--- title: Emmys 2017: Everything You Need to Know About the Show description: With Stephen Colbert as host, the Emmys will get political. Here's what you need to know about when the Emmys are airing and what to expect. canonical: https://time.com/4941761/2017-emmy-awards-what-to-know/ author: Eliana Dockterman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-09-14T19:33:07.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:58:29.811Z article:section: Entertainment og:title: Everything You Need to Know About the 2017 Emmy Awards og:description: Who's hosting, who will win and what's up with Barb from 'Stranger Things' og:url: https://time.com/4941761/2017-emmy-awards-what-to-know/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf05dc597066455c8/6988dde04ee262dd7530f00b/emmy-statue.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Emmy Statue in front of the Television Academy during the red carpet for the 68th Los Angeles Emmy Awards in North Hollywood, California, on July 23, 2016. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Everything You Need to Know About the 2017 Emmy Awards twitter:description: Who's hosting, who will win and what's up with Barb from 'Stranger Things' twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf05dc597066455c8/6988dde04ee262dd7530f00b/emmy-statue.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Everything You Need to Know About the 2017 Emmy Awards ## Video: Margaret Atwood and Elisabeth Moss Discuss The Handmaid’s Tale [Watch (HLS stream): Margaret Atwood and Elisabeth Moss Discuss The Handmaid’s Tale](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/QAJVeTx0.m3u8) (3:01)  _Published 2017-04-11. Margaret Atwood and Elizabeth Moss discuss the new Hulu series based on the novel, "The Handmaid's Tale."_  by [Eliana Dockterman](https://time.com/author/eliana-dockterman/)  ## Eliana Dockterman Correspondent Sep 14, 2017 7:33 PM UTC  Emmy Statue in front of the Television Academy during the red carpet for the 68th Los Angeles Emmy Awards in North Hollywood, California, on July 23, 2016. Emmy Statue in front of the Television Academy during the red carpet for the 68th Los Angeles Emmy Awards in North Hollywood, California, on July 23, 2016.ANGELA WEISS—AFP/Getty Images  by [Eliana Dockterman](https://time.com/author/eliana-dockterman/)  ## Eliana Dockterman Correspondent Sep 14, 2017 7:33 PM UTC Get ready for what promises to be a very political Emmys. This year’s host [Stephen Colbert](http://time.com/4904658/stephen-colbert-interview-on-trump-2017/) has shot up the late-night rankings with his hot takes on Trump, and he likely will use the award show platform to continue to skewer the president. And if [Alec Baldwin](http://time.com/4915771/alec-baldwin-saturday-night-live-steve-bannon/) wins for his _Saturday Night Live_ Trump impression or [Elisabeth Moss](http://time.com/4734904/margaret-atwood-elisabeth-moss-handmaids-tale/) takes home a Best Actress Emmy for the feminist, dystopian series _The_ _Handmaid’s Tale_, expect their speeches to build on the themes of their performances. For bettors out there, the Emmys promise to be more interesting this year than in seasons past. The awards show often loves to honor old standby series. But a number of freshman up-and-comers — including [_Atlanta_](http://time.com/collection-post/4465184/donald-glover-atlanta-childish-gambino/), [_This Is Us_](http://motto.time.com/4700039/chrissy-metz-harpers-bazaar-interview/), [_The Handmaid’s Tale_](http://motto.time.com/4835960/health-care-handmaids-tale-costumes-protest/), [_Stranger Things_](http://time.com/4380827/winona-ryder-stranger-things-johnny-depp/) and [_Westworld_](http://time.com/4589310/westworld-finale-dolores-maeve/) — stand a good chance of winning a few awards_._ Meanwhile, actors like Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon will duke it out for the highest honors — or, more likely, happily hug each other for a perfect red-carpet Instagram moment. Here’s everything you need to know about Sunday night’s awards.  LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 18: Actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus, winner of Best Actress in a Comedy Series and Best Comedy Series for "Veep", poses in the press room during the 68th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater on September 18, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images) Frazer Harrison—Getty Images ### The Emmys will take place on Sunday, Sept. 17 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. The show will be airing live on CBS and streaming on CBS All Access. The [red carpet coverage](http://ew.com/tv/2017/09/12/emmys-red-carpet-people-ew-pre-show/) starts about an hour prior.  The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Richard Boeth—CBS via Getty Images ### Stephen Colbert could set a record while hosting. Stephen Colbert could become the first person to win multiple awards while hosting the Emmys. His No. 1 late night program, _The Late Show With Stephen Colbert_, and his _Showtime_ election-night special won a combined six nominations this year.  