Sunday night on CBS, Cedric the Entertainer took his first stab at hosting the Primetime Emmy Awards. While the star of “The Neighborhood” has never emceed TV’s biggest night, he does know a thing or two about hosting awards shows as he served as ringleader of the 2014 Critics Choice TV Awards, the 2012 and 2011 Soul Train Awards, the 2005 American Music Awards, the 2003 NAACP Image Awards and the 2002 Billboard Music Awards, to name just a handful. Now that we’ve seen a socially distanced Cedric the Entertainer as 2021 Emmys host, how do YOU think he did? Vote in our poll below.
Cedric is mostly known for his stand-up comedy and his on-screen acting gigs in “The Neighborhood,” “The Soul Man” and “Barbershop,” but the entertainer also has a rich history of hosting reality/non-fiction TV shows. “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” “Cedric’s Barber Battle,” “It’s Worth What?” and “Cedric the Entertainer Presents” are just some of the many hosting credits on his resume.
As for why he wanted to preside over this year’s kudos, Cedric told CBS News, “Television got us through this last year. Everybody started binge-watching everything. And it was something we trusted, and so I think that that’s what we should honor this night. So I want to have fun with the people who are there, being celebrated, being honored, all those who are being nominated — we just going to make it a party, and I want the people at home to feel the same way about it.”
This year’s Emmy nominations are led by “The Crown” and “The Mandalorian,” both of which tied for the top spot at 24 bids. Next comes “WandaVision” at 23, “The Handmaid’s Tale” at 21, “Saturday Night Live” at 21, “Ted Lasso” at 20, “Lovecraft Country” at 18, “The Queen’s Gambit” at 18 and “Mare of Easttown” at 16.
At last weekend’s Creative Arts ceremonies, which cover technical categories and below-the-line races, “The Queen’s Gambit” dominated with nine victories, followed by “The Mandalorian” and “Saturday Night Live” at seven apiece. (See the complete winner’s list.) FXX aired a truncated version of the Creative Arts Emmys on Saturday, September 18.
The 2021 version of the Primetime Emmys are the second to take place during the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic. Last year, Jimmy Kimmel hosted ABC’s mostly virtual broadcast and 52% of viewers thought he did a “brilliant” job. There were minimal presenters that year and all of the winners accepted via Zoom, with the exception of “Schitt’s Creek” which hosted its own socially distanced party in Canada.
