One of the most surprising and controversial series released this year, Baby reindeerwon the Emmy for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series on Sunday night. After thanking his crew, show creator Richard Gadd pointed to the “dip” the entertainment industry is going through.

“I believe that no downturn is ever broken without a willingness to take risks,” Gadd said. “I think that if Baby reindeer has proven that there is no set formula. But you don’t need big stars, proven IP, long-running series, all-encompassing stories to have a hit.”

The series was the second most nominated show in the category this year with a total of 11 nominations, behind only Real Detective: NightlandDuring his speech, Gadd encouraged both viewers and fellow television producers to “dare to fail in order to achieve.”

“The one constant in any success on television is good storytelling, good storytelling that is relevant to our times,” Gadd said. “So take risks, push boundaries, explore the uncomfortable.”

The Netflix series had already won three Emmy Awards tonight in the Limited or Anthology Series category: one for Lead Actor, one for Supporting Actress and another for Writing. Gadd accepted the Writing for a Limited Series Award earlier, calling it “the stuff of dreams.”

“Look, 10 years ago I was in the dumps; I never thought I would get my life back,” Gadd said of his autobiographical series. “I never thought I would be able to recover from what had happened to me and get myself back on my feet, and here I am, over a decade later, having won one of the biggest writing awards on television.”

The series, which takes several unexpected turns, follows Gadd, who also created the series, as his character, Donny Dunn, as he deals with complicated feelings for a stalker, played by Jessica Gunning, and makes sense of the sexual abuse he suffered in the past. The unusual mix of dark humor, suspenseful drama, and clever cliffhangers made it a binge favorite among viewers.

One person who didn’t like it, however, was a woman named Fiona Harvey, who claimed that Gadd based the stalker character on her. She filed a $50 million lawsuit against Netflix, accusing the platform of “defamation, intentional emotional distress, negligence, gross negligence, and violations of Harvey’s right of publicity, arising from the brazen lies Defendants told about her in the television series, Baby reindeerThe controversy only served to increase interest in the show.

Before Sunday’s broadcast, the series had already won two Emmys. The fourth episode won a trophy in the Outstanding Picture Editing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie category, while the series as a whole was honored with a statuette in the Outstanding Casting for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie category.