Big Emmy wins for Davis, Hamm, ‘Thrones,’ ‘Transparent’ ‘Veep’

  • By Lynn Elber Associated Press
  • Sunday, September 20, 2015 9:29pm
  • LifeGo-See-Do

LOS ANGELES — Long-standing barriers fell at Sunday’s Emmy Awards as Viola Davis became the first non-white actress to claim top drama acting honors, Jon Hamm finally won for “Mad Men,” and “Game of Thrones” overcame Emmy anti-fantasy resistance to claim the top drama award.

An emotional Davis, who won for her portrayal of a ruthless lawyer in “How to Get Away With Murder,” invoked the words and spirit of 19th-century American abolitionist Harriet Tubman.

“I can’t seem to get over that line,” she quoted Tubman as saying.

“The only thing that separates women of color from anyone else is opportunity,” Davis added. “You cannot win Emmys with roles that are simply not there.”

“Empire” star Tariji P. Henson, another black nominee in the category, stood and applauded Davis’ win. Other African-American actresses who prevailed Sunday were Uzo Aduba and Regina King, who won for supporting performances.

“Mad Men” star Hamm claimed the best drama actor Emmy that eluded him seven times before. He bypassed the steps to the Emmy stage, scrambling onto it on his stomach.

“There has been a terrible mistake, clearly,” said Hamm, who played troubled ad man Don Draper in the series that ended its run without adding another best-drama trophy to its haul of four previous wins.

It lost to “Game of Thrones,” which became only the second so-called “genre” series, after sci-fi drama “Lost,” to win.

Peter Dinklage nabbed the best supporting drama actor award for “Game of Thrones,” which also won writing and directing trophies. Tracy Morgan, the actor-comedian seriously injured last year in a car accident, made a triumphant return to reveal “Game of Thrones” the best drama series.

Host Andy Samberg noted that the 67th Emmys coincided with the 67th birthday for George R.R. Martin, whose novels are the basis for “Game of Thrones.” A smiling Martin was in the theater audience to accept the congratulations, and was onstage for the big win.

On the comedy side, political satire “Veep” claimed the top series award that had gone to “Modern Family” for five consecutive years.

Jon Stewart is gone from “The Daily Show” but not forgotten by Emmy voters, who gave the late-night show the best variety talk series award Sunday over another host who’s moved on, Stephen Colbert.

Stewart, who left the “Daily Show” earlier this year, warned the theater audience that the perils of leaving TV include no applause or free food.

“To everybody on television, I just want to tell you, cling to it as long as you can,” joked Stewart, who’s turning over “Daily Show” to Trevor Noah.

Besides Colbert, who left his Comedy Central show to become host of CBS’ late-night show, the tough competition included another channel alum, John Oliver.

“Transparent” emerged as an early winner at Sunday’s Emmy Awards, capturing a best comedy actor trophy for Jeffrey Tambor and a directing award for its creator, and giving both winners a chance to pay tribute to the show’s trangender themes.

“I’d like to dedicate my performance and this award to the transgender community. … Thanks for letting us be part of the change,” said Tambor, who plays a man journeying toward womanhood.

Jill Soloway, who based the series on the life of her own “moppa,” as she calls her parent, used her directing trophy acceptance speech to ask for equal rights for transgender individuals.

“It is legal in the majority of U.S. states to refuse to rent to trans people,” she said, saying the country has a civil rights problem that must be addressed.

Aduba won the supporting actress in a drama trophy for “Orange is the New Black,” which was switched under academy rules this year from comedy competition. Aduba won a guest actress award last year for her portrayal of “Crazy Eyes” in the series.

Emmys voters didn’t give up their fondness for choosing the familiar over the groundbreaking in other categories as well.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus was honored as best lead comedy actress for “Veep” for the fourth time. Allison Janney of “Mom” and Tony Hale of “Veep” were repeat winners for supporting comedy acting honors.

Janney, who plays a dysfunctional parent, thanked series producer Chuck Lorre for creating a deeply flawed character and “thinking of me to play her.”

“This is nuts,” said Tony Hale, thanking his show’s writers and lauding his fellow nominees: “You make me laugh hard.”

“Olive Kitteridge,” based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Elizabeth Strout, nearly swept the limited series categories, with six trophies including the top award and lead acting honors for Frances McDormand and Richard Jenkins and a supporting award for Bill Murray.

King of “American Crime” won supporting actress honors for a limited series. “Inside Amy Schumer” won for best variety sketch series.

