The 69th Emmy Awards ceremony took place at the Microsoft Theatre in downtown Los Angeles. Here are events as they unveiled ...
8.36am
'Veep' and 'The Handmaid's Tale' win top Emmy Award prizes
The dystopian vision of "The Handmaid's Tale," the deeply cynical Washington comedy "Veep" and the ever-topical "Saturday Night Live" won top series honors Sunday in an Emmy Awards ceremony that took almost nonstop aim at President Donald Trump in awards and speeches.
"Go home, get to work, we have a lot of things to fight for," producer Bruce Miller said in accepting the best drama trophy for "A Handmaid's Tale," which also won best drama writing and directing awards and a best actress trophy for Elisabeth Moss. A beaming Margaret Atwood, the Canadian author whose 1985 novel is the show's source, was onstage.
Sterling K. Brown, whose role in "This Is Us" earned him the top drama series actor trophy, paid tribute to the last African-American man to win in the category, Andre Braugher in 1998 for his role as a police detective in "Homicide: Life on the Street."
"Nineteen years ago, Detective Frank Pemberton held this joint," Brown, hoisting his Emmy and calling it his "supreme honor" to follow Braugher. He was good-natured as the orchestra cut into his speech, but it seemed a glaring misstep on a night in which the TV academy reveled in signs of the industry's increasing diversity.
Earlier, Nicole Kidman spoke uninterrupted for 2 minutes and 45 seconds, while Brown got 1 minute, 58 seconds, before he was played off, a significant difference given the short time winners get to say their piece.
Moss captured her first Emmy and thanked her mother in a speech that was peppered with expletives, while Ann Dowd won supporting actress honors for "A Handmaid's Tale."
Donald Glover won the best comedy actor for "Atlanta," which he created and which carries his distinctive voice, while Julia Louis-Dreyfus was honored for a sixth time for her role as a self-absorbed politician in "Veep," named best comedy for the third time.
"I want to thank Trump for making black people No. 1 on the most oppressed list. He's the reason I'm probably up here," Glover said, acknowledging the entertainment industry's and the Emmys' increased tilt toward the nonstop political under Trump. He also won a directing trophy for his FX Networks show.
Combined with Emmys that Louis-Dreyfus has won for "Seinfeld" and "New Adventures of Old Christine," her latest trophy tied her with Cloris Leachman as the most-winning Emmy performer ever. She called "Veep" an "adventure of utter joy," but first made a sharp-edged joke about the show's direction next season, its last.
"We did have a whole story line about an impeachment, but we abandoned that because we worried that someone else might get to it first," Louis-Dreyfus said.
Host Stephen Colbert's song-and-dance opening - with help from Chance the Rapper - included the song "Everything Is Better on TV," which, among other Trump digs, mentioned his alleged ties to Russia and included the lyric "even treason is better on TV."
The ceremony was also smartly free-wheeling under Colbert's sure hand, including a taped bit in which the nude comedian - carefully shown seated and from the back - was being "reprogrammed" by "Westworld" star and nominee Jeffrey Wright to correct a glitch in the host mechanism.
"Saturday Night Live" triumphed for a season of skewering Trump.
"I remember the first time we won this award," creator Lorne Michaels said in accepting the show's trophy for best variety sketch series. "It was after our first season in 1976. And I remember thinking ... there would never be another season as crazy, as unpredictable, as frightening, as exhausting, or as exhilarating. Turns out I was wrong."
The trophies for best supporting comedy acting went to Kate McKinnon, who played Hillary Clinton on "SNL," and Alec Baldwin for his Trump portrayal on the NBC show.
McKinnon thanked Clinton for her "grace and grit." Baldwin spoke directly to Trump, who has complained in the past that he was cheated out of a trophy for hosting "Celebrity Apprentice": "I suppose I should say, 'At long last, Mr. President, here is your Emmy.'"
Melissa McCarthy was honored at last weekend's creative arts Emmys as best guest actress for her "SNL" work, including portraying Sean Spicer. The former White House press secretary made a surprise Emmys appearance, wheeling in his own podium.
"This will be the largest audience to witness an Emmys, period. Both in person and around the world," Spicer shouted with authority, echoing his claim that Trump's inauguration crowd was the biggest ever and evoking McCarthy's manic portrayal of him.
John Lithgow, who received the best supporting drama actor for his role as British leader Winston Churchill in "The Crown," took a more diplomatic approach to political commentary.
"Most 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," Lithgow said.
Many celebrities wore blue ribbons to support the American Civil Liberties Union, which is seeking to shed light on the plight of young immigrants facing the potential of being deported.
