The 67th Primetime Emmy Awards was held Sunday, September 20th, 2015, at the Microsoft Center in downtown Los Angeles, and it was quite an emotional night, especially for women of color, as Viola Davis became the first African-American woman to win an Emmy for best lead actress on a drama series, for her role as a criminal defense lawyer on ABC’s “How to Get Away With Murder.”
In accepting her award, the actress gave a powerful acceptance speech where she quoted the late American abolitionist and humanitarian Harriet Turbman, thanked her fellow African-American actresses like Kerry Washington, Gabrielle Union and Halle Berry, and made the following statement, “Let me tell you something, the only thing that separates women of color from anyone else is opportunity. You cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there.”
Equally memorable during the evening, especially for Africans the world over, was Nigerian-American Uzo Aduba’s win as best supporting actress in a drama series for her role as Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren in Netflix’s prison drama “Orange is the New Black.”
Aduba also gave an emotional and powerful acceptance speech. “Thank you for creating this show, for creating this space, for creating a platform,” she said to Jenji Kohan the show’s creator. She also thanked her castmates, crew, agent, manager and lawyers, “I love you mostly because you let me be me,” she said.
Another significant moment for the evening was when African-American actress Regina King won outstanding supporting actress in a limited Series category for her role in “American Crime.”
See the complete list of winners and listen to the powerful acceptance speeches by Uzo Aduba and Viola Davis.
Viola Davis
Uzo Aduba
Outstanding Drama Series
“Better Call Saul” (AMC)
“Downton Abbey” (PBS)
“Game Of Thrones” (HBO) (Winner)
“Homeland” (Showtime)
“House Of Cards” (Netflix)
“Mad Men” (AMC)
“Orange Is The New Black” (Netflix)
Outstanding Comedy Series
“Louie” (FX)
“Modern Family” (ABC)
“Parks And Recreation” (NBC)
“Silicon Valley” (HBO)
“Transparent” (Amazon)
“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” (Netflix)
“Veep” (HBO) (Winner)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Kyle Chandler, “Bloodline”
Jeff Daniels, “The Newsroom”
Jon Hamm, “Mad Men” (Winner)
Bob Odenkirk, “Better Call Saul”
Liev Schreiber, “Ray Donovan”
Kevin Spacey, “House of Cards”
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Claire Danes, “Homeland”
Viola Davis, “How to Get Away With Murder” (Winner)
Taraji P. Henson, “Empire”
Tatiana Maslany, “Orphan Black”
Elisabeth Moss, “Mad Men”
Robin Wright, “House of Cards”
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Anderson, “black-ish”
Louis C.K., “Louie”
Don Cheadle, “House of Lies”
Will Forte, “Last Man on Earth”
Matt LeBlanc, “Episodes”
William H. Macy, “Shameless”
Jeffrey Tambor, “Transparent” (Winner)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Edie Falco, “Nurse Jackie”
Lisa Kudrow, “The Comeback”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep” (Winner)
Amy Poehler, “Parks and Recreation”
Amy Schumer, “Inside Amy Schumer”
Lily Tomlin, “Grace and Frankie”
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Jonathan Banks, “Better Call Saul”
Ben Mendelsohn, “Bloodline”
Jim Carter, “Downton Abbey”
Peter Dinklage, “Game of Thrones” (Winner)
Michael Kelly, “House of Cards”
Alan Cumming, “The Good Wife”
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Joanne Froggatt, “Downton Abbey”
Lena Headey, “Game of Thrones”
Emilia Clarke, “Game of Thrones”
Christina Hendricks, “Mad Men”
Uzo Aduba, “Orange Is the New Black” (Winner)
Christine Baranski, “The Good Wife”
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Niecy Nash, “Getting On”
Julie Bowen, “Modern Family”
