "Abbott Elementary" and hit all the right notes as she took the stage and gave one of the best acceptance speeches, ever.

Getting to the microphone, she broke into song, belting out Dianne Reeves' "Endangered Species" -- specifically the lyrics, "I am an endangered species but I sing no victim song. I am a woman, I am an artist and I know where my voice belongs."

In her speech, she added, "To anyone who has ever, ever had a dream and thought your dream wasn't, wouldn't, 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 because if you get a Quinta Brunson in your corner, if you get a husband like mine in your corner, if you get children like mine in your corner, and if you've got friends like everybody who voted for me, cheered for me, loved me-- Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Jennifer Coolidge Refuses to Leave the Stage

Jennifer Coolidge picked up the trophy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie thanks to her work on "The White Lotus" and took her time on the stage.

After thanking her costars and creators, she took a moment to tell the crowd that she enjoyed a "lavender bath tonight right before the show" adding to raucous laughter that it made her "swell up inside my dress." She added, "and I'm having a hard time speaking, but anyway--" before grabbing a list of names out of her pocket.

As she kept thanking her team, the music started to play her off, but she refused to go anywhere.

"Hold on, this is a once in a lifetime thing!" she exclaimed, as she named more names and kept yelling, Wait, hold on, one thing, wait!"

Eventually, she just started dancing to the music before finally heading off stage with her first-ever Emmy.

Lizzo Gets One Step Closer to an EGOT

The musician picked up her first Primetime Emmy Award during the show, taking home the Outstanding Competition Program trophy for "Lizzo's Watch Out for the Big Grrrls."

"When I was a little girl, all I wanted to see in the medias was someone fat like me, Black like me, beautiful like me," she said through tears. "If I could go back and tell little Lizzo something, I'd be like, 'You're gonna see that person, but bitch, it's gonna have to be you."

She then called out the show's contestants, who were in the house.

"These women were filming a television show that will change their lives forever. They are Emmy Award-winning superstars who are going on a world tour! Make some noise for my Big Grrrls!" she exclaimed. "God bless you, this is for the big girls! Thank you so much!"

With that win, the Grammy-winner is halfway to an EGOT.

A Little Geena Davis Appreciation

Geena Davis started trending after she and the Geena Davis Institute on Gender In Media was honored for its mission to "promote gender balance" and inclusion in Hollywood.

As she took to the stage, she asked for help from the audience to walk up the stairs and immediately three men -- including Martin Short and Tom Pelphrey -- rushed to her aid. AS THEY SHOULD.

"Tonight is about honoring 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," she said, giving a nod to Lizzo's win moments earlier. "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."

Quinta Brunson Wins Big, Jimmy Kimmel Plays Dead

"Abbott Elementary" creator and star Quinta Brunson took home the Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series trophy for the ABC sitcom, much to the delight of fans and all of Twitter.

What fans were split on, however, was Jimmy Kimmel continuing to play dead after she came on the stage as part of a bit he and Will Arnett did while announcing the nominees. "Jimmy, wake up, I won," she said as she took the stage, walking around him to get to the mic, but all she got was a quick thumbs up from the ground.

He stayed there throughout her speech and people weren't happy about it. See what Brunson herself thought about the stunt here. 

Zendaya Makes History

Not only did Zendaya win and beat out the likes of Laura Linney, Reese Witherspoon and Sandra Oh for the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series category, but she also made history doing it.

Thanks to her work on "Euphoria," the 26-year-old Zendaya became the youngest two-time winner of any Emmy category ever and also the first Black woman to win this specific category twice.

To say fans were thrilled is an understatement.

Selma Blair Gets a Standing Ovation

Selma Blair, who has been battling multiple sclerosis since 2018, took to the stage to present the final award of the night -- Outstanding Drama Series -- but earning a standing ovation herself before announcing a winner.

Looking gorgeous in a black dress with neon embellishments, the 50-year-old "Cruel Intentions" alum stunned as the audience got up on their feet when she walked up to the microphone, cane in hand.

"Thank you, I am so honored," she said during the applause. Fans were very happy to see her at the event -- and reminded viewers to continue their support for her on "Dancing with the Stars" this season once it premieres.

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