In a sign of the dramatically changed TV landscape, premium cable was joined by streaming services to dominate traditional broadcast networks with winners including Hulu's "Handmaid's Tale," Netflix's TV movie "Black Mirror: San Junipero" and HBO's "Big Little Lies."
HBO claimed a leading 29 awards based on the combined totals from Sunday and last week's creative arts awards, followed by Netflix with 20, NBC with 15, Hulu with 10, ABC with seven and FX Networks with six.
NBC's uplifting family drama "This Is Us" missed its shot at being the first network drama to win since Fox's "24" in 2006, but the network's "SNL" won a leading nine awards among programs.
"Big Little Lies" won the limited series award, with Kidman taking the lead actress award and supporting honors going to her castmates Alexander Skarsgard and Laura Dern.
"More great roles for women, please," said Kidman as she and her fellow executive producer and co-star Reese Witherspoon accepted the miniseries' award.
Riz Ahmed was honored as best limited series actor for "The Night Of."
Lena Waithe became the first African-American woman to win an Emmy for comedy series writing, for "Master of None," sharing the award with series co-creator Aziz Ansari, who is of Indian heritage.
"The things that make us different, those are superpowers," Waithe said. "Thank you for embracing a little Indian boy from South Carolina and a little queer black girl from the south side of Chicago," she said, basking in a standing ovation from the theater audience.
TV academy President and CEO Hayma Washington paid tribute to TV's 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.
"The Voice" won the reality competition category. "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" won the award for best variety talk series writing and then the variety show prize itself, prompting also-rans Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel to jokingly raise a glass to each other and speculate whether the wrong name was announced.
The "In Memorian" segment had several notable exclusions, including Dick Gregory and Harry Dean Stanton.
7.26am
Best Drama Series Award goes to 'The Handmaid's Tale'
"The Handmaid's Tale," the dark story of a misogynistic dictatorship that takes shape in New England, was crowned best drama series at the Emmy awards in Los Angeles on Sunday.
The dystopian drama based on the 1985 novel by Margaret Atwood triumphed at the 69th Primetime Emmys, picking up a total of five statuettes including best actress in a drama for its star Elisabeth Moss.
7.10am
Elisabeth Moss wins lead actress in a drama for role in 'The Handmaid's Tale'
Elisabeth Moss on Sunday won the Emmy for best leading actress in a drama series for her central role in the dystopian "The Handmaid's Tale."
The 35-year-old won her first Emmy for playing Offred in "The Handmaid's Tale," the dark story of a misogynistic dictatorship that takes shape in New England, which also won for best drama series.
6:58am
Sterling K Brown wins lead actor in drama series for 'This is Us'
Congrats @SterlingKBrown on your Primetime #Emmy Award for #ThisIsUs pic.twitter.com/wv5Y3rBOkG
— The Emmys® (NATAS) (@TheEmmys) September 18, 2017
This is the first award of the evening for NBC's drama series and the second Emmy Award for Brown who won last year for his role in 'The People vs OJ Simpson'.
6.37am
Kidman wins for ‘Big Little Lies’
The best actress in a limited series Emmy has been awarded to Nicole Kidman.
Kidman won for her role in the HBO series "Big Little Lies," and she thanked co-star Reese Witherspoon saying she would not have won if not for her.
Moments earlier, Riz Ahmad won the Emmy Award for best actor in a limited series for his role on "The Night Of."
Both actors used their speech to support personal causes.
Kidman says of the series, "We shone a light on domestic abuse. It is a complicated, insidious disease."
6.23am
Third comedy series win for ‘Veep’
"Veep" is the winner of the Emmy Award for best comedy series.
It is the third win in a row for the HBO series, which stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus as a fictional U.S. politician who ascends and later loses the presidency.
Louis-Dreyfus won the best comedy actress moments before the show win was announced. The show recently announced its next season would be its last.
6.21am
Glover wins for best comedy actor
Donald Glover is the winner of the Emmy Award for best comedy actor for his role in "Atlanta," while Julia Louis-Dreyfus has won - again - for her role on "Veep."
Glover created and stars in the series about a young man trying to make his way in Atlanta, proving himself worthy to his parents by becoming successful by promoting his cousin in the city's rap scene.
It is Glover's second Emmy win of the evening. He previously won for a directing honor for the series, and he thanked his parents and the city of Atlanta in his speech.
It's the sixth consecutive win for Louis-Dreyfus, who has won the category the last five years for her role as politician Selina Meyer in the HBO comedy.
