The 65th Primetime Emmy Awards happened last night in Los Angeles, and there were one or two surprising winners for a change. That included some delightful recognition of solid talent (Tony Hale won for Veep over Modern Family’s usual nomination crowd) and victory at last for Breaking Bad. There were also one or two shockers (Jeff Daniels? Over Jon Hamm and Bryan Cranston?) - but what award show would be without a few?
Netflix didn’t dominate the winners’ circle as expected given House Of Cards’ pedigree, although David Fincher got the Drama Directing award. Bigger surprises were Merritt Wever’s win for Nurse Jackie (leading to the shortest and possibly sweetest speech of the night: "Thank you so very much. Um, I gotta go, bye”) and Anna Gunn getting some much needed recognition for Breaking Bad. Also a pleasant shock? Abi Morgan walked off with Outstanding Writing For A Miniseries Or Movie for the late, lamented The Hour.
In a ceremony that started slow – even host Neil Patrick Harris seemed a little off his game – there was some ticking of boxes with yet another Comedy Series win for Modern Family and Jim Parsons scoring Lead Actor In A Comedy yet again for Big Bang Theory. Parsons does good work as Sheldon Cooper, but better than Louis C.K.? We're not so sure.
Winners in the main categories are below for your perusal. The full list is over at the Emmy site.
OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
**Breaking Bad **
Downton Abbey
Game Of Thrones
Homeland
House Of Cards
Mad Men
OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
Modern Family
The Big Bang Theory
Girls
Louie
30 Rock
Veep
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Claire Danes, Homeland
Vera Farmiga, Bates Motel
Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey
Robin Wright, House Of Cards
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men
Connie Britton, Nashville
Kerry Washington, Scandal
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA
Jeff Daniels, The Newsroom
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Hugh Bonneville, Downton Abbey
Damian Lewis, Homeland
Kevin Spacey, House Of Cards
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA
Bobby Cannavale, Boardwalk Empire
Jonathan Banks, Breaking Bad
Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad
Jim Carter, Downton Abbey
Peter Dinklage, Game Of Thrones
Mandy Patinkin, Homeland
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
**Anna Gunn, Breaking Bad **
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Emilia Clarke, Game Of Thrones
Christine Baranski, The Good Wife
Morena Baccarin, Homeland
Christina Hendricks, Mad Men
OUTSTANDING WRITING, DRAMA SERIES
Henry Bromell, Homeland
George Mastras, Breaking Bad
Thomas Schnauz, Breaking Bad
Julian Fellowes, Downton Abbey
David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, Game of Thrones
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING, DRAMA SERIES
David Fincher, House of Cards
Tim Van Patten, Boardwalk Empire
Michelle MacLaren, Breaking Bad
Jeremy Webb, Downton Abbey
Lesli Linka Glatter, Homeland
**OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
**Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Laura Dern, Enlightened
Lena Dunham, Girls
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Amy Poehler, Parks And Recreation
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
Jason Bateman, Arrested Development
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes
Don Cheadle, House Of Lies
Louis C.K., Louie
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
**OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY
**Tony Hale, Veep
Adam Driver, Girls
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family
Ed O’Neill, Modern Family
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Bill Hader, Saturday Night Live
OUTSTANDING WRITING, COMEDY SERIES
Tina Fey and Tracey Wigfield, 30 Rock
Jeffrey Klarik, Episodes
Louis C.K. and Pamela Adlon, Louie
Greg Daniels, The Office
Jack Burditt and Robert Carlock, 30 Rock
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Merritt Wever, Nurse Jackie
Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory
Jane Lynch, Glee
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Julie Bowen, Modern Family
Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock
Anna Chlumsky, Veep
** OUTSTANDING DIRECTING, COMEDY SERIES**
Gail Mancuso, Modern Family
Lena Dunham, Girls
Paris Barclay, Glee
Louis C.K., Louie
Beth McCarthy-Miller, 30 Rock
OUTSTANDING MOVIE OR MINISERIES
Behind The Candelabra
American Horror Story: Asylum
The Bible
Phil Spector
Political Animals
Top Of The Lake
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Laura Linney, The Big C: Hereafter
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Asylum
Helen Mirren, Phil Spector
Sigourney Weaver, Political Animals
Elisabeth Moss, Top Of The Lake
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Michael Douglas, Behind The Candelabra
Matt Damon, Behind The Candelabra
Toby Jones, The Girl
Benedict Cumberbatch, Parade’s End
Al Pacino, Phil Spector
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Ellen Burstyn, Political Animals
Sarah Paulson, American Horror Story: Asylum
Imelda Staunton, The Girl
Charlotte Rampling, Restless
Alfre Woodard, Steel Magnolias
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING, MINI-SERIES OR TV MOVIE
Steven Soderbergh, Behind The Candelabra
Julian Jarrold, The Girl
David Mamet, Phil Spector
Allison Anders, Ring Of Fire
Jane Campion and Garth Davis, Top Of The Lake
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE
James Cromwell, American Horror Story: Asylum
Zachary Quinto, American Horror Story: Asylum
Scott Bakula, Behind The Candelabra
John Benjamin Hickey, The Big C: Hereafter
Peter Mullan, Top Of The Lake
OUTSTANDING WRITING, MINI-SERIES OR TV MOVIE
Abi Morgan, The Hour
Richard LaGravenese, Behind The Candelabra
Tom Stoppard, Parade’s End
David Mamet, Phil Spector
Jane Campion and Gerard Lee, Top Of The Lake
OUTSTANDING VARIETY SERIES
The Colbert Report
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Late Night With Jimmy Fallon
Real Time With Bill Maher
Saturday Night Live