21 Sep 2015

Emmys: top prizes for Veep, Game of Thrones

4:02 pm on 21 September 2015

Fantasy drama Game of Thrones and Washington political comedy Veep won the top prizes at the Emmy Awards, toppling old favourites Mad Men and Modern Family.

Actor Jeffrey Tambor (R) accepts Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Transparent from TV personality Jimmy Kimmel onstage during the 67th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater on September 20, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. Kevin Winter/Getty Images/AFP

Jeffrey Tambor (R) accepts Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Transparent from TV personality Jimmy Kimmel Photo: AFP

Jon Hamm finally snared an Emmy for his lead role as Don Draper in AMC's 1960s advertising drama Mad Men, winning a standing ovation from the audience.

But Mad Men, a long-time Emmy favorite, failed to get a farewell hug after closing its final season earlier this year.

Viola Davis became the first African-American to win a drama lead actress Emmy for her role as a tough criminal defence lawyer in ABC's How to Get Away With Murder.

"The only thing that separates women of colour from anyone else is opportunity," Davis said. "You cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there."

It was the first best drama series Emmy for Game of Thrones in its five years on the air. The show also won awards for writing, directing and for supporting actor Peter Dinklage.

"Thank you HBO for believing in dragons," co-creator David Benioff said.

Actor Peter Dinklage show shis Outstanding Supporting Actor Emmy for Game of Thrones Jason Merritt/Getty Images/AFP

Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage with his Outstanding Supporting Actor Emmy Photo: AFP

In the first Emmys for Amazon.com's foray into original content, Transparent brought a lead actor Emmy for Jeffrey Tambor. It also won for directing.

Tambor, 71, dedicated the award - his first Emmy - to the transgender community.

"Thank you for your patience, thank you for your courage, thank you for your stories, thank you for your inspiration, thank you for letting us be part of the change," he said.

In the first Emmys for Amazon.com's foray into original content, Transparent also won for directing, while Bradley Whitford took the guest actor award in a ceremony last week. Director Jill Soloway thanked Amazon.com for allowing the show "incredible artistic freedom."

The early running also indicated major support for HBO's White House political comedy Veep. Julia Louis-Dreyfus won best comedy actress for the fourth time for playing egotistical Selina Meyer, while Tony Hale, who plays her bag man, was again named comedy supporting actor. Veep also clinched the comedy writing statuette.

"We'd like to thank HBO for letting us make fun of American politics and make American money," writer Simon Blackwell said.

Inside Amy Schumer, the no-holds-barred female comedy which is written and directed by Schumer, proved a popular first-time winner in the variety sketch series category.

Perennial Emmy favourite The Daily Show with Jon Stewart won two awards for writing and directing, while Allison Janney took the comedy supporting actress award for the second year for CBS's Mom.

Jon Hamm

Jon Hamm Photo: AFP

The Emmy Awards have been criticised in the past for rewarding the same shows and actors year after year. But this time more than half the nominees in the lead acting categories are either first-timers or from new series.

HBO's Olive Kitteridge swept up most of the Emmys for limited series, including lead actress Frances McDormand and lead actor Richard Jenkins.

Popular singing contest The Voice won the reality competition category.

Host Andy Samberg kicked off the evening with a nod to the challenges of watching the hundreds of shows now on television, singing "So many shows, so little time."

- Reuters

Nominees

Drama series

Better Call Saul

Downton Abbey

Game of Thrones

Homeland

House of Cards

Mad Men

Orange is the New Black

Comedy series

Louie

Modern Family

Parks and Recreation

Silicon Valley

Transparent

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Veep

Limited series or movie

American Crime

American Horror Story: Freak Show

The Honourable Woman

Olive Kitteridge

Wolf Hall

Lead actor, drama

Bob Odenkirk - Better Call Saul

Kyle Chandler - Bloodline

Kevin Spacey - House of Cards

Jon Hamm - Mad Men

Jeff Daniels - The Newsroom

Liev Schreiber - Ray Donovan

Lead actress, drama

Taraji P. Henson - Empire

Claire Danes - Homeland

Viola Davis - How to Get Away with Murder

Tatiana Maslany - Orphan Black

Elisabeth Moss - Mad Men

Robin Wright - House of Cards

Lead actor, comedy

Anthony Anderson- Black-ish

Matt LeBlanc - Episodes

Don Cheadle - House of Lies

Will Forte - The Last Man On Earth

Louis C.K. - Louie

William H. Macy - Shameless

Jeffrey Tambor -Transparent

Lead actress, comedy

Lisa Kudrow - The Comeback

Lily Tomlin - Grace And Frankie

Amy Schumer - Inside Amy Schumer

Edie Falco - Nurse Jackie

Amy Poehler - Parks And Recreation

Julia Louis-Dreyfus - Veep

Lead actor, limited series or movie

Timothy Hutton - American Crime

Ricky Gervais - Derek Special

Adrien Brody - Houdini

David Oyelowo - Nightingale

Richard Jenkins - Olive Kitteridge

Mark Rylance - Wolf Hall

Lead actress, limited series or movie

Felicity Huffman - American Crime

Jessica Lange - American Horror Story

Queen Latifah - Bessie

Maggie Gyllenhaal - The Honourable Woman

Frances McDormand - Olive Kitteridge

Emma Thompson - Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street

Supporting actor, drama

Jonathan Banks - Better Call Saul

Ben Mendelsohn - Bloodline

Jim Carter - Downton Abbey

Peter Dinklage - Game Of Thrones

Alan Cumming - The Good Wife

Michael Kelly - House Of Cards

Supporting actress, drama

Joanne Froggatt - Downton Abbey

Lena Headey- Game Of Thrones

Emilia Clarke - Game Of Thrones

Christine Baranski - The Good Wife

Christina Hendricks - Mad Men

Uzo Aduba - Orange Is The New Black

Supporting actor, comedy

Andre Braugher - Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Adam Driver - Girls

Keegan-Michael Key - Key & Peele

Ty Burrell - Modern Family

Tituss Burgess - Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Tony Hale - Veep

Supporting actress, comedy

Mayim Bialik - The Big Bang Theory

Niecy Nash - Getting On

Julie Bowen - Modern Family

Allison Janney - Mom

Kate McKinnon - Saturday Night Live

Gaby Hoffmann - Transparent

Jane Krakowski - Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Anna Chlumsky - Veep

Supporting actor, limited series or movie

Richard Cabral - American Crime

Denis O'Hare - American Horror Story: Freak Show

Finn Wittrock - American Horror Story: Freak Show

Michael Kenneth Williams - Bessie

Bill Murray - Olive Kitteridge

Damian Lewis - Wolf Hall

Supporting actress, limited series or movie

Regina King - American Crime

Sarah Paulson - American Horror Story: Freak Show

Angela Bassett - American Horror Story: Freak Show

Kathy Bates - American Horror Story: Freak Show

Mo'Nique - Bessie

Zoe Kazan - Olive Kitteridge