Television Critics Association Announces 2021 TCA Award Winners, ‘Ted Lasso,’ Jean Smart Take Top Honors

Today, the Television Critics Association announced the winners of the organization’s 37^TH Annual TCA Awards, honoring exceptional programs and performances from the 2020-2021 television season

Apple AAPL TV+’s fish-out-of-water sitcom Ted Lasso was the year’s biggest winner, netting three of the organization’s highest honors in its debut season, scoring wins for Outstanding New Program, Outstanding Achievement in Comedy, and Program of the Year Award.

HBO/HBO Max had four wins as I May Destroy You creator, writer, executive producer and star Michaela Coel earned Individual Achievement in Drama, while the Kate Winslet fronted crime drama Mare Of Easttown won Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries, or Specials, with Last Week Tonight With John Oliver winning Outstanding Achievement in Variety, Talk or Sketch for the third consecutive year, and Jean Smart took home Individual Achievement in Comedy for her portrayal of legendary Las Vegas diva-comedienne Deborah Vance in the HBO Max dramedy Hacks.

The TCA also chose to present multi-talented actress and entertainer Jean Smart with the Career Achievement Award, celebrating the three-time EMMY® winner’s acclaimed body of work which began with her starring role as Charlene Frazier on Designing Women, and includes roles and appearances on landmark series such as 24, Frasier, and Fargo, as well as Legion, Watchmen, Mare Of Easttown, and Hacks.

For its prestigious Heritage Award the organization bestowed honors on the beloved NBC sitcom The Golden Girls.

Running from 1985 to 1992, the series — which boasted an all-star ensemble featuring Betty White, Rue McClanahan, Bea Arthur, and Estelle Getty — revolutionized the landscape with its focus on four hilarious and headstrong older women, using humor to tackle a wide range of issues such as elder care, homelessness, sexism, and ageism. During its tenure, the series won 11 EMMY® Awards and four Golden Globes®.

To view a video with comments from many of the winners, please visit the official TCA twitter site.

Winners of the awards were selected by the TCA’s membership of more than 200 professional TV critics and journalists from across the United States and Canada, who each cast their votes to determine top standouts from a diverse roster of stars and series.

“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.”

Other notable winners include FX/FX On Hulu’s headlines-grabbing profile Framing Britney Spears, which nabbed Outstanding Achievement in News and Information, Showtime’s visceral relationship exposé Couples Therapy shared Outstanding Achievement in Reality Programming honors with the insightful Netflix NFLX docuseries Deaf U, and Netflix earned awards for Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming for The Baby-Sitters Club, and Outstanding Achievement in Drama for The Crown.

The complete list of 2021 TCA Award recipients are as follows:

●      Individual Achievement In Drama: Michaela Coel (I MAY DESTROY YOU, HBO)

●      Individual Achievement In Comedy: Jean Smart (HACKS, HBO Max)

●      Outstanding Achievement In News and Information: FRAMING BRITNEY SPEARS (FX/FX On Hulu)

●      Outstanding Achievement In Reality Programming: TIE: COUPLES THERAPY (Showtime), DEAF U (Netflix)

●      Outstanding Achievement In Youth Programming: THE BABY-SITTERS CLUB (Netflix)

●      Outstanding Achievement In Variety, Talk Or Sketch: LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER (HBO, 2018 & 2019 Winner In Category)

●      Outstanding New Program: TED LASSO (Apple TV+)

●      Outstanding Achievement In Movies, Miniseries, Or Specials: MARE OF EASTTOWN (HBO)

●      Outstanding Achievement In Drama: THE CROWN (Netflix)

●      Outstanding Achievement In Comedy: TED LASSO (Apple TV+)

●      Program of the Year: TED LASSO (Apple TV+)

●      Career Achievement Honoree: Jean Smart

●      Heritage Award: THE GOLDEN GIRLS (NBC)

Past TCA Award winners are listed on the organization’s official website, tvcritics.org/tca-awards.