Well there you have it, folks! The 86th annual Emmy Awards are over and miraculously it was one of those rare awards shows that was both fun to watch and got just about everything right. What are the odds?
There is literally nothing to complain about when it comes to the awards handed out tonight. Well...except Fargo Season 2 being snubbed entirely, but you have to admit the competition was fierce. And that's the theme of the night (along with genuine, celebrated diversity that puts the Oscars to shame). Even if your favorite didn't take home the gold, you have to admit the winner deserved their moment. As expected, The People v. O.J. Simpson cleaned up, taking home 7 primetime Emmys, including Outstanding Limited Series and three well deserved acting awards ("Sarah Paulson, Emmy Winner." There is some good in this world.) The upset being Directing in a Miniseries, which was awarded to Susanna Biers for her gorgeous work on The Night Manager. Another unexpected by fabulously deserved win went to Louie Anderson for his gender-bending role on Baskets.
But if it was a good night for FX, and it sure was, it was also a big win for HBO with Game of Thrones and Veep taking Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Comedy Series, respectively. Julia Louis-Dreyfus landed another, again very well-earned, award for Lead Actress in a Comedy (and gave a heart-wrenching tribute to her recently passed father, RIP,) while Game of Thrones cleaned up in the writing and directing categories, taking home five awards in total. Amazon also had a big night with wins for Jeffrey Tambor and Jill Soloway's work on Transparent. In an interesting turn, Netflix was almost entirely iced out excepting a single win for Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang's writing on Master of None.
And let's take a moment here for an impromptu Clone Club dance break because Tatiana Maslany finally freaking won! A couple other standout moments -- Kate McKinnon's win for Saturday Night Live and Rami Malek's win for his breakout turn on Mr. Robot.
But while all the awards were essentially handed out to perfection, perhaps the most fantastic thing about tonight's show was the way it demonstrated the multitude of varied voices working on television today. "Inclusive" and "Diversity" get thrown around a lot as buzzwords, but here they are in action and proving soundly that we get the best of the best when we let every voice be heard regardless of gender, age, race, or sexuality. It was a pretty beautiful thing to behold.
But enough of my rambling! Check out the full list of winners (highlighted in red) below.
Outstanding Drama Series
Game of Thrones (HBO)
The Americans (FX)
House of Cards (Netflix)
Downton Abbey (PBS)
Better Call Saul (AMC)
Mr. Robot (USA)
Homeland (Showtime)
Outstanding Comedy Series
Veep (HBO)
Transparent (Amazon)
Silicon Valley (HBO)
Modern Family (ABC)
Master of None (Netflix)
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix)
black-ish (ABC)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Rami Malek, Mr. Robot (USA)
Kevin Spacey, House of Cards (Netflix)
Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul (AMC)
Liev Schreiber, Ray Donovan (Showtime)
Kyle Chandler, Bloodline (Netflix)
Matthew Rhys, The Americans (FX)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Viola Davis, How to Get Away With Murder (ABC)
Robin Wright, House of Cards (Netflix)
Claire Danes, Homeland (Showtime)
Taraji P. Henson, Empire (Fox)
Keri Russell, The Americans (FX)
Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black (BBC America)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent (Amazon)
Aziz Ansari, Master of None (Netflix)
Anthony Anderson, black-ish (ABC)
William H. Macy, Shameless (Showtime)
Will Forte, The Last Man on Earth (Fox)
Thomas Middleditch, Silicon Valley (HBO)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep (HBO)
Amy Schumer, Inside Amy Schumer (Comedy Central)
Ellie Kemper, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix)
Tracee Ellis Ross, black-ish (ABC)
Laurie Metcalfe, Getting On (HBO)
Lily Tomlin, Grace and Frankie (Netflix)
Outstanding Limited Series
The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX)
Fargo (FX)
American Crime (ABC)
Roots (History)
The Night Manager (AMC)
Outstanding Television Movie
All the Way (HBO)
Confirmation (HBO)
Sherlock: The Abominable Bride (PBS)
Luther (BBC One)
A Very Murray Christmas (Netflix)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a Movie
Bryan Cranston, All the Way (HBO)
Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock: The Abominable Bride (PBS)
Courtney B. Vance, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX)
Cuba Gooding, Jr., The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX)
Idris Elba, Luther (BBC America)
Tom Hiddleston, The Night Manager (AMC)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or a Movie
Sarah Paulson, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX)
Kirsten Dunst, Fargo (FX)
Kerry Washington, Confirmation (HBO)
Felicity Huffman, American Crime (ABC)
Audra McDonald, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill (HBO)
Lili Taylor, American Crime (ABC)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy
Louie Anderson, Baskets
Keegan-Michael Key, Key & Peele
Andre Braugher, Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Tituss Burgess, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Matt Walsh, Veep