“The Voice” won a best reality series trophy, breaking the hold that “The Amazing Race” long had on the category and snaring an award that always eluded “American Idol.”

Samberg kicked off the ceremony with a video in which he made elaborate fun of the overload of TV programs available.

“So many shows, so little,” he sang, before entering a “TV viewing bunker” to binge-view on all the nominated shows. A bearded, shaggy-haired Samberg emerged to boast to contenders Jon Hamm and Kerry Washington that he had them and everyone else covered.

Appearing on stage, groomed, Samberg touched briefly on the political scene.

“Sure, Donald Trump seems racist,” he said. “What else?”

———

Online: http://www.emmys.com

Winners

List of winners at Sunday’s Emmy Awards in Los Angeles:

Drama Series: “Game of Thrones,” HBO.

Actor, Drama Series: Jon Hamm, “Mad Men,” AMC.

Actress, Drama Series: Viola Davis, “How to Get Away With Murder,” ABC.

Supporting Actor, Drama Series: Peter Dinklage, “Game of Thrones,” HBO.

Supporting Actress, Drama Series: Uzo Aduba, “Orange is the New Black,” Netflix.

Directing, Drama Series: David Nutter, “Game of Thrones,” HBO.

Writing, Drama Series: David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, “Game of Thrones,” HBO.

Comedy Series: “Veep,” HBO.

Actor, Comedy Series: Jeffrey Tambor, “Transparent,” Amazon Instant Video.

Actress, Comedy Series: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep,” HBO.

Supporting Actor, Comedy Series: Tony Hale, “Veep,” HBO.

Supporting Actress, Comedy Series: Allison Janney, “Mom,” CBS.

Directing, Comedy Series: Jill Soloway, “Transparent,” Amazon Instant Video.

Writing, Comedy Series: Simon Blackwell, Amando Iannucci, Tony Roche, “Veep,” HBO.

Limited Series: “Olive Kitteridge,” HBO.

Actor, Limited Series or Movie: Richard Jenkins, “Olive Kitteridge,” HBO.

Actress, Limited Series or Movie: Frances McDormand, “Olive Kitteridge,” HBO.

Supporting Actor, Limited Series or Movie: Bill Murray, “Olive Kitteridge,” HBO.

Supporting Actress, Limited Series or Movie: Regina King, “American Crime,” ABC.

Directing, Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special: Lisa Cholodenko, “Olive Kitteridge,” HBO.

Writing, Limited Series, Movie or Dramatic Special: Jane Anderson, “Olive Kitteridge,” HBO.

Variety Talk Series: “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart,” Comedy Central.

Directing, Variety Series: Chuck O’Neil, “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart.”

Variety Sketch Series: “Inside Amy Schumer,” Comedy Central.

Writing, Variety Series: “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart,” Comedy Central.

Reality-Competition Program: “The Voice,” NBC.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

The Moonlight Swing Orchestra will play classic sounds of the Big Band Era on April 21 in Everett. (submitted photo)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Relive the Big Band Era at the Port Gardner Music Society’s final concert of the season in Everett.

2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD (Honda)
2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD

Honda cedes big boy pickup trucks to the likes of Ford, Dodge… Continue reading

Would you want to give something as elaborate as this a name as mundane as “bread box”? A French Provincial piece practically demands the French name panetiere.
A panetiere isn’t your modern bread box. It’s a treasure of French culture

This elaborately carved French antique may be old, but it’s still capable of keeping its leavened contents perfectly fresh.

(Judy Newton / Great Plant Picks)
Great Plant Pick: Mouse plant

What: Arisarum proboscideum, also known as mouse plant, is an herbaceous woodland… Continue reading

Bright green Japanese maple leaves are illuminated by spring sunlight. (Getty Images)
Confessions of a ‘plantophile’: I’m a bit of a junky for Japanese maples

In fact, my addiction to these glorious, all-season specimens seems to be contagious. Fortunately, there’s no known cure.

2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited (Hyundai)
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited

The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited is a sporty, all-electric, all-wheel drive sedan that will quickly win your heart.

The 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T hybrid’s face has the twin red lines signifying the brand’s focus on performance. (Dodge)
2024 Hornet R/T is first electrified performance vehicle from Dodge

The all-new compact SUV travels 32 miles on pure electric power, and up to 360 miles in hybrid mode.

Don’t blow a bundle on glass supposedly made by the Henry William Stiegel

Why? Faked signatures, reused molds and imitated styles can make it unclear who actually made any given piece of glass.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.