Emmys make history with awards

Awards for transgender drama, first black winner for Lead Actress In A Drama at 67th edition of awards show

Sep 22, 2015 06:00 am

It may lack the controversy of the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) and the glitz of the Oscars, but the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards show was still entertaining.

Held at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles yesterday morning (Singapore time), the awards ceremony was hosted by Brooklyn Nine-Nine and former-Saturday Night Live comedian Andy Samberg, 37.

The network winner of the night was undoubtedly HBO.

Literary drama Olive Kitteridge bagged six awards, fantasy drama Game Of Thrones four and political comedy Veep three.

Veep won the Outstanding Comedy Series award, breaking Modern Family's five-year winning streak.

This year's Emmys is considered significant for representing diversity on primetime TV with two wins for transgender drama Transparent starring Jeffrey Tambor and the first-ever Emmy win for Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series by a black actress, Viola Davis.

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Here are the most memorable moments of this year's Emmys.

1 SAMBERG'S OPENING SONG

Andy Samberg's opening song routine about binge-watching TV dramas, I Watched Every Show, showcased what the actor does best: silly songs. The frontman of musical comedy trio Lonely Island, famed for the hit spoofs Lazy Sunday and Dick In A Box, tackled the age-old question "How does one catch up with all the good TV out there?" with his trademark hilarity.

He sang about locking himself in a bunker to catch up with this year's best shows, foregoing social events and even the need to shower - something many of us can relate to.

With funny cameos by Jon Hamm, Kerry Washington and Will Forte as Javert from Les Miserables, the song was an instant classic.

Unfortunately, the rest of Samberg's hosting routine was more hit-and-miss, proving he is more suited to sketch comedy than stand-up.

2 DAVIS'S SPEECH

Being the first African-American actress to win an Emmy for Lead Actress In A Drama is a huge deal and Viola Davis made sure everyone realised that.

In her acceptance speech for her role in How To Get Away With Murder, the 50-year-old delivered a rousing message quoting civil rights icon Harriet Tubman and thanking other coloured women in the industry.

"The only thing that separates women of colour from anyone else is opportunity. You cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there," said Davis.

"So here's to all the writers, the awesome people who have redefined what it means to be beautiful, to be sexy, to be a leading woman, to be black."

3 HAMM'S WINNING MOMENT

It's been a tough year for Jon Hamm. The 44-year-old actor said in March that he had been undergoing rehab for alcohol addiction and he also broke up with his girlfriend of 18 years, actress and screenwriter Jennifer Westfeldt.

With Mad Men's final season over, it was Hamm's last chance to snag an Emmy for his role as ad man Don Draper.

And he did.

Making a dramatic entrance by skipping the stairs and clambering onto the stage, Hamm appeared awestruck by the Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series win.

"I want to thank the people to whom I owe this incredible debt," he said.

"Families who have chosen for some reason to take me in and be nice to me along this strange, strange road."

4 AMYS' JOKES

"We are Amy," comedienne powerhouses Amy Poehler and Amy Schumer simply announced when presenting the award for Best Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series.

The duo were hands down the best presenters of the evening, cracking one hit joke after another.

Our favourite: "I have blackout scheduled for 10pm," said Schumer, 34, solemnly, revealing her plan to get roaring drunk at the Emmys after-party. She had good reason to celebrate: her comedy show Inside Amy Schumer won for Outstanding Variety Sketch Series.

While Poehler, 44, didn't win the Lead Actress In A Comedy Series award, she stole the show from her fellow nominees by rocking a grey hoodie and sunglasses for her gangster impression.

We just love Amys who don't take themselves too seriously.

5 MORGAN'S RETURN

Fifteen months after the car accident that left Tracy Morgan in an eight-day coma, he made a grand return to the Emmys stage to a roar of applause.

The 46-year-old 30 Rock star left the audience in tears as he spoke of his recovery ordeal.

But his sense of humour was definitely left unscathed: He told the crowd that "when I finally regained consciousness, I was just ecstatic to learn I wasn't the one who messed up".

He added that he was just starting to feel like himself again, which meant "a lot of the women gonna get pregnant at the after-party".