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Adolescence Sweeps 2nd Annual Gotham TV Awards
Stephen Graham in Adolescence Netflix’s limited series Adolescence picked up three prizes at the second annual Gotham TV Awards, held on June 2 at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City. Among those awards were breakthrough limited series, lead performance in a limited series (Stephen Graham), and supporting performance in a limited series (Owen Cooper).
Accepting the top prize, actor and co-creator Graham expressed surprise that Adolescence has already become a worldwide phenomenon. “We’re overwhelmed for you to embrace us the way you have … . This was a small colloquial piece that was made with love, respect, humility and dignity, and we treated the subject with a lot of passion, but a lot of care,” said Graham, who also highlighted the work of costar Erin Doherty, also nominated for her supporting performance in the Netflix series.
Cooper’s win in the category was shared with Jenny Slate for her supporting role in FX’s limited series Dying for Sex, who thanked Nikki Boyer, whose podcast served as the source material for the dramedy; Slate plays Boyer in the show, which sees her character caring for her best friend (Michelle Williams) as she battles cancer. “She had the courage to take something that could have been only pain, and she tried her best — and boy, was it beautiful, Nikki — to change pain into just a broader scope of experience,” said Slate.
Max’s The Pitt earned the breakthrough drama series prize, while Apple TV+’s The Studio won the breakthrough comedy series award. Accepting the award for the former, star Noah Wyle said the show is a “love letter to our first responders, those people who have been in trenches picking up our broken pieces for the last five years.”
Multihyphenate Julio Torres — who also created, wrote, and directed the HBO series Fantasmas — won best lead performance in a comedy series for the surrealist series. The other acting winners included Matlock’s Kathy Bates (lead performance in a drama), Rebel Ridge’s Aaron Pierre (lead performance in an original film), Black Doves’ Ben Whishaw (supporting performance in a drama), and Deli Boys’ Poorna Jagannathan (supporting performance in a comedy).
Prolific writer and producer David E. Kelly, accepting the visionary tribute award, spoke to his professional peers in the room and asked them to strive for not just excellence but the power to make good through their work. “We all set out to become who we are, but as you go along, perhaps the bigger challenge is to not become who you know you’re not. In the arts, we have a unique ability to move to offer hope in darker times,” said Kelley. “We’re here, all celebrating together, and I would encourage you — as we go forward as we sing our songs and make our television shows and movies, do our dances, have a grand, grand time —[to] hold on to who and what you are as you know about it,” said Kelley.
Also accepting creator tributes were Squid Game’s Hwang Dong-hyuk and Étoile’s creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino. Dope Thief’s Brian Tyree Henry received the performer tribute, while two inaugural honors — the ensemble tribute and legend tribute — went to the cast of The Handmaid’s Tale and The White Lotus star Parker Posey, respectively.
In the most emotional speech of the night, Abbott Elementary star Sheryl Lee Ralph accepted the inaugural Sidney Poitier icon award — a full-circle moment for the performer who made her film debut in Poitier’s 1977 comedy A Piece of the Action. “There are moments in life … when legacy, purpose, and grace meet at the same time and the same place. Tonight is one of those moments,” said Ralph, who noted that she first met Poitier at 19 and recalled what he said when they finished the film. “He looked at me and said, ‘I’m sorry this industry has nothing more to offer you, because you deserve it.’ But even in his apology, Mr. Poitier gave me a mirror of what greatness looked like. He gave me the blueprint, and he gave me permission to rise anyway.”
The full list of winners and nominees follows.
Breakthrough Comedy Series
#1 Happy Family USA
Pam Brady, Ramy Youssef, creators; Pam Brady, Andy Campagna, Mona Chalabi, Ravi Nandan, Josh Rabinowitz, Alli Reich, Hallie Sekoff, Ramy Youssef, executive producers (Amazon Prime Video)
English Teacher
Brian Jordan Alvarez, creator; Brian Jordan Alvarez, Dave King, Jonathan Krisel, Paul Simms, executive producers (FX / Hulu)
Fantasmas
Julio Torres, creator; Alex Bach, Olivia Gerke, Dave McCary, Daniel Powell, Emma Stone, Julio Torres, executive producers (HBO | Max)
Overcompensating
Benito Skinner, creator; Josh Bachove, Matt Dines, Sam French, Alison Goodwin, Jonah Hill, Scott King, Daniel Gray Longino, Alli Reich, Benito Skinner, Charli XCX, executive producers (Amazon Prime Video)
The Studio (WINNER)
Evan Goldberg, Alex Gregory, Peter Huyck, Frida Perez, Seth Rogen, creators; Josh Fagan, Evan Goldberg, Alex Gregory, Peter Huyck, Alex McAtee, Frida Perez, Seth Rogen, James Weaver, executive producers (Apple TV+)
Breakthrough Drama Series
Black Doves
Joe Barton, creator; Joe Barton, Jane Featherstone, Chris Fry, Keira Knightley, executive producers (Netflix)
Forever