Tony Hale, Veep
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy
Niecy Nash, Getting On
Allison Janney, Mom
Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live
Judith Light, Transparent
Gaby Hoffmann, Transparent
Anna Chlumsky, Veep
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Jonathan Banks, Better Call Saul
Ben Mendelsohn, Bloodline
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Kit Harington, Game of Thrones
Michael Kelly, House of Cards
Jon Voight, Ray Donovan
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Lena Headey, Game of Thrones
Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones
Maisie Williams, Game of Thrones
Maura Tierney, The Affair
Constance Zimmer, UnREAL
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Jesse Plemons, Fargo
Bokeem Woodbine, Fargo
Hugh Laurie, The Night Manager
Sterling K. Brown, People v. O.J. Simpson
David Schwimmer, People v. O.J. Simpson
John Travolta, People v. O.J. Simpson
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Melissa Leo, All the Way
Regina King, American Crime
Sarah Paulson, American Horror Story: Hotel
Kathy Bates, American Horror Story: Hotel
Jean Smart, Fargo
Olivia Colman, The Night Manager
Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Max von Sydow, Game of Thrones
Reg E. Cathey, House of Cards
Mahershala Ali, House of Cards
Paul Sparks, House of Cards
Hank Azaria, Ray Donovan
Michael J. Fox, The Good Wife
Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Bob Newhart, The Big Bang Theory
Tracy Morgan, Saturday Night Live
Larry David, Saturday Night Live
Bradley Whitford, Transparent
Martin Mull, Veep
Peter Scolari, Girls
Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Tina Fey & Amy Poehler, Saturday Night Live
Melissa McCarthy, Saturday Night Live
Amy Schumer, Saturday Night Live
Christine Baranski, The Big Bang Theory
Laurie Metcalf, The Big Bang Theory
Melora Hardin, Transparent
Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Laurie Metcalf, Horace and Pete
Molly Parker, House of Cards
Ellen Burstyn, House of Cards
Allison Janney, Masters of Sex
Margo Martindale, The Americans
Carrie Preston, The Good Wife
Outstanding Variety Talk Series
Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee (Crackle)
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC)
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (HBO)
Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC)
The Late Late Show With James Corden (CBS)
Real Time With Bill Maher (HBO)
Outstanding Variety Sketch Series
Documentary Now! (IFC)
Drunk History (Comedy Central)
Inside Amy Schumer (Comedy Central)
Key & Peele (Comedy Central)
Portlandia (IFC)
Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Outstanding Reality Competition Series
The Amazing Race (CBS)
The Voice (NBC)
Dancing With the Stars (ABC)
Top Chef (Bravo)
American Ninja Warrior (NBC)
Project Runway (Lifetime)
Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
Downton Abbey – Michael Engler, “Episode 9″
Game of Thrones – Miguel Sapochnik, “Battle of the Bastards”
Game of Thrones – Jack Bender, “The Door”
Homeland – Lesli Linka Glatter, “The Tradition of Hospitality”
Ray Donovan – David Hollander, “Excuscito”
The Knick – Steven Soderbergh, “This Is All We Are”
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
Downton Abbey – “Episode 8″, Julian Fellowes
Game of Thrones – “Battle of the Bastards”, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss
Mr. Robot – “eps1.0_hellofriend.mov (Pilot)”, Sam Esmail
The Americans – “Persona Non Grata”, Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg
The Good Wife – “End”, Robert King and Michelle King
UnREAL – “Return”, Marti Noxon and Sarah Gertrude Shapiro
Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
Master of None – Aziz Ansari, “Parents”
Silicon Valley – Mike Judge, “Founder Friendly”
Silicon Valley – Alec Berg, “Daily Active Users”
Transparent – Jill Soloway, “Man on the Land”
Veep – Chris Addison, “Morning After”
Veep – David Mandel, “Kissing Your Sister”
Veep – David Mandel, “Mother”
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
Catastrophe – “Episode 1″, Rob Delaney and Sharon Horgan
Master of None – “Parents”, Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang
Silicon Valley – “Founder Friendly”, Dan O’Keefe
Silicon Valley – “The Uptick”, Alec Berg
Veep – “Morning After”, David Mandel
Veep – “Mother”, Alex Gregory and Peter Huyck
Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special
All the Way – Jay Roach
Fargo – Noah Hawley, “Before the Law”
The Night Manager – Susanne Bier
The People v O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story – Ryan Murphy, “From the Ashes of Tragedy”
The People v O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story – John Singleton, “The Race Card”
The People v O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story – Anthony Hemingway, “Manna from Heaven”
Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special
Fargo – “Palindrome”, Noah Hawley
Fargo – “Loplop”, Bob DeLaurentis
The Night Manager – David Farr
The People v O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story – “Marcia, Marcia Marcia”, D.V. DeVincentes
The People v O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story – “From the Ashes of Tragedy”, Scott Alexander and Larry Karazewski
The People v O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story – “The Race Card”, Joe Robert Cole