2021 Television Critics Association (TCA) awards: ‘Ted Lasso’ wins big, ‘Mare of Easttown’ tops ‘The Queen’s Gambit’

Erik Anderson September 15, 2021

Apple TV+’s Ted Lasso was the big winner with the Television Critics Association (TCA) 2021 awards today, taking three prizes: Program of the Year, New Program and Achievement in Comedy. The freshman season of the sports comedy heads into the Primetime Emmy Awards this weekend as the favorite with its field best 20 nominations.

Michaela Coel won the award for Individual Achievement in Drama for her role in HBO’s limited series I May Destroy You, which she also wrote and co-directed. HBO’s other big mini Mare of Easttown upset Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit for Achievement in Movies, Miniseries or Specials and FX’s Framing Britney Spears won the award for Achievement in News and Information programming. Netflix’s The Crown won Achievement in Drama.

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver won Outstanding Achievement in Variety, Talk or Sketch for the third
year a row, while and Jean Smart bested Jason Sudeikis for Individual Achievement in Comedy for her starring role in HBO Max’s Hacks. Smart was also awarded the Career Achievement Award.

The Golden Girls was the recipient of the group’s annual Heritage Award, honoring classic television.

“Television came through in a big way this year, serving up some much-needed entertainment that was a welcome distraction from the real-life dramas of the real world,” said Melanie McFarland, TCA President and TV Critic for Salon. “The fact that comedic shows reigned supreme at the 2021 TCA Awards is a testament to this. From the folksy humor of Ted Lasso and the sharp takes of Hacks, to the timeless laughs of The Golden Girls, this season’s offerings gave us plenty of reasons to smile in uncertain times. We are excited to honor these outstanding programs as we celebrate 37 years of the TCA Awards, and we look forward to being together again in person in 2022.”

Here is the full list of nominees and winners.

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA

Michaela Coel, “I May Destroy You” – HBO [WINNER]
Ethan Hawke, “The Good Lord Bird” – Showtime
Thuso Mbedu, “The Underground Railroad” – Amazon
Elizabeth Olsen, “WandaVision” – Disney+
Mj Rodriguez, “Pose” – FX
Omar Sy, “Lupin” – Netflix
Anya Taylor-Joy, “The Queen’s Gambit” – Netflix
Kate Winslet, “Mare of Easttown” – HBO

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY

Bo Burnham, “Bo Burnham: Inside” – Netflix
Kaley Cuoco, “The Flight Attendant” – HBO Max
Maya Erskine, “Pen15” – Hulu
Renee Elise Goldsberry, “Girls5Eva” – Peacock
Charlotte Nicdao, “Mythic Quest” – Apple TV+
Jean Smart, “Hacks” – HBO Max [WINNER]
Jason Sudeikis, “Ted Lasso” – Apple TV+
Hannah Waddingham, “Ted Lasso” – Apple TV+

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN NEWS AND INFORMATION

“Allen v. Farrow” – HBO
“City So Real” – NatGeo
“Framing Britney Spears” – FX/FX On Hulu [WINNER]
“Frontline” – PBS (Eight-time Winner in Category)
“I’ll Be Gone in the Dark” – HBO
“Oprah with Meghan and Harry: A CBS Primetime Special” – CBS
“The Rachel Maddow Show” – MSNBC
“60 Minutes” – CBS (2012 Winner in Category)

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN REALITY (tie)

“Couples Therapy” – Showtime [WINNER]
“Deaf U” – Netflix [WINNER]
“The Great Pottery Throw Down” – HBO Max
“Legendary” – HBO Max
“Nailed It! Double Trouble” – Netflix
“The Real World Homecoming: New York” – Paramount+
“Taste the Nation” – Hulu
“Top Chef: Portland” – Bravo

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN YOUTH PROGRAMMING

“The Baby-Sitters Club” – Netflix [WINNER]
“Bluey” – Disney Jr.
“Donkey Hodie” – PBS Kids
“Emily’s Wonder Lab” – Netflix
“Odd Squad” – PBS Kids
“Sesame Street” – HBO Max
“Waffles + Mochi” – Netflix
“Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum” – PBS Kids

OUTSTANDING NEW PROGRAM

“Bridgerton” – Netflix
“The Flight Attendant” – HBO Max
“Hacks” – HBO Max
“I May Destroy You” – HBO
“Mare of Easttown” – HBO
“P-Valley” – Starz
“Ted Lasso” – Apple TV+ [WINNER]
“WandaVision” – Disney+

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN MOVIES, MINISERIES OR SPECIALS

“Bo Burnham: Inside” – Netflix
“The Good Lord Bird” – Showtime
“I May Destroy You” – HBO
“It’s a Sin” – HBO Max
“Mare of Easttown” – HBO [WINNER]
“The Queen’s Gambit” – Netflix
“The Underground Railroad” – Amazon
“WandaVision” – Disney+

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA

“Bridgerton” – Netflix
“The Crown” – Netflix [WINNER]
“For All Mankind” – Apple TV+
“The Handmaid’s Tale” – Hulu
“Lovecraft Country” – HBO
“The Mandalorian” – Disney+
“Pose” – FX
“P-Valley” – Starz

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY

“The Flight Attendant” – HBO Max
“Girls5Eva” – Peacock
“Hacks” – HBO Max
“Mythic Quest” – Apple TV+
“Pen15” – Hulu
“Superstore” – NBC
“Ted Lasso” – Apple TV+ [WINNER]
“Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” – NBC

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN VARIETY, TALK OR SKETCH

“The Amber Ruffin Show” – Peacock
“A Black Lady Sketch Show” – HBO (2020 Winner in Category)
“The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” – Comedy Central
“Desus & Mero” – Showtime
“Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” – HBO [WINNER]
“Late Night with Seth Meyers” – NBC
“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” – CBS
“Saturday Night Live” – NBC
“Ziwe” – Showtime

PROGRAM OF THE YEAR

“Bridgerton” – Netflix
“Hacks” – HBO Max
“I May Destroy You” – HBO
“Mare of Easttown” – HBO
“The Queen’s Gambit” – Netflix
“Ted Lasso” – Apple TV+ [WINNER]
“The Underground Railroad” – Amazon
“WandaVision” – Disney+

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Erik Anderson

Erik Anderson is the founder/owner and Editor-in-Chief of AwardsWatch and has always loved all things Oscar, having watched the Academy Awards since he was in single digits; making lists, rankings and predictions throughout the show. This led him down the path to obsessing about awards. Much later, he found himself in film school and the film forums of GoldDerby, and then migrated over to the former Oscarwatch (now AwardsDaily), before breaking off to create AwardsWatch in 2013.

He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.