The Daily Show writer Joseph Opio made history after earning himself an unprecedented two Emmys in one calendar year.
The Ugandan comedian won the 2024 Sports Emmy for Outstanding Writing — Long Form at a glitzy ceremony held in New York City on Tuesday.
Opio’s “The World According to Football,” a five-part documentary narrated by South African Comic, Trevor Noah secured him the award.
The Sports Emmys rewards the best and brightest in American sports broadcasting. And Opio had to shrug off competition from established sports steamrollers like HBO and ESPN.
Opio has written over 1,200 episodes of The Daily Show. But “The World According to Football” marked his debut in the world of documentary filmmaking. It was also the first time Opio and Noah expanded their artistic collaboration beyond Comedy Central.
“I want to thank my good friend Trevor Noah,” Opio began his acceptance speech. “Not just for narrating this docuseries. But also, for allowing me to always shamelessly ride his coattails from the very first day we met.”
Opio used the climax of his Emmys acceptance speech to shout out His Royal Highness the King of Buganda, Ronald Muwenda Mutebi and Queen Sylvia Nagginda.
“Ssabasajja Kabaka awangale,” Opio declared in his closing to an auditorium packed with American celebrities and sports royalty. “Ne’nnabagereka agerekere o’Buganda.”
“I was born and bred in Kampala,” Opio acknowledged in an exclusive interview with New Vision. “I grew up strictly speaking Luganda. And even if I earn a living writing in English now, I still think and even dream in Luganda.”
Opio began his career hosting the satirical programme, LOL Uganda, which premiered on Urban TV in 2012. After two seasons, he moved to New York City to pursue a career in comedy. Trevor Noah hired him as a writer for the first season of The Daily Show after their first meet at the Comedy Cellar.