News Awards & Events Emmys The Best Looks From the 2021 Emmys Red Carpet By Christopher Luu Christopher Luu Instagram Twitter Christopher is a Southern California-based editor and has been with InStyle since 2018. He covers all things entertainment, celebrity, and culture. InStyle's editorial guidelines Published on September 19, 2021 @ 07:21PM Pin Share Tweet Email Trending Videos Photo: Getty Images Cedric the Entertainer, host of the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards, declared that he wanted to take the audience away from the stuffiness of awards shows and behind the velvet rope. That all starts at the red carpet, which gives fans their first glimpses at the glamour and glitz that these shows are known for. This time around, Cedric notes that he wants to address "the merging of cultures ... and what happens when people do figure out how to live together, how to be in harmony, without necessarily changing the identity of the other person." While we'll all have to see exactly how he does that, he promises that most of all, it'll be fun. "That's what we try to do with the show, and have a good time," he said. "Not preach, but teach." With Zoom ceremonies in the rear-view mirror and just about everyone ready to see show-stopping dresses again, the Emmy attendees have a lot of pressure to impress — and they all understood the assignment. Here are the best looks, from the drama of Nicole Byer's purple confection by Christian Sirano to Billy Porter's red carpet wings. 01 of 46 Billy Porter Getty Images 02 of 46 Amber Ruffin Getty Images 03 of 46 Nicole Byer Getty Images Dress: Christian Siriano 04 of 46 Cecily Strong Getty Images Jewelry: Gismondi 1754 05 of 46 Bowen Yang Getty Images 06 of 46 Emma Corrin Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images Dress: Miu Miu 07 of 46 Aidy Bryant Getty Images 08 of 46 Olivia Colman Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images 09 of 46 Kathryn Hahn Getty Images 10 of 46 Samira Wiley Rich Fury Suit: GennyShoes: Sophia WebsterJewelry: Lark & Berry London 11 of 46 Jennifer Coolidge Rich Fury/Getty Images Dress: Christian Siriano 12 of 46 Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas Getty Images 13 of 46 Gillian Anderson Getty Images Dress: Chloé 14 of 46 Kaley Cuoco Getty Images Dress: Vera WangJewelry: De Beers 15 of 46 Taraji P. Henson Dress: Elie SaabJewelry: Roberto Coin 16 of 46 Kate Winslet Getty Images Jewelry: Fred Leighton 17 of 46 MJ Rodriguez Getty Images Dress: VersaceJewelry: Bvlgari 18 of 46 Mandy Moore Rich Fury/Getty Images Dress: Carolina HerreraJewelry: Fernando Jorge 19 of 46 Yara Shahidi Rich Fury/Getty Images Dress: Dior Haute CoutureShoes: Christian LouboutinJewelry: Cartier 20 of 46 Jason Sudeikis Getty Images Suit: Tom Ford 21 of 46 Madeline Brewer Getty Images 22 of 46 Tracee Ellis Ross Getty Images 23 of 46 Elizabeth Olsen Rich Fury/Getty Images Dress: The RowJewelry: Chopard 24 of 46 Annie Murphy Rich Fury/Getty Images 25 of 46 Angela Bassett Rich Fury/Getty Images Dress: Greta ConstantineJewelry: Gismondi 1754 26 of 46 Anya Taylor-Joy Getty Images Dress: Dior Haute Couture 27 of 46 Issa Rae Rich Fury/Getty Images Dress: Aliétte 28 of 46 America Ferrera Getty Images 29 of 46 Beanie Feldstein Getty Images Dress: Brandon Maxwell 30 of 46 Susan Kelechi Watson Rich Fury/Getty Images Dress: Markarian 31 of 46 Keri Russell Getty Images Dress: Zuhair Murad 32 of 46 Jurnee Smollett Rich Fury/Getty Images Dress: Dior Haute Couture 33 of 46 Jean Smart Getty Images Dress: Ralph LaurenJewelry: Cathy Waterman 34 of 46 Sarah Paulson Rich Fury/Getty Images 35 of 46 Catherine O'Hara Rich Fury/Getty Images 36 of 46 Kerry Washington Rich Fury/Getty Images Jewelry: De Beers 37 of 46 Amy Poehler Getty Images 38 of 46 Mindy Kaling Getty Images Jewelry: De Beers 39 of 46 Allison Janney Getty Images Dress: Azzi & Osta 40 of 46 Dan Levy Getty Images 41 of 46 Bo Burnham Getty Images 42 of 46 Rege-Jean Page Getty Images 43 of 46 Ellen Pompeo Getty Images 44 of 46 Uzo Aduba Rich Fury/Getty Images 45 of 46 Michaela Coel Getty Images Dress: Christopher John Rogers 46 of 46 Carl Clemons Getty Images Dres: Christian Siriano