Celebrating Vir Das and Ektaa Kapoor's win at the International Emmy Awards 2023

Spanning 20 countries and six continents, the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences celebrated the absolute best in television at the 75th International Emmy Awards in New York City on November 20, 2023. It also served as the perfect recognition of Indian talent and their impact on an international platform. 

COMMEMORATING A GLOBAL LOVE FOR DRAMA

From Turkey’s telenovela, Yargi and Mexico’s drama La Caída, to Germany’s miniseries, The Empress and Canada’s Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On—this year’s winners reflected the global love for quality television.  

The creator and showrunner of the cult-favourite series, Succession, that inspired the ‘quiet luxury’ trend, Jesse Armstrong was awarded the 2023 Founders Award in honour of his lifetime achievements. United Kingdom-based Martin Freeman bagged the award for the best actor for his role in The Responder and Mexico's Karla Souza took home best actress for her performance in La Caída [Dive].

The evolved understanding of stories across cultures reflected in the breadth of nominations as we celebrated Indian actors like Jim Sarbh (Rocket Boys) for best actor and Shefali Shah (Delhi Crime Season 2) for best actress.

THE INDIAN WAY OF LAUGHTER REACHES THE GLOBAL STAGE

Nominated alongside French reality show, Le Flambeau and Argentinean series, El Encargado, Vir Das won his first Emmy in Comedy for his unscripted stand up show—Vir Das Landing—on Netflix where the comedian made light of his life and experiences as a global Indian. This award, for which he tied with Irish comedy series, Derry Girls, was not only a matter of personal and professional accolades for the Indian comedian, but also a moment of national pride for all of us.  

Reflecting on the sheer magnitude of this moment, especially post the aftermath of his 'Two Indias' video which became the biggest controversy of his career, he said, "This moment is truly surreal—an incredible honour that feels like a dream. Winning an Emmy for Vir Das: Landing in the 'Comedy Category' is not just a milestone for me but for Indian comedy as a whole. It's heartening to see Vir Das: Landing resonate globally, thanks to Netflix, Akash Sharma, and Reg Tigerman who made it special. My journey from crafting local stories to receiving a global accolade has been both challenging and rewarding, and Netflix has been instrumental in that growth. I'm excited about the continued exploration of diverse narratives, from Noida to the International Emmys—India gets you there."

THE OG INDIAN GIRL BOSS RECEIVES HER WELL EARNED MOMENT OF GLORY 

In another powerhouse moment for India’s well-deserved recognition at a global scale, Ektaa Kapoor, the OG girl boss before being a girl boss was even a thing, became the first ever Indian woman filmmaker to win the Directorate Award celebrating distinction among C-suite executives in the television field. 

Heartwarmingly accepting her long overdue moment in the sun, Kapoor expressed her love and respect for Indian storytelling, “I’m delighted to receive the prestigious Emmys Directorate Award! It brings me immense joy and happiness to be honoured at a global scale, such as this. I’ve always wanted to tell stories because they give me a chance to be heard, seen, and represented. I am grateful for the audience’s love that has opened doors for me, allowing me to transition from television to the world of films and OTT. Each story that I told became a bridge to connect with audiences on many levels. The unexpected turns this journey took are a testament to the power of love showered by the people of India and beyond. My heart is filled with gratitude, and a stronger resolve to make a positive impact through my work for audiences.” 

WINNERS LIST

Drama Series: The Empress, Sommerhaus Serien (Germany)

Comedy Series: Vir Das: Landing, Weirdass Comedy / Rotten Science (India) & Derry Girls – Season 3, Hat Trick Productions (United Kingdom)

Sports Documentary: Harley & Katya, Stranger Than Fiction Films (Australia)

Telenovela: Yargi [Family Secrets], Ay Yapim (Turkey)

TV Movie / Miniseries: La Caída [Dive], Madam / Filmadora / Infinity Hill / Amazon (Mexico)

Arts Programming: Buffy Sainte-Marie, Eagle Vision / White Pine Pictures (Canada) 

Best Performance by an Actor: Martin Freeman in The Responder, Dancing Ledge Productions (United Kingdom)

Best Performance by an Actress: Karla Souza in La Caída [Dive], Madam / Filmadora / Infity Hill / Amazon (Mexico)

Documentary: Mariupol: The People’s Story, Top Hat Productions / Hayloft Productions / BBC (United Kingdom)

Short Form Series: Des Gens Bien Ordinaires [A Very Ordinary World], Magneto Prod / Canal+ (France)

Non-scripted Entertainment: A Ponte – The Bridge Brasil, Warner Bros. Discovery / Endemol Shine Brasil (Brazil)

Kids Live-action: Heartbreak High, Fremantle / Newbe (Australia)

Kids Factual: Built To Survive, Butter Media / Australian Broadcasting Corporation / Australian Children’s Television Foundation (Australia)

Kids Animation: The Smeds and The Smoos, Magic Light Pictures (United Kingdom)