Overview of the 70th Emmy Awards (2018)
The 70th Primetime Emmy Awards, held in 2018, marked a milestone for the ceremony with significant rule changes and notable competitive outcomes. These Emmys recognized creative excellence across U.S. primetime television programs aired during the 2017–2018 eligibility window. The ceremony, produced by Dick Clark Productions and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, introduced adjustments to voting windows and category structures to address past controversies around campaigning and voting transparency. This evergreen explainer outlines verified winners, major competitive trends, and structural shifts relevant for long-term coverage and historical reference.
Key Rule Changes Leading Into 2018
Voting Window Adjustments
In response to concerns about last-minute campaigning and rushed voting, the Academy adjusted the voting calendar for 2018. Nominations voting windows were shortened to prevent bloc voting late in the cycle, while the Outstanding Drama Series and comedy categories saw tighter scheduling to reduce outlier voting effects. These changes aimed to reward consistent performance across a season rather than late momentum.
Category and Membership Revisions
The 70th Emmys refined category eligibility for certain craft fields and tightened membership criteria for genre committees. The goal was to align voting membership more closely with the creative fields being judged and reduce perceived imbalances. Though not dramatic overhauls, these adjustments reflected ongoing efforts to increase fairness and transparency in peer voting.
Major Drama Series Winners
Outstanding Drama Series at the 2018 Emmys went to The Crown, marking a significant win for the Netflix period drama. The series had previously been nominated but faced criticism around eligibility timing in earlier years. Its victory highlighted growing acceptance of prestige period pieces on streaming platforms within the drama field.
| Category | Winner | Program | Network/Platform | Referenced Eligibility Cycle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outstanding Drama Series | The Crown | The Crown | Netflix | 2017–2018 eligibility |
| Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama | Brian Cox | Succession | HBO | 2017–2018 eligibility |
| Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama | Claire Foy | The Crown | Netflix | 2017–2018 eligibility |
| Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama | Michael Kelly | House of Cards | Netflix | 2017–2018 eligibility |
| Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama | Ann Dowd | The Handmaid’s Tale | Hulu | 2017–2018 eligibility |
Comedy and Limited Series Highlights
Outstanding Comedy Series
The comedy field at the 2018 Emmys saw The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel win Outstanding Comedy Series, reflecting a strong debut season for the Amazon period sitcom about a 1950s housewife turned comedian. Several other nominees, including Silicon Valley and Schitt’s Creek, signaled continued strength in cable and streaming comedies.
Outstanding Variety and Reality
In variety programming, Kathy Griffin: She’s Very Funny earned recognition for stand-up excellence, while the documentary and competition landscapes saw familiar programs continue to perform. Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program went to RuPaul for RuPaul’s Drag Race, a win that reinforced the show’s cultural impact and consistency.
Notable Individual Craft Winners
Technical and performance categories at the 2018 Emmys highlighted both legacy creators and emerging voices. Writing and directing wins for programs such as The Handmaid’s Tale and Atlanta emphasized bold storytelling and distinctive visual voices. Lead and guest acting categories balanced established stars with breakthrough performances, illustrating the depth of television work that year.
| Category | Winner | Program | Network/Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series | Jeremy Podeswa | The Walking Dead (for “Mercy”) | AMC |
| Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series | Miranda July | The OA | Netflix |
| Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy | Bill Hader | Barry | HBO |
| Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy | Amy Schumer | Crashing | HBO |
| Outstanding Television Movie | The Accidental Getaway Driver | Lifetime | Lifetime |
Competitive Trends and Observations
Streaming platforms gained further ground at the 2018 Emmys, with Netflix leading among platforms in nominations and wins. The wins for The Crown and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel underscored the appetite for high-budget, auteur-driven series on subscription services. At the same time, legacy cable networks and digital platforms like Hulu and HBO maintained strong profiles, showing that competition remained multifaceted. This balance reinforced the Emmys’ role as a cross-platform celebration rather than a single-platform victory lap.
How These Results Shape Industry Discourse
Beyond the headlines, the 2018 Emmy outcomes influenced conversations about representation, eligibility windows, and the evolving definition of prestige television. The rule tweaks preceding the ceremony reflected industry feedback about voting fairness, while the competitive results highlighted the increasing viability of streaming originals for top creative honors. For journalists, historians, and creators, the 2018 Emmys remain a useful benchmark for studying platform parity, genre recognition, and the maturation of serialized storytelling across distribution models.
Evergreen Takeaways
- The 70th Primetime Emmys balanced legacy categories with incremental rule changes to promote steadier voting patterns.
- Major wins for The Crown and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel signaled streaming’s entrenched role in premium television.
- Technical and guest acting wins illustrated depth beyond headline categories, supporting long-term coverage angles.
- Plurality of platforms winning top honors reflects a competitive landscape rather than a single dominant outlet.
- Rule adjustments in 2018 continue to shape how campaigns, nominations, and final votes are understood in historical retrospectives.
For ongoing coverage, these verified 2018 outcomes and contextual details provide a durable foundation for retrospectives, trend analyses, and comparative studies across later Emmy cycles.