The 61st Emmy Awards, hosted by an affable, white-tuxedoed Neil Patrick Harris, delivered a few surprises and plenty of deja vu moments.
Notable upsets included Toni Collette (United States of Tara) besting Tina Fey (30 Rock) in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy category , and Kristin Chenoweth’s Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy win for her work in the dead-as-a-doornail series Pushing Daisies.
Repeat winners included The Amazing Race, which picked up its seventh Best Reality-Competition Emmy; 30 Rock (Outstanding Comedy and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy); and Mad Men, winning its second consecutive award for Outstanding Drama. Also repeating their 2008 wins were Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) and Glenn Close (Damages) for Outstanding Lead Actor and Actress in a Drama.
The major award winners are listed below by category (or click for the full list of winners). Check out our red carpet video featuring EW’s own Michael Ausiello, our Emmys live blog and EW staffers’ tweets from the hottest after-parties.
DRAMA
Outstanding Drama Series
Mad Men (AMC)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Glenn Glose as Patty Hewes in Damages (FX)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad (AMC)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama
Cherry Jones, 24 (Fox)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama
Michael Emerson, Lost (Fox)
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
Kater Gordon and Matthew Weiner, “Meditations in an Emergency,” Mad Men (AMC)
Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
Rod Holcomb, “And in the End,” ER (NBC)
COMEDY
Outstanding Comedy Series
30 Rock (NBC)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Toni Collette as Tara Gregson in United States of Tara (Showtime)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock (NBC)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Kristin Chenoweth as Olive Snook in Pushing Daisies (ABC)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Jon Cryer as Alan Harper in Two And A Half Men (CBS)
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
Matt Hubbard, “Reunion,” 30 Rock (NBC)
Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
Jeffery Blitz, “Stress Relief,” The Office (NBC)
VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY SERIES
Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central)
Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Series
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central)
Outstanding Directing for Variety, Music or Comedy Series
Bruce Gowers, American Idol (Fox)
MINISERIES AND MADE FOR TV MOVIE
Outstanding Miniseries
Little Dorrit (PBS)
Outstanding Made for TV Movie
Grey Gardens (HBO)
Oustanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie
Jessica Lange, Grey Gardens (HBO)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries of Movie
Brendan Gleeson, Into the Storm (HBO)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries of Movie
Shohreh Aghdashloo as Sajida in House of Saddam (HBO)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries of Movie
Ken Howard as Phelan Beale in Grey Gardens (HBO)
Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special
Andrew Davies, Little Dorrit (PBS)
Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special
Dearbhla Walsh, Little Dorrit (PBS)
REALITY TV
Outstanding Reality-Competition Program
The Amazing Race (CBS)
Outstanding Host For A Reality or a Reality-Competition Program
Jeff Probst, Survivor (CBS)
Photo Credit: Monty Brinton/Landov
More Emmy Awards coverage on EW:
Our 2009 Emmy Awards live blog
2009 Emmys: See what you missed in our backstage report
EW staffers tweet from the Emmys after-parties
2009 Emmys: Ken Tucker’s best and worst moments
Video: Red carpet interview with True Blood‘s Stephen Moyer
Video: Emmy-winner Michael Emerson and Jorge Garcia on the next season of Lost
Video: Tina Fey and Jane Krakowski leak 30 Rock spoilers!
Video: The cast of The Office shares spoilers on the red carpet
ABC SUXXX..KRISTEN WINS!!!
NPH was robbed!
Agreed, if not NPH then why not Rainn Wilson?
AGREED!!!!
agreed a thousand times over!
it was funny Kevin Dillon looked really pissed when Cryer won!
Totally agree! The one most undeserving won – massive fail! NPH, I’m sorry Emmy voters are dumb. Your the real winner – have been for years. *hugs*
please doogie howser is just the flavor of the moment – himym is for yuppies – look at us we live in new york, that makes us cool!
jim parsons got robbed – big bang rocks
NPH and Jim Parsons weren’t even in the same category! And NPH is not hte flavor of the moment he is excelling in all he does including theater and Internet!
