Vir Das Wins Comedy Award at International Emmys 2023
The actor, comedian and artist tied with Irish show ‘Derry Girls — Season 3’ in the category
Standup comedian, actor and singer-songwriter Vir Das’ 2022 Netflix special Vir Das: Landing as well as Indian filmmaker Ektaa R. Kapoor were feted at the International Emmy Awards 2023 last night in New York City.
Das took to Instagram to post a photo with the trophy and said, “For India. For Indian comedy. Every breath, every word. Thank you to the @iemmys for this incredible honour.” Kapoor, for her part, dedicated her award to India as well.
The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences presented Emmys to television creators and performers from nine countries at the 51st International Emmy Awards and Das’ show tied with Irish comedy and coming-of-age series Derry Girls — Season 3 in the comedy category.
Elsewhere in the evening, spiritual guru Deepak Chopra was invited on stage to present The Directorate Award to Kapoor, for her work in Indian T.V. as co-Founder of Balaji Telefilms. Check out the full list of winners below.
2023 International Emmy® Awards Winners
Arts Programming
Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On
Eagle Vision / White Pine Pictures / Paquin Entertainment
Canada
Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry it On is a challenging account of this cultural and musical icon’s lifelong commitment to music, and sharing the truth. Buffy shares her own story from her early love of music to the activism she continues to this day.
Best Performance by an Actor
Martin Freeman in The Responder
Dancing Ledge Productions
United Kingdom
Chris (Martin Freeman) drives a frontline response vehicle in his fragmented hometown of Liverpool. Night after night he faces crime, violence and addiction on the streets, whilst battling against personal demons that threaten to destabilize his work, his marriage and his mental health.
Best Performance by an Actress
Karla Souza in La Caída [Dive]
Madam / Filmadora / Infinity Hill / Amazon
Mexico
Mariel started diving when she was 8 years old. The pool is her life. She says she has water, not blood flowing through her veins. She has trained with Braulio her entire life and trusts him more than she trusts herself. He sees her like no one else can. He keeps his promises; she’s become a world renown Olympic diver. Mariel is the most recognized Mexican athlete of all time. Introverted, disciplined, and determined, Mariel has to choose between Olympic greatness, or healing her painful past.
Comedy
Derry Girls – Season 3
Hat Trick Productions
United Kingdom
Lisa McGee’s sitcom about a group of working-class teenagers coming of age in the 90’s in Northern Ireland. While theres hope in the air that The Troubles may finally be over, the gang’s troubles are only just getting started as they get ever closer to adulthood.
Vir Das: Landing
Weirdass Comedy / Rotten Science / Netflix
India
Vir Das dives deep into his childhood in India, the perils of outrage and finding his footing in the world for his fourth Netflix stand-up special.
Documentary
Mariupol: The People’s Story
Top Hat Productions / Hayloft Productions / BBC
United Kingdom
Told and mostly filmed by the people of Mariupol, this is the deeply personal account of the destruction of a Ukrainian city. This documentary is a story of war crimes and suffering but also one of startling courage, of the endurance of morality and love in the midst of war, and of undaunted spirit.
Drama Series
The Empress
Sommerhaus Serien GmbH / Netflix
Germany
When rebellious Elisabeth falls for Emperor Franz and becomes his unlikely bride, she enters a world of tensions and intrigue at the Viennese court.
Non-Scripted Entertainment
A Ponte – The Bridge Brasil
Warner Bros. Discovery / Endemol Shine Brasil
Brazil
12 participants isolated in the wilderness have 20 days to get to know each other and build a bridge that will take them to a treasure that awaits on the other side of a river. If they succeed, they will have to choose the winner.
Short-Form Series
Des Gens Bien Ordinaires [A Very Ordinary World]
Magneto / Canal+
France
In a dystopian world where women hold the power, Romain, a sociology student, is attracted to the bright lights of porn film sets, which he sees as a path to emancipation. This story puts a twist on the porn industry to deliver a critique of our world.
Sports Documentary
Harley & Katya
Stranger Than Fiction Films
Australia
A documentary about Indigenous Australian figure skater Harley Windsor and his young Russian pair skating partner Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya. This unlikely duo made history, but at what cost?
Telenovela
Yargi [Family Secrets]
Ay Yapim
Turkey
Prosecutor Ilgaz has to find a highly competent attorney when his brother is accused of murder. He crosses paths with Ceylin, a limitless attorney. Things change when the victim turns out to be Ceylin’s sister. When the war between them turns into a passionate love, everything turns upside down.
TV Movie/Mini-Series
La Caída [Dive]
Madam / Filmadora / Infinity Hill / Amazon
Mexico
Mariel (Karla Souza) is a veteran competitive diver who has one last chance at the Olympics. However, when a terrible truth surfaces, Mariel has to confront her biggest personal dilemma yet: is winning really her ultimate dream?
Kids: Animation
The Smeds and The Smoos
Magic Light Pictures
United Kingdom
On a faraway planet, Janet and Bill meet in the Wurpular Wood and fall in love, but their families, the Smeds and the Smoos, cannot accept the match after generations of division. When the pair elope, the warring families must work together to find the young Smed and Smoo.
Kids: Factual & Entertainment
Built To Survive
Butter Media / Breslin Media / Australian Broadcasting Corporation / Australian Children’s Television Foundation
Australia
Get up close to the world’s most unique creatures to reveal the ultimate survivors of Australia’s most extreme natural habitats. Join Phil Breslin in his quest to answer – who is Built to Survive?
Kids: Live-Action
Heartbreak High
Fremantle / Newbe / Netflix
Australia
An incendiary mural exposes everyone’s secret hook-ups at Hartley High. Its author, Amerie, has to grapple with the messy fallouts as a total outcast.