30th Primetime Emmy Awards


The 30th Primetime Emmy Awards were held on September 17, 1978. The ceremony was broadcast on CBS, from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, Pasadena, California.
The top shows of the night were All in the Family which won its then record fourth Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series, and The Rockford Files. CBS continued its streak of dominance by winning its eighth straight Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series, this record still stands. Actor Will Geer received three posthumous acting nominations for three different performances, but lost in each category.
For the first time in Emmy history, two shows won six major awards, All in the Family became the first show to win six major awards twice, and the miniseries Holocaust tied the record for most wins by a miniseries set the previous year by Roots.
This ceremony was interrupted for thirty minutes by a nationally televised address by then-President Jimmy Carter, joined by then-Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin and then-Egyptian president Anwar Sadat in which President Carter announced the signing of the Camp David Accords.
Rita Moreno's win made her the third person to become an EGOT.

Winners and nominees

Programs

Outstanding Comedy SeriesOutstanding Drama Series

  • All in the Family,
  • * Barney Miller,
  • * M*A*S*H,
  • * Soap,
  • * Three's Company,
  • The Rockford Files,
  • * Columbo,
  • * Family,
  • * Lou Grant,
  • * Quincy, M.E.,
    • Outstanding Comedy-Variety or Music SeriesOutstanding Special - Comedy-Variety or Music
  • The Muppet Show,
  • * America 2-Night,
  • * The Carol Burnett Show,
  • * Evening at Pops,
  • * Saturday Night Live,
  • Bette Midler: Ol' Red Hair is Back,
  • * The George Burns One-Man Show,
  • * Neil Diamond: I'm Glad You're Here with Me Tonight,
  • * The Second Barry Manilow Special,
  • * World of Magic,
    • Outstanding Special - Drama or ComedyOutstanding Limited Series
  • The Gathering,
  • * A Death in Canaan,
  • * Jesus of Nazareth,
  • * Our Town,
  • * Young Joe, the Forgotten Kennedy,
  • Holocaust,
  • * Anna Karenina,
  • * I, Claudius,
  • * King,
  • * Washington: Behind Closed Doors,

    • Acting

    Lead performances

    Supporting performances

    Single performances

    Directing

    Writing

    Most major nominations

    ;By network
    ; By program
    ;By network
    ; By program
    ;Notes