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.
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.
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 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
