Veep and Armando Iannucci conquer comedy awards at Emmys

Premium cable network HBO dominated television’s Emmy awards on Sunday with trophies for best comedy Veep and best drama Game Of Thrones, holding off challenges from the digital upstarts that have shaken up traditional Hollywood.

Jon Hamm finally snared an Emmy for his lead role as Don Draper in AMC’s 1960s advertising drama “Mad Men“, winning a standing ovation from the audience.

“Mad Men” star Hamm claimed the best drama actor Emmy that eluded him seven times before.

In the 67th edition of the television awards show Sunday, Davis became the first woman of color to win best actress in a drama series.

Directing, Drama Series: David Nutter, “Game of Thrones“, HBO. “Thank you to the writers, makers and the cast behind it”, Armando Iannucci, creator of the show, said while accepting the honour.

“Game of Thrones” has capped off a big night at the Emmys for HBO. Photo by Mike Blake, Reuters. In her win for directing “Transparent”, Soloway encouraged people to act for the transgender civil rights issue.

“Veep” claimed the top comedy award that ABC’s “Modern Family” had won for five straight years.

“Veep” left a big imprint at the Emmys this year as out of the nine nominations it swept off four awards including Outstanding Lead Actress In a Comedy Series for Julia Louis-Dreyfus. “I guess everyone on every show died”, he said after a break. “Thank you in your inspiration”, Tambor stated to members of the group in his acceptance speech.

Bradley Whitford received a guest-actor trophy for his cross-dressing “Transparent” character at the creative arts Emmys last weekend.

Regina King of “American Crime” won supporting actress honors for a limited series.

Hamm won best lead actor Sunday for the show’s final season, and though many critics had predicted the win, he wasn’t sure.

The show hit a high point with its first two presenters: Comic actresses Amy Poehler and Amy Schumer, who walked onstage together after being “primped” by a last-minute makeup crew.

“I’d like to dedicate myself and this award to the transgender community”, Tambor said.

Said Louis-Dreyfus: “It’s getting trickier and trickier to satirize this stuff”. “I’m just sort of, as you can tell, a little non-plussed; scattered, but I’m happy”. Thank you for letting us be part of the change.

The previous best total was held by The West Wing, which took home nine awards nearly 15 years ago.

The 2015 Emmy Awards have started with host Andy Samberg performing a pre-recorded song about how he’s watched all the television out there. A bearded, shaggy-haired Samberg emerged to boast to contenders Jon Hamm and Kerry Washington that he had them and everyone else covered.

Stars are fanning themselves and struggling to stay – and look – cool on the sweltering Emmys red carpet.

She paid tribute backstage to fellow black actress Taraji P. Henson, who was nominated for her role in Fox’s music melodrama “Empire“, saying both were gunning for the other to make history.

“He not only represents all of us but the body of work as a whole”.