Allison Janney, “Mom” (Winner)
Kate McKinnon, “Saturday Night Live”
Mayim Bialik, “The Big Bang Theory”
Gaby Hoffmann, “Transparent”
Jane Krakowski, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”
Anna Chlumsky, “Veep”
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Andre Braugher, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”
Adam Driver, “Girls”
Keegan-Michael Key, “Key & Peele”
Ty Burrell, “Modern Family”
Tituss Burgess, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”
Tony Hale, “Veep” (Winner)
Outstanding Miniseries
“American Crime” (ABC)
“American Horror Story: Freak Show” (FX)
“The Honorable Woman” (Sundance)
“Olive Kitteridge” (HBO) (Winner)
“Wolf Hall” (PBS)
Outstanding Television Movie
“Agatha Christie’s Poirot: Curtain, Poirot’s Last Case” (Acorn TV)
“Bessie” (HBO) (Winner)
“Grace Of Monaco” (Lifetime)
“Hello Ladies: The Movie” (HBO)
“Killing Jesus” (National Geographic)
“Nightingale” (HBO)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie
Timothy Hutton, “American Crime”
Ricky Gervais, “Derek Special”
Adrien Brody, “Houdini”
David Oyelowo, “Nightingale”
Richard Jenkins, “Olive Kitteridge” (Winner)
Mark Rylance, “Wolf Hall”
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
Felicity Huffman, “American Crime”
Jessica Lange, “American Horror Story: Freak Show”
Queen Latifah, “Bessie”
Maggie Gyllenhaal, “The Honorable Woman”
Frances McDormand, “Olive Kitteridge” (Winner)
Emma Thompson, “Sweeney Todd”
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie
Richard Cabral, “American Crime”
Denis O’Hare, “American Horror Story: Freak Show”
Finn Wittrock, “American Horror Story: Freak Show”
Michael Kenneth Williams, “Bessie”
Bill Murray, “Olive Kitteridge” (Winner)
Damian Lewis, “Wolf Hall”
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
Regina King, “American Crime” (Winner)
Sarah Paulson, “American Horror Story: Freak Show”
Angela Bassett, “American Horror Story: Freak Show”
Kathy Bates, “American Horror Story: Freak Show”
Mo’Nique, “Bessie”
Zoe Kazan, “Olive Kitteridge”
Outstanding Variety Talk Series
“The Colbert Report” (Comedy Central)
“The Daily Show” (Comedy Central) (Winner)
“Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC)
“Last Week Tonight” (HBO)
“Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS)
“The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC)
Outstanding Writing For A Variety Series
“The Colbert Report” (Comedy Central)
“The Daily Show” (Comedy Central) (Winner)
“Inside Amy Schumer” (Comedy Central)
“Last Week Tonight” (HBO)
“Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS)
Outstanding Directing For A Variety Series
“The Colbert Report” (Comedy Central)
“The Daily Show” (Comedy Central) (Winner)
“Inside Amy Schumer” (Comedy Central)
“Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS)
“The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC)
Outstanding Variety Sketch Series
“Drunk History” (Comedy Central)
“Inside Amy Schumer” (Comedy Central) (Winner)
“Key & Peele” (Comedy Central)
“Portlandia” (IFC)
“Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
Outstanding Reality-Competition Program
“The Amazing Race” (CBS)
“Dancing with the Stars” (ABC)
“Project Runway” (Lifetime)
“So You Think You Can Dance” (FOX)
“Top Chef” (Bravo)
“The Voice” (NBC) (Winner)
Outstanding Structured Reality Program
“Antiques Roadshow” (PBS)
“Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” (Food)
“MythBusters” (Discovery)
“Property Brothers” (HGTV)
“Shark Tank” (ABC) (Winner)
“Undercover Boss” (CBS)
Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program
“Alaska: The Last Frontier” (Discovery)
“Deadliest Catch” (Discovery) (Winner)
“Intervention” (A&E)
“Million Dollar Listing New York” (Bravo)
“Naked and Afraid” (Discovery Channel)
“Wahlburgers” (A&E)
Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality-Competition Program
Tom Bergeron, “Dancing With The Stars”
Jane Lynch, “Hollywood Game Night” (Winner)
Heidi Klum & Tim Gunn, “Project Runway”
Cat Deeley, “So You Think You Can Dance”
Anthony Bourdain, “The Taste”
Outstanding Variety Special
“Bill Maher: Live From D.C.” (HBO)
“The Kennedy Center Honors” (CBS)
“Louis C.K.: Live At The Comedy Store” (LouisCK.net)
“Mel Brooks Live At The Geffen” (HBO)
“The Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special” (NBC) (Winner)
“Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga: Cheek To Cheek LIVE!” (PBS)
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Alan Alda, “The Blacklist”
Michael J. Fox, “The Good Wife”
F. Murray Abraham, “Homeland”
Reg E. Cathey, “House of Cards” (Winner)
Beau Bridges, “Masters Of Sex”
Pablo Schreiber, “Orange Is The New Black”
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Margo Martindale, “The Americans” (Winner)
Diana Rigg, “Game of Thrones”
Rachel Brosnahan, “House Of Cards”
Cicely Tyson, “How To Get Away With Murder”
Allison Janney, “Masters Of Sex”
Khandi Alexander, “Scandal”
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Mel Brooks, “The Comedians”
Paul Giamatti, “Inside Amy Schumer”
Bill Hader, “Saturday Night Live”
Louis C.K., “Saturday Night Live”
Bradley Whitford, “Transparent” (Winner)
Jon Hamm, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Christine Baranski, “The Big Bang Theory”
Gaby Hoffmann, “Girls”
Pamela Adlon, “Louie”
Elizabeth Banks, “Modern Family”
Joan Cusack, “Shameless” (Winner)
Tina Fey, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
“The Americans” — “Do Mail Robots Dream Of Electric Sheep?” (Joshua Brand)
“Better Call Saul” — “Five-O” (Gordon Smith)
“Game Of Thrones” — “Mother’s Mercy” (David Benioff and D.B. Weiss) (Winner)
“Mad Men” — “Lost Horizon” (Semi Chellas and Matthew Weiner)
“Mad Men” — “Person To Person” (Matthew Weiner)
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
“Episodes” — “Episode 409” (David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik)
“The Last Man On Earth” — “Alive In Tucson (Pilot)” (Will Forte)
“Louie” — “Bobby’s House” (Louis C.K.)
“Silicon Valley” — “Two Days Of The Condor” (Alec Berg)
“Transparent” — “Pilot” (Jill Soloway)
“Veep” — “Election Night” (Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci and Tony Roche) (Winner)
Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
“Boardwalk Empire” — “Eldorado” (Tim Van Patten)
“Game Of Thrones” — “Mother’s Mercy” (David Nutter) (Winner)
“Game Of Thrones” — “Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken” (Jeremy Podeswa)
“Homeland” — “From A To B And Back Again” (Lesli Linka Glatter)
“The Knick” — “Method And Madness” (Steven Soderbergh)
Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
“The Last Man On Earth” — “Alive In Tucson (Pilot)” (Phil Lord and Christopher Miller)
“Louie” — “Sleepover” (Louis C.K.)
“Silicon Valley” — “Sand Hill Shuffle” (Mike Judge)
“Transparent” — “Best New Girl” (Jill Soloway) (Winner)
“Veep” — “Testimony” (Armando Iannucci)
Outstanding Writing For A Limited Series, Movie Or A Dramatic Special
“American Crime” – “Episode One” (John Ridley)
“Bessie” (Dee Rees, Christopher Cleveland, Bettina Gilois, Horton Foote)
“Hello Ladies: The Movie” (Stephen Merchant, Gene Stupnitsky, Lee Eisenberg)
“Olive Kitteridge” (Jane Anderson) (Winner)
“The Honorable Woman” (Hugo Blick)
“Wolf Hall” (Peter Straughan)
Outstanding Directing For A Limited Series, Movie Or A Dramatic Special
“Olive Kitteridge” (Lisa Cholodenko) (Winner)
“Wolf Hall” (Peter Kosminsky)
“Houdini” (Uli Edel)
“Bessie” (Dee Rees)
“American Horror Story: Freak Show” (Ryan Murphy)
“The Honorable Woman” (Hugo Blick)
List via Emmys Press statement & CNN
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