With her win Sunday night, Louis-Dreyfus now is tied with Cloris Leachman for most Emmy wins. She previously won comedy acting awards for "Seinfeld" and "The New Adventures of Old Christine" before dominating the category with her work on "Veep."
6.10am
Oliver takes talk show gong
John Oliver is the winner of the Emmy Award for outstanding talk series.
Oliver won for his role on the series "Last Night Tonight."
It is the second win of the night for Oliver, who also won an Emmy for writing on the HBO show.
6.02am
Remembering those who died this year
The Emmys' remembrance of actors and television luminaries who have died in the past year did not include Harry Dean Stanton.
The veteran character actor who appeared on shows such as "Big Love" and "Twin Peaks" died Friday at age 91.
The tribute included Adam West, Mary Tyler Moore, Carrie Fisher, Roger Ailes, Alan Thicke and Florence Henderson and numerous others.
The segment included television executive Don Ohlmeyer, who died a week ago.
5.53am
Baldwin praises Spicer’s sense of humour
Alec Baldwin says the average person is likely grateful that Sean Spicer has a sense of humour about himself.
Speaking backstage at the Emmy Awards Sunday following his win for best supporting actor in a comedy, Baldwin addressed the surprise appearance by the former White House press secretary as a part of a comedy bit that opened the show.
The appearance has garnered mixed reactions on social media, many of which were critical.
Baldwin says Spicer was "compelled to do certain things that we might not have respected ... in order to do his job." He adds that he's also done jobs that "you shouldn't admire or respect me for either so he and I have that in common."
5.43am
Three-peat for ‘The Voice’
It's a three-peat for "The Voice," which has won the best reality competition Emmy Award again.
The NBC singing competition show pairs would-be stars with some of the top talents in the music industry, including judges Blake Shelton and Adam Levine.
5.20am
Baldwin quiet backstage
Alec Baldwin may have spoken loudly when accepting his Emmy Award for best comedy supporting actor, but he was quieter when collecting his actual award backstage.
He signed his name and thoughtfully examined the statuette closely at the trophy table backstage Sunday. The actor asked if the engraved nameplate would be mailed to him and a television academy worker told him he could have it attached at the Governors Ball after the show.
Baldwin practically whispered his thanks before disappearing down the hall.
5am
Baldwin takes comedy supporting actor
Alec Baldwin is the winner of the Emmy Award for comedy supporting actor for his role on “Saturday Night Live.”
Baldwin started out his acceptance speech night by ribbing Donald Trump, saying the president finally has his Emmy.
The actor’s impersonations of Trump have propelled “SNL” to its best season in years, bringing in viewers and also Emmy glory. Baldwin’s win is the third win for “Saturday Night Live” during Sunday’s show.
4.52am
Spicer’s appearance shocks everyone
Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer’s surprise Emmys appearance nearly upstaged host Stephen Colbert.
Spicer rolled onto the stage Sunday night to declare Sunday’s Emmy telecast the most watched ever.
A raucous Emmy audience inside the Microsoft Theater laughed loudly and often as Colbert, not surprisingly, made President Donald Trump the butt of one joke after another. But the audience gasped with genuine surprise when Colbert called out Spicer to ask how big a crowd was watching the Emmys and he responded that it was the largest ever in a statement similar to his widely mocked claim that Trump’s inauguration drew the largest crowd ever.
No one in the audience looked more stunned than Melissa McCarthy who repeatedly mocked Spicer’s performance as press secretary on “Saturday Night Live” and won an Emmy Award for her cameos last week.
4.48am
SNL named oustanding variety sketch
The outstanding variety sketch series Emmy Award has been awarded to “Saturday Night Live.”
The show has already won two honors Sunday night, with comedian Kate McKinnon winning the best supporting actress in a comedy series earlier in the evening.
The NBC series was nominated for 22 Emmy nominations this year, and has seen ratings success with its pointed political humor featuring McKinnon as Hillary Clinton and Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump.
4.45am
Spicer makes surprise appearance
Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer made a surprise appearance at the Emmy Awards during host Stephen Colbert’s monologue.
Colbert set it up by saying he had no idea how many people would be watching the Emmys, then Spicer wheeled a podium out on stage - a reference to Melissa McCarthy’s memorable impersonation of President Trump’s ex-spokesman on “Saturday Night Live.”
“This will be the largest audience to witness an Emmys, period, in person and around the world,” Spicer said.
That, of course, recalled Spicer’s Trump-ordered claims about the bigness of Trump’s Inauguration Day crowd.
“Wow,” Colbert replied. “That really soothes my fragile ego.”