HIMYM is unfunny, just like Friends. Way, way overrated. The whitest show on Tv, and I don’t mean just because there are no minorities, but the humor is very pale indeed. Like Neil Patrich Harris, though. All current sitcoms fail when compared to the simpsons and Seinfeld!
I love NPH but if he wasn’t going to win, I for one am glad Cryer finally won. I am of the 80′s generation (I know cringe) and have always liked Cryer. I also am apparently in the minority and actually I love Two and Half Men, it never fails to make me laugh out loud at least once per episode and Cryer is great.
Way to go, ABC. [sarcasm] Congrats to Kristin!
And NPH was robbed. Like, cannot even deal with this.
Good for Kristen! She was robbed of a
Tony a few years ago. Now it’s her turn.
it doesnt look like 30 rock will be the awards juggernaut we thought it would tonight…
Ugh! The least deserving among all the nominees won. Seriously?! Jon Cryer?!
Completely agree. How could NPH not win?
If I am ever unfortunate enough to turn on my tv while a syndicated episode of “Two and a Half Men” is on, in the painfully long 3 1/2 seconds before I change the channel, I always think to myself “these are some of the worst actors on TV.”
…can’t believe that dude from that show won. Awful, awful choice.
Holland Taylor is actually a very good actress but is wasted on that show!
you’re an idiot
Dan & Arun – LOSERS
Totally agree, what does NPH have to do to win an Emmy! He deserved it more than all the other nominees, especially Jon Cryer! ugh!!!
I actually stopped dating a man after he told me he watched Two and a Half Men (Charlie Sheen is hilarious was what he said) and thought Dane Cook is funny. Deal breaker!
Sounds like you are better off Liz…
Jon Cryer is great in that show. Realy happy he won.
You are clueless – Jon Cryer is a terrific actor, great comic timing, and a wonderful physical comedian.
yeah,”seriously” EAP – you are no judge of talent – Jon Cryer is great, likewise Charlie Sheen
NPH was robbed, yay for Toni (she’s amazing in a role where it’d be easily seen as goofy), and awesome for Kristin! Getting a bit tired of 30 Rock always winning though…Here’s to crossing my fingers for Jim Parson.
Parsons
NOOOOOOOO. Screw you Emmys.
Yes. I’ve been sending out good thought vibes for Parsons sinc EI heard he was nominated. Fingers crossed.
I’m distraught, NPH was robbed. Seriously. Jon Cryer?! He’s practically background noise. NPH makes HIMYM
what’s with all the “seriously” dumb-as& comments – come up with something original as we’re all bored to tears – seriously!
Liz, you need to get help – you sound needy -seriously…”distraught?” They’re ACTORS!!!! It’s an AWARDS SHOW, stupid.
Kristin Chenoweth=amazing!!
Jim Parsons. Please excuse me while I weep over the fact that Emmy voters don’t know what comedy is.
May I join you? I am most distraught. (Except not really, because it’s not like it matters much, but I do so love Jim Parsons on BBT.)
yes, DO join her in THERAPY
Happy for Kristin Chenoweth because she is awesome, and PD was my favourite show. I know it was a long shot, but I was really pulling for Jemaine Clement to win for Flight of the Conchords.
that award was jermaines!! uh im so mad
learn that his name does not have an r in it.
Jemaine Clement and Flight of the Conchords deserved better! “Carol Brown” was one of the funniest things on TV this year.
Toni Collette – talk about a dark horse. I think everyone was surprised by that.
She really deserved it! If you haven’t seen this show she is amazing in it.
uuuhhhhh neil patrick harris anyone? wtf man.
I cried with Kristin Chenowith!! So precious and totally deserving! Now… really… Jon Cryer?? I just do not get that show. NPH is freaking hilarious.
American Idol!!!