The 69th annual Primetime Emmy Awards took over the Microsoft Theater on Sunday for a night of historic wins, including for women and people of color who won in certain major categories for the first time. And with a host like Stephen Colbert, politics and social justice weren’t far from anyone’s minds, with big wins for The Handmaid’s Tale and Saturday Night Live, and impassioned speeches from winners Donald Glover, Nicole Kidman, and Lena Waithe on issues such as racism, domestic violence, and L.G.B.T. rights. (A surprise appearance from former White House press secretary Sean Spicer, however, did not go over well with at-home viewers.)
Off the stage, the celebrations began more than a week before the September 17 broadcast. As per tradition, the Television Academy handed out its Creative Arts Emmys over two nights, September 9 and 10. The ceremonies were followed by formal seated dinners at the Los Angeles Convention Center that featured the same golden decor and catering as the opulent Governors Ball held after the Primetime Emmys. Sequoia Productions handled design for all three events, while Patina provided catering. The dinners—which hosted more than 8,500 guests across the three nights—featured a renewed commitment to sustainability; all food and debris was composted afterward, carpet was donated to Habitat for Humanity, rentals will be reused, and all lights and fixtures were energy-efficient.
Other big brands hosted parties and suites throughout the week, including a star-studded post-party by HBO. With design from longtime HBO collaborator Billy Butchkavitz, the glamorous, colorful event took over the Pacific Design Center and took design inspiration from the intricate Royal Pavilion in England.
Other highlights included a gold-accented pre-party from Entertainment Weekly at the Sunset Tower Hotel, a woodsy viewing event from Hulu at the Broad museum's Otium restaurant, a festive daytime tea party for Bafta Los Angeles at the Beverly Hilton, and Spotify's first Emmy brunch at the new Kimpton Everly. Audi and Fox also hosted popular bashes during the jam-packed week, as did The Hollywood Reporter and Variety.
Click through to see photos and details from these and other splashy Emmy events.
Following the Emmys, HBO hosted its annual star-studded bash at the Pacific Design Center’s fountain plaza. HBO’s vice president of special events, Cindy Tenner, once again enlisted designer Billy Butchkavitz; this was Butchkavitz’s 19th consecutive HBO Emmy party. (Butchkavitz’s brother, Brian, and sister, Peggy, also helped with event creation and installation.)
Design inspiration was taken from the intricate Royal Pavilion in Brighton, England, and Butchkavitz used custom textiles, furniture, tabletop decor, and carpeting that matched the pavilion’s bold chinoiserie interiors. Animated projections from Bart Kresa Design and lighting from Images by Lighting created a dramatic effect inside the tent.
The Governors Ball, held at the Los Angeles Convention Center after the Primetime Emmys telecast, drew more than 4,000 winners, nominees, and members of the entertainment industry. For their 20th year designing and producing the largest seated dinner in North America, Cheryl Cecchetto and her team at Sequoia Productions chose a “golden grandeur” theme. The streamlined aesthetic emphasized recurring architectural shapes in monochromatic gold, and the event’s 350 rectangular tables and 4,000 chairs were complemented by tall, modern table lamps. The night’s most eye-catching detail, however, was a ceiling installation made from 5,000 paper cylinders painted with biodegradable gold coloring.
The same decor was used for the Creative Arts Emmys dinners, which were held on September 9 and 10.
Floral centerpieces by L.A. Premier featured more than 20,000 stems of large calla lilies, and 350 guest tables were topped with 7,500 yards of custom-woven, textured metallic fabric. Tables and tabletop items were designed to complement the ceiling installation.
“Featuring a sweeping, seemingly endless expanse of vertical tubes suspended in the air, the grand ceiling is complemented by linear seating placement, mirroring and emulating the symmetry up above—and all inspired by signature Emmy gold,” explained Cecchetto.
For the 22nd year, meals were prepared by chef Joachim Splichal and the team at Patina Catering. The culinary group partnered for the first time with L.A. Kitchen, a nonprofit that focuses on using healthy food that would otherwise be discarded to feed the local community. The organization also helps unemployed men and women seek jobs, and gave members the chance to assist with food preparation at the Emmys events.
The massive dinners required more than 200 chefs, including 20 executive chefs, and 600 servers. Dinners included three courses: The first course, dubbed Last of the Heirlooms, featured local heirloom tomatoes, dinosaur plum, red quinoa, charred leek vinaigrette, balsamic jelly, basils, and sea salt. For the main course, guests dined on pan-roasted filet mignon with mission figs, asparagus, purple marble potatoes, roasted red flame grapes, creamy horseradish purée, and whole-grain mustard sauce. And for dessert, there was an alunga brownie bar with dulce de leche, roasted cherries, and cherry gel.
