MTV Awards 2017: Emma Watson wins Best Actor in first gender free category – but gets mocked for lengthy acceptance speech

The actress picked up the gong for her role as Belle in Beauty and the Beast
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Emma Powell8 May 2017
The Weekender

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Emma Watson led the charge of British actors who picked up gongs at this year’s MTV TV and Movie Awards.

The former Harry Potter star was crowned Best Actor in the awards’ first gender free category – but she bored fans with her lengthy acceptance speech.

Watson was awarded the accolade for her role as Belle in Bill Condon’s Beauty and the Beast, which won Best Movie, and took a moment to speak about the significance of receiving the honour.

She said: “Thank you. Firstly, I feel I have to say something about the award itself. The first acting award in history that doesn't separate nominees based on their sex says something about how we perceive the human experience.

“MTV's move to create a genderless award for acting will mean something different to everyone. But to me, it indicates that acting is about the ability to put yourself in someone else's shoes. And that doesn't need to be separated into two different categories.”

She also made a shout out to Asia Kate Dillon, saying she was equally as honoured to accept the gong from Dillon who became the first non-binary actor to play a character who identifies the same way when she played Taylor Mason in Billions.

Lengthy: Emma Watson's speech was around the seven minute mark (REUTERS)
Danny Moloshok/Reuters

“This is very meaningful to me,” she said. “Both to be winning the award and to be receiving it from you, Asia [Kate Dillon]. Thank you for educating me in such—in such an inclusive, patient, and loving way. Thank you so much.”

But fans mocked her lengthy speech, which also saw her encourage people to be more like Belle, and thank a long list of people for giving her the opportunity to play the Disney princess.

One Twitter user posted: “Emma Watson is giving this profound speech. Girl. It’s the #MTVAwards ... not the Oscars. Sit down already (sic).”

Another wrote: “I love me some Emma Watson but this speech, Lord this speech...it's golden popcorn not an Oscar #MTVAwards.”

Others hailed her as a “queen” and praised her “flawless” speech.

Fellow Brit Millie Bobby Brown was awarded Best Actor in a Show for her role as supernatural Eleven in Stranger Things.

The 13-year-old - who beat Game Of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke and The Walking Dead's Jeffrey Dean Morgan to take the title - thanked creators Matt and Ross Duffer for making a “badass” character.

Thank you: Millie Bobby Brown on stage (Getty Images)
Kevin Winter/Getty Images

She said: “Lastly I want to thank the Duffer brothers because they have created a badass, female, iconic character that I've got the honour to play.”

Other winners included Ava DuVernay's 13TH which won Best Documentary, RuPaul's Drag Race which took home Best Reality Competition and Black-ish which won Best American Story.

Hosted by Adam Devine, attendees included Cara Delevingne, Hugh Jackman, Hailee Steinfeld, Gal Gadot, Vin Diesel, Amy Schumer, Goldie Hawn and Big Sean.

Full list of winners:

Movie of the Year

Beauty and the Beast

Best Actor in a Movie

Emma Watson – Beauty and the Beast

Show of the Year

Stranger Things

Best Actor in a Show

Millie Bobby Brown – Stranger Things

Best Kiss

Ashton Sanders and Jharrel Jerome – Moonlight

Best Villain

Jeffrey Dean Morgan – The Walking Dead

Best Host

Trevor Noah – The Daily Show

Best Documentary

13TH

Best Reality Competition

RuPaul – RuPaul's Drag Race

Best Comedic Performance

Lil Rel Howery – Get Out

Best Hero

Taraji P. Henson – Hidden Figures

Tearjerker

This Is Us – Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) and Randall (Lonnie Chavis) at karate

Next Generation

Daniel Kaluuya

Best Duo

Hugh Jackman and Dafne Keen – Logan

Best American Story

Black-ish

Best Fight Against the System

Hidden Figures

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