4.36am
Dern wins for 'Big Little Lies'
Laura Dern has won the Emmy Award for best supporting actress in a limited series. Dern won for her role in the HBO series “Big Little Lies.”
It is the actress’ first Emmy win.
She began her speech by saying that in her career, which began when she was 11, she felt like she’s never worked with as many women on screen.
She also thanked her co-stars Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon and Shailene Woodley.
4:31am
SNL’s McKinnon wins supporting comedy actress Emmy
The supporting comedy actress Emmy has been awarded to Kate McKinnon.
McKinnon won for her role in the NBC series “Saturday Night Live.”
The actress played presidential candidate Hillary Clinton during the most recent season, and thanked Clinton during her acceptance speech.
She teared up as she gave her thanks Sunday night.
4.25am
Lithgow collects supporting actor gong
John Lithgow is the winner of the Emmy Award for best drama series supporting actor. Lithgow won for his role on the Netflix series “The Crown.”
The actor calls the win the latest gift from the series, in which he played Winston Churchill as he advises the newly installed Queen Elizabeth II.
Lithgow thanked Churchill in his acceptance speech Sunday night.
It’s Lithgow’s sixth career Emmy.
4.15am
Host Colbert takes swing at Trump
Emmy Awards host Stephen Colbert has taken a jab at President Donald Trump in his opening monologue.
Colbert thanked the president for tuning in Sunday, joking that Trump is the only one who has enough time to keep current on all that’s going on in television nowadays.
Colbert adds he’s “looking forward to the tweets.”
The CBS late-night host had promised a political show, and his opening number did include jabs at negative news headlines.
Colbert also went on a lengthy riff on Trump, blaming Emmy voters for not giving the president an Emmy. Colbert told the crowd, “This is all your fault.”
The host also played a clip of Trump commenting during a presidential debate that he should have been awarded an Emmy before joking that Emmys go to the winner of the popular vote.
The host wasn’t all serious: He took time to thank first responders to hurricanes Harvey and Irma, and urged people to donate to disaster recovery.
4.10am
Ceremony begins with musical number
Stephen Colbert has started the 2017 Emmy Awards with a musical number.
The musical bit included cameos from the “This Is Us” cast, a nod to “Stranger Things” and “A Handmaid’s Tale” as well as an appearance from Chance the Rapper.
It also included a couple jabs at politics and negative headlines.
The number was met with thunderous applause.
Colbert promised the ceremony honoring the best actors and shows on television would be political in the days before Sunday’s ceremony broadcasting live from the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles.(backslash)
3.45am
Scramble for seats begins
A half an hour to showtime, the Microsoft Theater lobby is suffering a serious case of gridlock as people begin to scramble for seats while others gobble down boxes of popcorn they picked up at one of the concession stands.
While the big screens above the stage that will show the broadcast display trivia questions, an anonymous voice interrupts the endless jazz pop soundtrack playing in the theater to repeat every minute or two, “Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats, the show will begin shortly.”
3.35am
Sullivan dons top hat, brings cane
Men’s fashions at awards shows tend to be pretty staid, but “This Is Us” star Chris Sullivan has upped the ante by sporting both a top hat and cane on the Emmys red carpet Sunday.
Sullivan mugged for the cameras with the cane, but the top hat was a late addition to his wardrobe. Sullivan says he spotted it in a shop on Saturday and said, “This is happening.”
His “This Is Us” co-star Ron Cephas Jones arrived in a white tuxedo jacket and left his bow tie undone as he posed for photographers.
One of the more colorful men’s fashion choices came from one of the younger “Stranger Things” stars, Caleb McLaughlin, who wore a purple tuxedo jacket.
3.15am
Celebs ignore security guards
It’s less than an hour to showtime, and the Microsoft Theater resembles a ghost town as celebrities ignore the requests from security guards to move inside, choosing instead to stop and chat with friends, family and each other.
Anthony Anderson embraces a friend warmly after wrapping up a red carpet interview with the cast of “black-ish” while nearby William H. Macy and wife Felicity Huffman pose for cellphone photos with friends. “Oh come on, get in the photo,” Huffman says to a friend who tries to step aside when an official red carpet photographer joins the shoot.
Those who make it inside are greeted by what is essentially a giant cocktail lounge.
Attendees are standing in lines a dozen or more deep, hoping to grab a quick drink before heading for their seats. Bottled water that was free outside is going for $5 a pop at the theater lounge.
3am
Red carpet traffic jam
The biggest traffic jam in Los Angeles might be on the Emmy red carpet.
Stars were gridlocked Sunday on their way into the auditorium with just over an hour to go until the show started.