Mara Brock Akil, creator; Mara Brock Akil, Judy Blume, Susie Fitzgerald, Erika Harrison, Anthony Hemingway, Regina King, Reina King, Shana C. Waterman, Sara White, executive producers (Netflix)
Matlock
Jennie Snyder Urman, creator; Kathy Bates, Kat Coiro, Joanna Klein, Eric Christian Olsen, Frank Siracusa, Jennie Snyder Urman, John Weber, John Will, executive producers (CBS)
One Hundred Years of Solitude
Josep Amorós, Gonzalo García Barcha, Carolina Caicedo, Andrés Calderón, Rodrigo García, Alex García López, Juliana Flórez Luna, Laura Mora, José Rivera, Diego Ramírez Schrempp, executive producers (Netflix)
The Pitt (WINNER)
R. Scott Gemmill, creator; Simran Baidwan, R. Scott Gemmill, Michael Hissrich, Erin Jontow, John Wells, Noah Wyle, executive producers (HBO | Max)
Breakthrough Limited Series
Adolescence (WINNER)
Stephen Graham, Jack Thorne, creators; Philip Barantini, Emily Feller, Dede Gardner, Stephen Graham, Mark Herbert,, Jeremy Kleiner, Brad Pitt, Jack Thorne, Hannah Walters, Nina Wolarsky, executive producers (Netflix)
Dying for Sex
Kim Rosenstock, Elizabeth Meriwether, creators; Nikki Boyer, Kathy Ciric, Elizabeth Meriwether, Shannon Murphy, Katherine Pope, Kim Rosenstock, Michelle Williams, executive producers (FX / Hulu)
Get Millie Back
Marlon James, creator; Marlon James, Leopoldo Gout, Simon Maxwell, Jami O’Brien, executive producers (HBO | Max)
Penelope
Mark Duplass, Mel Eslyn, creators; Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass, Mel Eslyn, Shuli Harel, executive producers; (Netflix)
Say Nothing
Joshua Zetumer, creator; Nina Jacobson, Patrick Radden Keefe, Michael Lennox, Monica Levinson, Edward L. McDonnell, Brad Simpson, Joshua Zetumer, executive producers; (FX/Hulu)
Breakthrough Nonfiction Series
Conbody Vs Everybody
Debra Granik, creator; Joslyn Barnes, Debra Granik, Anne Rosellini, Diane Weyermann, executive producers; (Self-distributed)
Hollywood Black
Justin Simien, creator; Nina Yang Bongiovi, Jill Burkhart, Shayla Harris, Jon Kamen, Amy Goodman Kass, Kyle Laursen, Stacey Reiss, Jeffrey Schwarz, Justin Simien, Dave Sirulnick, Forest Whitaker, Michael Wright, executive producers (MGM+)
Omnivore
Cary Joji Fukunaga, Matt Goulding, René Redzepi, creators; Michael Antinoro, Matt Goulding, Ben Liebmann, Collin Orcutt, René Redzepi, Chris Rice, Max Wagner, Mateo Willis, executive producers (Apple TV+)
Ren Faire
Nancy Abraham, Dani Bernfeld, Ronald Bronstein, Eli Bush, Lisa Heller, David Gauvey Herbert, Lance Oppenheim, Sara Rodriguez,Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie, executive producers (HBO | Max)
Social Studies (WINNER)
Lauren Greenfield, creator; Frank Evers, Lauren Greenfield, executive producers (FX/Hulu)
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Comedy Series
Ted Danson, A Man on the Inside (Netflix)
Anna Lambe, North of North (Netflix)
Saagar Shaikh, Deli Boys (Hulu)
Benito Skinner, Overcompensating (Amazon Prime Video)
Julio Torres, Fantasmas (HBO | Max) (WINNER)
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Drama Series
Kathy Bates, Matlock (CBS) (WINNER)
Sterling K. Brown, Paradise (Hulu)
Aldis Hodge, Cross (Amazon Prime Video)
Lovie Simone, Forever (Netflix)
Noah Wyle, The Pitt (HBO | Max)
Outstanding Lead Performance in a Limited Series
Stephen Graham, Adolescence (Netflix) (WINNER)
Brian Tyree Henry, Dope Thief (Apple TV+)
Cristin Milioti, The Penguin (HBO | Max)
Megan Stott, Penelope (Netflix)
Michelle Williams, Dying for Sex (FX / Hulu)
Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Comedy Series
Poorna Jagannathan, Deli Boys (Hulu) (WINNER)
Linda Lavin, Mid-Century Modern (Hulu)
Sean Patton, English Teacher (FX / Hulu)
Timothy Simons, Nobody Wants This (Netflix)
Chase Sui Wonders, The Studio (Apple TV+)
Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Drama Series
Katherine LaNasa, The Pitt (HBO | Max)
James Marsden, Paradise (Hulu)
Skye P. Marshall, Matlock (CBS)
Ben Whishaw, Black Doves (Netflix) (WINNER)
Olivia Williams, Dune: Prophecy (HBO | Max)
Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Limited Series
Owen Cooper, Adolescence (Netflix) (WINNER – TIE)
Erin Doherty, Adolescence (Netflix)
Taraji P. Henson, Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist (Peacock)
Diego Luna, La Maquina (Hulu)
Jenny Slate, Dying for Sex (FX / Hulu) (WINNER – TIE)
Outstanding Original Film, Broadcast or Streaming
Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy
Michael Morris, director; Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Jo Wallett, producers (Peacock)
Ladies & Gentlemen…50 Years of SNL Music
Oz Rodriguez, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, directors; Oz Rodriguez, producer (NBC)
Pee-wee as Himself (WINNER)
Matt Wolf, director; Emma Tillinger Koskoff, producer (HBO | Max)
Rebel Ridge
Jeremy Saulnier, director; Neil Kopp, Jeremy Saulnier, Vincent Savino, Anish Savjani, producers (Netflix)
Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, director; Eric Macdonald, Derik Murray, Joseph Patel, Stephen Sawchuk, producers (Hulu)
Outstanding Performance in an Original Film
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat (Searchlight Pictures/Hulu)
Dylan O’Brien, Caddo Lake (HBO | Max)
Aaron Pierre, Rebel Ridge (Netflix) (WINNER)
Phoebe-Rae Taylor, Out of My Mind (Disney+)
Renée Zellweger, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy (Peacock)
