Emmy Awards 2015 opened on a high note on Sunday night. Keeping up with the expectations of the fans across the globe, "Game of Thrones" won a record-breaking 12 Emmy Awards. However, the most memorable trophy was presented to "Mad Men" star Jon Hamm, who won his first Emmy with his 16th nomination.
Nominated for lead actor in a drama, Hamm competed against Kyle Chandler ("Bloodline"), Jeff Daniels ("The Newsroom"), Bob Odenkirk ("Better Call Saul"), Liev Schreiber ("Ray Donovan"), and Kevin Spacey ("House of Cards") at the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards.
"Game of Thrones" won eight Creative Arts Emmys last weekend, bringing its total to 12. That's the most a single series has won in a given year, according to Variety.
"Veep" was arguably the biggest winner in the ceremony, winning awards for best comedy series, two major acting awards and another trophy for writing.
In accepting her sixth Emmy, Louis-Dreyfus quoted her own show and said, "What a great honour it must be for you to honour me tonight." She added, "Oh, no, no, I'm so sorry: Donald Trump said that. I'm sorry." She also thanked the "powerful, funny women" in her category.
"Veep" star Tony Hale won his second Emmy in the supporting actor comedy category. He thanked many people, including the "Veep" writing team of Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci and Tony Roche, who'd just accepted their first Emmy for their category. "They make it possible to do what we do, and I am so thankful," Hale said.
"Transparent" also fared well in the comedy categories. Jeffrey Tambor won best actor in a comedy series for his portrayal of Maura Pfefferman, a member of the trans community.
"I had a teacher who used to say, 'When you act, you have to act as if your life depends on it,'" he told the audience. "And now I've been given the opportunity to act, because people's lives depend on it."
"Transparent" director Jill Soloway thanked her transgender mother and encouraged viewers to vote to pass a trans equality bill.
"She could tomorrow try to find an apartment, and in 32 states, it would be legal for the landlord to look her in the eye to say, 'We don't rent to trans people,'" Soloway said. "We don't have a trans tipping point yet. We have a trans civil-rights problem."
Viola Davis of "How to Get Away With Murder" won the Emmy for best actress in a drama and began her acceptance speech paraphrasing the words of Harriet Tubman: "In my mind, I see a line. And over that line, I see green fields and lovely flowers and beautiful white women with their arms stretched out to me, over that line, but I can't seem to get there no how. I can't seem to get over that line."
Later, Davis provided her own commentary, "Let me tell you something: The only that separates women of colour from anyone else is opportunity. You cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there."
With the help of cameos by fellow actors Jon Hamm, Kerry Washington and Will Forte, Emmys host Andy Samberg opened the show with a taped musical segment that showed him watching "every show" from a TV bunker.
His pre-taped segments also featured cameos by many of the night's nominees, including Hamm, Kerry Washington, Will Forte, Nathan Fillion, and "Parks and Recreation's" Jim O'Heir.
On the Microsoft Theater stage, Samberg warned that winners whose speeches are long would be chased off the stage by the "mean nun from 'Game of Thrones,'" played on Sunday night by Jane Lynch, who repeatedly shouted, "Shame!"
It was a bluff, however, as the pit orchestra was assigned that task.
Towards the end of Sunday's broadcast, "SNL" alumnus Tracy Morgan received a standing ovation as he walked onto the stage to present the award for best drama series to "Game of Thrones". Set to host "SNL" on 17 October, Morgan continues to recover from a June 2014 accident that seriously injured him and claimed the life of his friend James McNair.
Offstage, Morgan appeared to be in good spirits while posing for a photo with Hamm. He tweeted late on Sunday, "Man it feels good to be back!!! Love you all!"
CLICK HERE to see the the winners' list and watch Emmy Awards 2015 online.
