The dystopian series 鈥淭he Handmaid鈥檚 Tale鈥� was crowned best TV drama on Sunday at the Emmy Awards, and the show also won best drama writing and directing while earning Elisabeth Moss a best actress statuette and Ann Dowd a best drama supporting actress award.
The series is based on Margaret Atwood鈥檚 1985 novel, and the celebrated Canadian author received a standing ovation when she joined the cast and producers onstage as they accepted the Emmy.
Congratulations to & on winning Outstanding Drama Series!
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鈥淰eep鈥� and 鈥淪aturday Night Live鈥� were also big winners.
Sterling K. Brown won his second back-to-back Emmy for his role in the series 鈥淭his Is Us鈥� and in his speech honoured Andre Braugher, who was the last black man to be nominated in the same category, for 鈥淕ideon鈥檚 Crossing鈥� in 2001.
鈥淚t does feel different but for different reasons. I鈥檓 the first African-American in 16 years nominated. That kind of blows my mind,鈥� he said.
Moss won her first Emmy and thanked her mother in a speech that was peppered with expletives. 鈥淵ou are brave and strong and smart,鈥� she said.
Donald Glover won the best comedy actor for 鈥淎tlanta,鈥� which he created and which carries his distinctive voice, while Julia Louis-Dreyfus was honoured for a sixth time for her role as a self-absorbed politician in the comedy 鈥淰eep,鈥� named best comedy for the third time.
鈥淚 want to thank Trump for making black people No. 1 on the most oppressed list. He鈥檚 the reason I鈥檓 probably up here,鈥� Glover said, acknowledging the entertainment industry鈥檚 and the Emmys鈥� tilt toward the nonstop political under President Donald Trump.
Combined with Emmys that Louis-Dreyfus has won for 鈥淪einfeld鈥� and 鈥淣ew Adventures of Old Christine,鈥� her latest trophy tied her with Cloris Leachman as the most-winning Emmy performer ever.
鈥淪aturday Night Live鈥� triumphed early for a season of skewering President Donald Trump, while the ceremony and host Stephen Colbert did likewise.
鈥淚 remember the first time we won this award,鈥� creator Lorne Michaels said in accepting the show鈥檚 trophy for best variety sketch series. 鈥淚t was after the first season in 1976. I remember thinking 鈥� this was the high point,鈥� and there would never be 鈥渁nother season as crazy, as unpredictable, as frightening, as exhausting or as exhilarating. Turns out I was wrong.鈥�
The trophies for best supporting comedy acting went to Kate McKinnon, who played Hillary Clinton on 鈥淪NL,鈥� and Alec Baldwin for his Trump portrayal on the NBC show.
McKinnon thanked Clinton for her 鈥済race and grit.鈥� Baldwin spoke directly to Trump, who has complained in the past that he was cheated out of a trophy for hosting 鈥淐elebrity Apprentice鈥�: 鈥淚 suppose I should say, 鈥楢t long last, Mr. President, here is your Emmy.鈥欌��
Melissa McCarthy was honoured at last weekend鈥檚 creative arts Emmys as best guest actress for her 鈥淪NL鈥� work, including portraying Sean Spicer. The former White House press secretary made a surprise Emmys appearance, wheeling in his own podium.
鈥淭his will be the largest audience to witness an Emmys, period. Both in person and around the world,鈥� Spicer shouted with authority, echoing his claim that Trump鈥檚 inauguration crowd was the biggest ever and evoking McCarthy鈥檚 manic portrayal of him.
That moment showed up at the .
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Colbert鈥檚 song-and-dance opening 鈥� with help from Chance the Rapper 鈥� included the song 鈥淓verything Is Better on TV,鈥� which repeatedly slammed Trump, mentioning his ties to Russia and including the lyric 鈥渆ven treason is better on TV.鈥�
John Lithgow, who received the best supporting drama actor for his role as British leader Winston Churchill in 鈥淭he Crown,鈥� took a more diplomatic approach to political commentary.
鈥淢ost of all I have to thank Winston Churchill. In these crazy times, his life, even as an old man, reminds us what courage and leadership in government really looks like,鈥� Lithgow said.
Many celebrities wore blue ribbons support the American Civil Liberties Union, which sought to shed light on the plight of young immigrants facing the potential of being deported.
鈥淏ig Little Lies鈥� won the limited series award, with Nicole Kidman taking the lead actress award and supporting honours going to her castmates Alexander Skarsgard and Laura Dern.
鈥淢ore great roles for women, please,鈥� said Kidman as she and her fellow executive producer and co-star Reese Witherspoon accepted the miniseries鈥� award.
Quebec director Jean-Marc Vallee also won an Emmy for his work on鈥滲ig Little Lies.鈥�
Riz Ahmed was honoured as best limited series actor for 鈥淭he Night Of.鈥� 鈥淏lack Mirror: San Junipero鈥� was named best TV movie.
Lena Waithe became the first African-American woman to win an Emmy for comedy series writing, for 鈥淢aster of None,鈥� sharing the award with series co-creator Aziz Ansari, who is of Indian heritage.
鈥淭he things that make us different, those are superpowers,鈥� Waithe said. 鈥淭hank you for embracing a little Indian boy from South Carolina and a little queer black girl from the south side of Chicago,鈥� she said, basking in a standing ovation from the theatre audience.
TV academy President and CEO Hayma Washington paid tribute to TV鈥檚 increasing diversity. That was reflected in the record number of African-American continuing series acting nominees, but Latinos were overlooked and Ansari was the only Asian-American contender.
鈥淭he Voice鈥� won the reality competition category. 鈥淟ast Week Tonight with John Oliver鈥� won the award for variety talk series, prompting also-rans Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel to jokingly raise a glass to each other and speculate maybe the wrong name was announced.
The 鈥淚n Memorian鈥� segment had several notable exclusions, including Dick Gregory and Harry Dean Stanton.
Lynn Elber, The Associated Press