Tablescapes at the Governors Ball featured a unique, curved floral display, and the candles, linens, and cutlery were a monochromatic gold, to tie into the “golden grandeur” theme.
A series of 12-foot Chinese guardian lions stood in the main dining pavilion, and a 30-foot tiered chinoiserie pagoda surrounded by a garden of giant jade trees served as the entertainment hub. Agile Eye Solutions handled all large-scale decor pieces, pagodas, custom tent skin embellishments, and the step-and-repeat.
Hanging overhead was a 20-foot replica of the Royal Pavilion’s banquet-room chandelier. Sixteen-foot-long chinoiserie bridges enabled guests to cross the exterior garden pond. Special Event Contractors handled the elevated subfloors, perimeter walls, elevated walkways, and decorative railings.
During the evening, Wolfgang Puck Catering served a buffet supper, while 24 Seven Productions provided a dinner band, and DJ J. Bray performed.
One of the most popular events of Emmys weekend was Fox Broadcasting’s elegant after-party, held on Sunday night at Vibiana. FX, 20th Century Fox TV, and National Geographic joined in, which meant the party drew star-studded casts from shows such as Fargo, Atlanta, and Genius. Yifat Oren handled the design, which featured a massive balloon installation and starry decor hanging over the historic venue. Screens at one end of the large venue showed the Emmys telecast and promoted various Fox shows.
The event's step-and-repeat kept with the elegant, simple theme, giving the appearance of ripples.
The party also took over the venue’s outdoor space for a similarly understated cocktail area.
Hulu hosted its first viewing party and after-party on Sunday night at Otium restaurant, attached to the Broad museum. Designed and produced by 15/40 Productions, the party featured a step-and-repeat with wood plank walls and metal planters filled with lavender. Decor focused on The Handmaid’s Tale, the evening’s winner for Outstanding Drama Series: The Hulu and Handmaid’s Tale logos were back-lit and mounted onto the walls, and dramatic scenes from the show were displayed in custom eight-by-eight light boxes.
“It created a sleekly elegant and powerful statement before guests walked under a custom-built archway displaying [the show’s] Republic of Gilead emblem,” explained Elizabeth Tramontozzi, senior vice president of strategy and communications for 15/40 Productions.
To enter the outdoor party, guests walked past several actors dressed as handmaids. “The handmaids never broke character and made a strong, and eerily silent, entrance into the event,” said Tramontozzi. Roughly 400 guests attended throughout the evening.
“Design inspiration came from the restaurant,” said Tramontozzi. “The goal was to extend the venue into a larger, cohesive version of itself whilst emulating the handmaids theme.”
All the furniture from the venue was removed and replaced with champagne tufted sofas, wood-topped tables, and black square ottomans. Hedging by Jackson Shrub created a perimeter to the party, and sand-colored carpet covered the floor. Deep red floral arrangements by CJ Matsumoto adorned the tables and featured dahlias, orchids, and cockscomb flowers. The warm, inviting space also featured uplighting in green and amber hues.
On Saturday, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Los Angeles celebrated Emmy weekend with its TV Tea Party. The annual event celebrates the year’s Emmys nominees, and celebrities, Bafta members, and TV executives dined on traditional British tea and scones as well as cocktails. The afternoon event was held at the Beverly Hilton, and decor from MTA Events featured gold masks depicting the Bafta logo nestled into a wall of succulents. The succulent and gold theme continued to the tabletops, where teacups and teapots were used as vases.
“Being one of the first major industry events at the gardens at the Beverly Hilton, we wanted to maximize the visual impact for Bafta Los Angeles without distracting from the beautiful visuals of the new gardens,” explained MTA Events founder Michael Teta. “Nestling the gold Bafta masks into the succulent walls and carrying the theme throughout the Tea Party with gold teapots and teacups filled with succulents was the perfect way to marry our theme with the garden’s modern, minimal esthetic.”
“For added fun and a great branding photo op, we had Bafta spelled out in six-foot letters made entirely of gold balloons, which was a crowd favorite,” said Teta. The event was supported by presenting sponsor BBC America and premier partner the Great Britain Campaign.
