Television’s biggest night has officially come and gone, and despite all the pomp and circumstance, the evening decidedly fell a bit flat. There were plenty of standout moments, like when Tramell Tillman became the first Black man to win the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series or when Jeff Hiller delivered his incredibly rousing speech to accept the same award in the comedy category. There was Hannah Einbinder’s poignant and impassioned diatribe and Owen Cooper’s history-making moment, becoming the youngest ever male actor to snag a win for his work on Adolescence. For all the hubbub, though, the show felt rushed and pieced together, rather than refined and unfolding.
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Despite a contentious head-to-head competition with her husband Jay-Z in the Outstanding Variety Special (Live) category and persistent rumblings that she might make a last-minute appearance, Beyoncé was a no-show. Nate Bargatze’s idea to monetize winners’ speech time to keep them under the 45-second threshold went horribly awry in the end, netting a dismal negative balance before the host himself announced that he and CBS would be donating a total of $350,000 to The Boys and Girls Club of America. It did its job in keeping the show on time, but also made the night feel like the equivalent of getting visual whiplash.
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Of course, as much as it might not have translated to the actual live telecast, there’s a significant amount of planning involved in bringing a show of this magnitude to life. Beyond the logistics of larger-than-life celebs with unique and very specific needs, there’s the business of making sure things feel just as luxurious and glamorous as the talent packing the venue. From the decor to the food, everything needs to be the epitome of award-worthy, and while it didn’t get as much press time this year, the delicious eats definitely stole the show.
The Famous ‘Tom Cruise Cake’ Makes an Appearance
Although most of the culinary works of art curated by chefs Jet Tila, Mei Lin, and Lee Anne Wong were saved for the post-show Governor’s Gala, the actual ceremony put one famous cake in the spotlight. And yes, it was in fact the famed “Tom Cruise Cake.” IYKYK. If you’re unaware of the lore, the impossibly moist and flavorful White Chocolate Coconut Bundt Cake from Doan’s Bakery in LA is the cake Tom Cruise has been gifting to friends, co-workers, and industry insiders for years. It’s a cake with a reputation that precedes itself, and it is indeed the definition of gold standard. How fitting.
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World Class Cuisine for World Class Talent
Guests were also treated to a spectacular after-party just down the street from the Peacock Theater, where the awards ceremony was held. In a venue spanning the size of 12 football fields, adorned with a record-breaking 50,000 flowers from all over the globe, celebs and creatives the industry over dined on world-class cuisine with highlights including 88 Clubs Sesame Shrimp Toast, Jet’s Peking Chicken Wrap with sesame, Chinese five spice, and hoisin, and Kanpachi Poisson Cru with Maui Gold shaved ice. Additionally, there were Dynamite Shrimp Poke Bowls, an astounding 10,000 pieces of handmade agnolotti pasta, 300 pounds of shaved prime rib filling for 3,000 cheesesteak hoagie rolls, and a whopping 400 pounds of shrimp and tuna.
And if the famous “Tom Cruise Cake” wasn’t enough of a sweet treat, guests also indulged in over 14,500 samples of LA’s most iconic desserts, including Valerie Confections’ Blum’s Coffee Crunch Cake, Bopomofo Cafe’s Matcha, and Sockerbit Swedish Candy. In addition to the food, libations featuring Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Decoy Wines, and Franciacorta Sparkling Wine were available for the evening, with Diageo Reserve World Class award-winning mixologist Charles Joly crafting the cocktails. Now that’s the kind of ceremony we’d show up for.
Regardless of how we might have felt about the show overall, we only get to see a small portion of what really goes on behind the scenes anyway. And if the mouthwatering after-party menu is any indication, well, we can only imagine what else we don’t get to see. Maybe the ceremony wasn’t so bad after all. Here’s hoping we get an invite next year to find out.
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