In the crowd Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy chatted with Giancarlo Esposito, Tatiana Maslany checked her phone and Chris Hardwick snapped a photo of the crush of people ahead of him, including Uzo Aduba, Michael Kelly and Zach Woods.
By the time stars arrive on the carpet, they’ve often spent hours preparing for the ceremony.
Huffman and Macy, who are married, said preparing for the Emmys was a family affair. Both actors are nominated - Macy for his work on “Shameless” and Huffman for her role on “American Crime.”
Huffman says, “I was in hair and makeup at 10:30.”
Macy says, “We had music on. I took a picture of everyone. It was sort of sweet.”
2.50am
Brown talks ‘This is Us’
Sterling K. Brown says his Emmy nomination for “This Is Us” feels different from his experience last year.
Brown won last year for his role as O.J. Simpson prosecutor Christopher Darden in the limited series “People v O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story.”
The actor is nominated this year in one of the night’s top acting honors: best drama actor for the NBC series.
Brown says, “It does feel different but for different reasons. I’m the first African American in 16 years nominated, that kind of blows my mind.”
The last African-American actor to win in the category was Andre Braugher in 1998 for “Homicide: Life on the Street.” He was nominated three years later for “Gideon’s Crossing,” but did not win.
2.45am
McCarthy to return to SNL
“Saturday Night Live” star Aidy Bryant says there will come a day when Melissa McCarthy will return to the show.
Speaking to The Associated Press Sunday on the bustling Emmys red carpet and flanked by male co-stars Beck Bennett, Pete Davidson, Kyle Mooney and show writer Mikey Day, who she called her barbershop quartet, Bryant said they missed McCarthy. She called the actress a powerhouse.
“Saturday Night Live” has 22 nominations, and McCarthy has already won for her recurring guest appearance as former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer.
As for the upcoming season, Mooney says not to worry and to trust the process. Plus, Bennett adds: they’ve got Ryan Gosling for their season premiere later this month.
2.15am
‘Stranger Things’ stars hunt in pack
The child stars of Netflix phenomenon “Stranger Things” are sticking together at the Emmys.
Gaten Matarazzo and Finn Wolfhard stayed close walking down the red carpet Sunday in the lead up to Sunday’s ceremony, where “Stranger Things” is up for best drama.
The pair was joined by Noah Schnapp and Caleb McLaughlin for photos, with McLaughlin sporting a vibrant purple tuxedo jacket.
“Saturday Night Live” cast members Pete Davidson and Kyle Mooney also braved the carpet together.
1.50am
‘Billy! Billy! Over here!’
“Billy on the Street’s” Billy Eichner has a fan in Jackie Hoffman.
The “Feud” star crossed paths with Eichner on the Emmys red carpet Sunday shouting “Billy! Billy! Over here!”
Eichner, a nominee, laughed and waved and made his way to an area where he was photographed repeatedly.
Elsewhere “Top Chef’s” Gail Simmons powdered her nose before facing the cameras, while E! red carpet correspondent Giuliana Rancic adjusted her black tulle gown.
1.30am
Brown and Hoffman first on the carpet
Emmy nominees Sterling K. Brown and Jackie Hoffman are among the first nominees to walk the red carpet on Sunday.
The actors posed for photographs on the red carpet as publicists and security readied for the deluge of stars expected for the show. The red carpet for the first time is tented and air conditioned to provide for some relief from the usually warm temperatures in Los Angeles in September. The temperatures are in the 70s on Sunday and the air conditioning was a welcome respite from recent years of sweltering Emmys red carpets.
Another early arrival was “Modern Family” star Rico Rodriguez.
Hoffman, who is nominated for the FX series “Feud: Bette and Joan” says she’s “less freak-out nervous” now that all the pre-Emmy festivities are over and she’s finally at the big show. She says she’ll be happy to accept anyone’s Emmy for them tonight, but is most excited about the chance to claim her own.
1am
What will Colbert say?
The Emmy ceremony is about winners and losers. But expect politics and a cheeky turn by host Stephen Colbert too.
Colbert says that Sunday’s Emmys are a celebration of TV, and that President Donald Trump was TV’s biggest star in the past year.
Colbert also vowed to show his nude rear, or at least part of it, in the opening musical number.
Nominees for the top drama series Emmy include the warm-hearted “This Is Us” and the dark “The Handmaid’s Tale.”
Among comedy contenders, political satire “Veep” is the favorite after two consecutive wins. Star Julia Louis-Dreyfus could claim the best comedy actress trophy for the sixth time for her role.
The 69th prime-time Emmy Awards start at 4am UAE.
