Keke Palmer credits Jimmy Fallon for winning Emmy for ‘exciting’ category

Keke Palmer is left “almost speechless” after winning an award for probably her favourite category, making history at the 2024 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards on Sunday, January 7.

Palmer, 30, won an Emmy for best game show presenter, making history as the first Black woman to do so in fifteen years. The former member of Scream Queens defeated competitors Mayim Bialik (Jeopardy!), Ken Jennings (Jeopardy!), Pat Sajak (Wheel of Fortune), and Steve Harvey (Family Feud) to win for Password.

“Wow. That is so exciting, thank you so much,” Palmer said in her acceptance speech at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

“I’m really just so thankful, I’m almost speechless. I want to thank the people who allowed this to happen, thank you to Jimmy Fallon, thank you to NBC.”

Palmer also acknowledged legendary comedian Carol Burnett, who was present in the crowd. The superb prerecorded variety show for Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love won a Creative Arts Emmy on Sunday, and Burnett, 90, was the recipient of it.

In 2022, Palmer took over as host of the resurrected NBC game show. Fallon, 49, is one of the show's executive producers.

Palmer also posted multiple Instagram pictures of herself clutching her new Emmy and beaming broadly after the awards ceremony.

“Couldn’t do it without you @jimmyfallon!” she captioned the snaps. “I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be apart [sic] of such a classic game show such as Password. It’s a true honour, I won! I’m excited, BOOTS! Thank you to the @televisionacad.”