Alec Baldwin as President Donald J. Trump and Mikey Day as advisor Steve Bannon during the Oval Office Cold Open on Feb. 4, 2017. Will Heath—NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images ### Expect lots of Trump talk. Though it was filmed months before Donald Trump was elected, one of _The Handmaid’s Tale_‘s early scenes eerily mirrored January’s Women’s March. Shows like _Atlanta_ have offered nuanced takes on what it’s like to be black in America today. And nominees [Samantha Bee](http://time.com/4207598/10-questions-with-samantha-bee/), John Oliver and members of the cast of _Saturday Night Live_ have been regularly lampooning the White House on late-night television. (Baldwin is nominated for his impression of the president on _SNL_.) So this year’s Emmys seem ripe for political commentary, especially with Stephen Colbert at the helm. As the comedian [told ](http://variety.com/2017/tv/features/stephen-colbert-emmys-hosting-preview-trump-late-show-1202552669/)_Variety_, “The biggest story of the year is not _Westworld_. It’s not _The Handmaid’s Tale_. It’s not Milo Ventimiglia’s luscious abs. That’s not what we cared about. The biggest TV star of the year is Donald Trump.”  Helen Sloan—HBO ### _Game of Thrones_ wasn’t nominated for any awards. [_Game of Thrones_](http://time.com/game-of-thrones-2017/) aired too late in the summer to quality for nominations this year. The juggernaut show has dominated the drama and actor categories in recent years, and plenty of shows are racing to fill the gaping, dragon-shaped hole it’s left in Emmy voters’ hearts.  THIS IS US -- "Memphis" Episode 116 -- Pictured: Sterling K. Brown as Randall -- (Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images) NBC—NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images ### Sterling K. Brown could be the first black actor to win Lead Actor in a Drama Since the ’90s. If Sterling K. Brown wins an Emmy for his performance as Randall in _This Is Us_, he will become the first black actor to win in that category in 19 years and just the fourth black actor to win that award in Emmys history. (Andre Braugher, who currently stars on _Brooklyn Nine-Nine,_ won the award for _Homicide: Life on the Street_ back in 1998.) Brown has a good chance at snagging the award: He [won an Emmy](http://time.com/4497201/emmys-2016-winners-list/) for his role in _The People v. O.J. Simpson_ last year.  Nicole Kidman in 'Big Little Lies' HBO ### Basically everyone in _Big Little Lies_ got a nomination. The HBO series that began as a sendup of elementary school pickup line drama and turned into a thoughtful meditation on domestic abuse featured an enviable lineup of Hollywood stars. [Nicole Kidman](http://time.com/4721757/nicole-kidman-big-little-lies-finale-celeste/), Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern and Shailene Woodley all earned Emmy nominations for either Actress in a Limited Series (Kidman, Witherspoon) or Supporting Actress in a Limited Series (Dern, Woodley). Alexander Skarsgård nabbed a nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series, in addition to nominations for director Jean-Marc Vallée, writer David E. Kelley and the series itself. Our only complaint is that the excellent Zoë Kravitz didn’t get a nod — or a bigger storyline. ### The Best Actress categories are stacked. Kidman will face off against Witherspoon, as well as Carrie Coon (_Fargo_), Felicity Huffman (_American Crime_), Jessica Lange ([_Feud: Bette and Joan_](http://time.com/4785118/best-tv-shows-2017-so-far/item/feud-bette-and-joan-fx/)) and Susan Sarandon (_Feud: Bette and Joan_). Many of these actors are simply legends, and Emmys voters have always favored movie stars who lend their talent to the small screen. [TIME’s television critic says](http://time.com/4936043/emmys-2017-predictions/) smart money is on Kidman. The Best Actress in a Drama category is just as competitive, with Viola Davis (_How to Get Away With Murder_), Keri Russell (_The Americans_), Elisabeth Moss (_The Handmaid’s Tale_), Claire Foy (_The Crown_), Evan Rachel Wood (_Westworld_) and Robin Wright (_House of Cards_) all nominated. And that’s without _Game of Thrones’_ Lena Heady and Emilia Clarke, who are usually in the mix.  Netflix's The Crown. Alex Bailey—Netflix ### Streaming could win a major coup. No streaming show has ever won the coveted Best Drama award. _House of Cards_ has been nominated but never snagged the top prize. This year, four of the seven nominees come via streaming services: [_The Crown_ (Netflix)](http://time.com/4547337/the-crown-claire-foy-netflix/), _The Handmaid’s Tale_ (Hulu), _Stranger Things_ (Netflix_)_ and _House of Cards_ (Netflix). The sheer number of streaming shows nominated in the category represents a sea change on television: With the exception of the uber-popular _This Is Us_, network shows have been quickly losing viewers to streaming services. A win for a streaming service in this category would cement the new order.  Stranger Things Curtis Baker—Netflix ### _Stranger Things’_ Mille Bobby Brown could set a record. The 13-year-old has been nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role as telekinetic pre-teen Eleven in Netflix’s _Stranger Things_. If she wins, she could become the youngest winner of an Emmy ever. Roxana Zal, who won an Emmy for her role in the 1984 TV movie _Something About Amelia_ at age 14, currently holds the record.  LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 25: Dave Chappelle performs to a sold out crowd onstage at the Hollywood Palladium on March 25, 2016 Lester Cohen — WireImage ### Dave Chapelle has already won an Emmy this year (finally). Despite being nominated twice, the iconic _Chapelle Show_ never won an Emmy. But now its star finally has. Dave Chapelle won the Guest Actor Emmy for his appearance on _Saturday Night Live_ at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, which honor achievement in animation, reality TV and special presentations a week before the televised event.  Melissa McCarthy as Press Secretary Sean Spicer during the 'Sean Spicer Press Conference Cold Open' on Feb. 11, 2017. Will Heath—NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images ### So have Melissa McCarthy, Ava DuVernay, Alexis Bledel and RuPaul. During the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, McCarthy won for Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her recurring [role as Sean Spicer](http://time.com/4938566/sean-spicer-melissa-mccarthy-emmy-share/) on _Saturday Night Live;_ DuVernay’s Netflix doc _13th_ won for Best Documentary; Bledel won for Guest Actress in a Drama Series for _Handmaid’s Tale_ and RuPaul Charles won Best Reality Show Host for _RuPaul’s Drag Race_.  PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 18: (L-R) Actors Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz, Mandy Moore, Milo Ventimiglia and Justin Hartley of 'This Is Us' pose for a portrait in the NBCUniversal Press Tour portrait studio at The Langham Huntington, Pasadena on January 18, 2017 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by: Maarten de Boer/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images) NUP\_176963\_2555.jpg Maarten de Boer—NBC via Getty Images ### _This Is Us_ could be the first network show to win Best Drama in over a decade. Tear-jerker _This Is Us_ proved a major ratings boon for NBC. But it also showed that in the era of streaming services and massive cable shows like _Game of Thrones_, there is an audience who will tune in every week to a network show to watch a family work out its problems. If _This Is Us_ pulls off a win, it will be the first network drama to take home top prize since _24_ won in 2006.  Shannon Purser as Barb in Stranger Things. Curtis Baker/Netflix ### Barb from _Stranger Things_ was nominated for an Emmy. (Thanks, Internet.) Shannon Purser, who played the [ill-fated Barb](http://time.com/4856950/emmys-2017-barb-stranger-things-reactions/) on _Stranger Things_, rose to meme-fame when the series dropped on Netflix last year. Now, she is an Emmy nominee. Purser landed an unexpected nomination for Guest Actress in a Drama Series. She’s already popped up at the Golden Globes and Comic-Con to feed the fan frenzy, so don’t be surprised if Colbert incorporates a Barb bit into the Emmys. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4941761/2017-emmy-awards-what-to-know/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4941761/2017-emmy-awards-what-to-know/"},"headline":"Everything You Need to Know About the 2017 Emmy Awards","datePublished":"2017-09-14T19:33:07.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:58:29.811Z","description":"Who's hosting, who will win and what's up with Barb from 'Stranger Things'","url":"https://time.com/4941761/2017-emmy-awards-what-to-know/","keywords":["Television","awards season"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf05dc597066455c8/6988dde04ee262dd7530f00b/emmy-statue.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Eliana Dockterman","jobTitle":"Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/eliana-dockterman/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf05dc597066455c8/6988dde04ee262dd7530f00b/emmy-statue.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Emmy Statue in front of the Television Academy during the red carpet for the 68th Los Angeles Emmy Awards in North Hollywood, California, on July 23, 2016.","caption":"Emmy Statue in front of the Television Academy during the red carpet for the 68th Los Angeles Emmy Awards in North Hollywood, California, on July 23, 2016.","creditText":"ANGELA WEISS—AFP/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/television/","name":"Television"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4941761/2017-emmy-awards-what-to-know/","name":"Everything You Need to Know About the 2017 Emmy Awards"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Margaret Atwood and Elisabeth Moss Discuss The Handmaid’s Tale","description":"Margaret Atwood and Elizabeth Moss discuss the new Hulu series based on the novel, \"The Handmaid's Tale.\"","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/QAJVeTx0/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2017-04-11T18:39:44.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/QAJVeTx0.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4941761/2017-emmy-awards-what-to-know/","duration":"PT3M1S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4941761/2017-emmy-awards-what-to-know/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```