Entertainment Weekly magazine hosted its annual pre-Emmy party on Friday at the Sunset Tower Hotel. The bash drew nominees and other TV stars such as Sterling K. Brown, Laverne Cox, Jackie Hoffman, and Mandy Moore.
Tony Schubert of Event Eleven designed and produced the event again this year. The team replaced the entire lobby with a warm design combining soft, floral tones with wood- and gold-accented art deco details. The palette for both the floral arrangements and the furniture was gray, lavender, and purple. Entertainment Weekly cover art adorned the walls.
Thousands of candles decorated both the indoor and outdoor spaces, and an Entertainment Weekly decal added a festive touch to the pool. The party featured entertainment by DJ Michelle Pesce.
Presenting sponsor L’Oréal Paris created an eye-catching floral photo booth at the event.
Music-streaming service Spotify hosted a brunch a week before the Emmys. The event celebrated the Emmys’ newest nomination category of Outstanding Music Supervision, as well as Spotify’s podcast, Showstoppers, on which they interviewed a few of the nominees. The event was held at the new Kimpton Everly hotel in Hollywood, and Tinsel Experiential Design created a installation with a white baby grand piano surrounded with balloons floating in a funnel formation to the ceiling. Balloons used the branded color scheme of the Showstopper podcast.
Tabletop decor mixed vintage microphones with tropical leaves. Anthurium, protea, and birds of paradise flowers also took on the brand’s colors. Throughout the brunch, a DJ spun vinyl records with songs from the nominated series, and Charlie Puth—a singer, songwriter, and producer for songs like “See You Again” with Wiz Khalifa—performed.
Elements of the balloon installation were found throughout the space, including at the bar.
Audi, the official auto partner and vehicle provider for this year’s Emmys, kicked off the weekend with a Thursday-night party at the new Highlight Room at Dream Hollywood. V.I.P.s were chauffeured to the event in 2018 Audi vehicles, and the 2018 Audi R8 was bathed in dramatic lighting on the red carpet. Elevators leading to the rooftop were branded with the Audi slogan and logo, as well as the event’s hashtag. The evening featured subtle decor that emphasized the Emmy and Audi logos; PMK-BNC and Bounce collaborated on the design and production. DJ Zen Freeman entertained the crowd, which included Emmy nominees such as Julia Louis-Dreyfus, as well as Milo Ventimiglia, Kathryn Hahn, and Tony Hale.
Variety magazine teamed up with nonprofit organization Women in Film for their annual pre-Emmy celebration, held on Friday at Gracias Madre. The event drew A-list TV stars such as Viola Davis, Sarah Paulson, and Alexander Skarsgard. A photo booth at the event featured a feminine, blue floral backdrop, where Emmy nominee Samira Wiley and wife Lauren Morelli posed.
Celebrities also posed with sponsor Mercedes-Benz’s new Mercedes-AMG GT C Roadster, which chauffeured V.I.P.s to the event.
The event was sponsored by Halo Top. The ice cream brand provided dessert for the party; an ice cream bar featured flavors such as Birthday Cake and Sea Salt Caramel, and guests could add a variety of toppings.
Marking the first entertainment industry red carpet event to be held at the new Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, The Hollywood Reporter and SAG-AFTRA hosted the inaugural Emmy Nominees Night party on Thursday. The evening, which was sponsored by American Airlines, Bregeut, and Dacor, took place inside the hotel’s Jean-Georges Beverly Hills restaurant, and attendees included the cast of This Is Us, as well as Alec Baldwin, Allison Janney, William H. Macy, and more.
Waldorf Astoria executive chef Steve Benjamin catered the event, serving spicy tuna tartare, avocado pizza, and sea urchin. DJ Myles Hendrick entertained guests throughout the evening.
At Backstage Creations' Emmy Awards Giving Suite, Josh Johnson Home designed a glamorous, silver-toned seating area. Celebrity guests enjoyed products and gifts from Kombucha, Exclusive Traveler Club, Izumio, Ferrari Trento, Suzhou Tourism, Wolverine, Canyon Ranch, Delsey Luggage, and more.
Kicking off award season on August 16, The Hollywood Reporter teamed up with the Beverly Center to host a panel discussion dubbed Candidly Costumes. The event took place in the newly renovated, soon-to-be Michael Mina food hall of the center, and featured a discussion with Emmy-nominated costume designers. Stoelt Productions handled production and decor, creating photo galleries for each show that was nominated and filling the space with sleek, white furniture and white flowers. The stage featured a greenery backdrop branded with the hosts’ logos.
