56th Primetime Emmy Awards


The 56th Primetime Emmy Awards were held on Sunday, September 19, 2004. The ceremony was hosted by Garry Shandling and was broadcast on ABC.
The HBO miniseries Angels in America had the most successful night. It became the first, and only, program to sweep every major category, going 7/7, in Emmy history. It also joined Caesar's Hour, in 1957, as the only program to win all four main acting categories.
Upstart comedy series Arrested Development won Outstanding Comedy Series and three other major awards overall. Its pilot became the twelfth episode to accomplish the directing/writing double.
After years of winning everything but the top prize, The Sopranos finally took home the crown for Outstanding Drama Series, not only knocking off four-time defending champion The West Wing but by being the first cable show, HBO, ever to beat any of the Big Four television networks for that award. It led all dramas with twelve major nominations and four major wins. One of those wins was for Drea de Matteo for Drama Supporting Actress and, too, was the first time that award went to a cable network. Furthermore, the cable network also won for the first times in the Comedy Lead Actress and Comedy Supporting Actress categories.
Entering its final ceremony, five-time series champion Frasier needed five major wins to tie The Mary Tyler Moore Shows record of 27 major wins. Because it was only nominated in five major categories, breaking the record was not possible. Though it did not tie the record, Frasier finished its Emmy career on a high note, winning three major awards, the most it had won since 1998. Its 25 major wins put it at second of all time. When adding its wins in technical categories, its total rises to 37, the most for any comedy series.

Winners and nominees

Winners are listed first and highlighted in bold:
, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series winner
, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series winner
, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series winner
, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series winner
, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie winner
, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie winner
, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series winner
, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series winner
, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series winner
, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series winner
, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie winner
, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie winner
, Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program winner

Programs

Outstanding Comedy SeriesOutstanding Drama Series

  • Arrested Development,
  • * Curb Your Enthusiasm,
  • * Everybody Loves Raymond,
  • * Sex and the City,
  • * Will & Grace,
  • The Sopranos,
  • * ',
  • * Joan of Arcadia,
  • * 24,
  • * The West Wing,
    • Outstanding Variety, Music, or Comedy SeriesOutstanding Variety, Music, or Comedy Special
  • The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,
  • * Chappelle's Show,
  • * Late Night with Conan O'Brien,
  • * Late Show with David Letterman,
  • * Saturday Night Live,
  • Elaine Stritch at Liberty,
  • * The 76th Annual Academy Awards,
  • * Chris Rock: Never Scared,
  • * ',
  • * Paul McCartney in Red Square,
    • Outstanding Made for Television MovieOutstanding Miniseries
  • Something the Lord Made,
  • * And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself,
  • * ',
  • * The Lion in Winter,
  • * The Reagans,
  • Angels in America,
  • * American Family,
  • * Hornblower,
  • * Prime Suspect VI: The Last Witness,
  • * Traffic,
    • Outstanding Reality-Competition Program
  • The Amazing Race, '
  • * American Idol,
  • * The Apprentice,
  • * Last Comic Standing,
  • * Survivor'',

    • Acting

    Lead performances

    Supporting performances

    Directing

    Writing

    Most major nominations

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

    In Memoriam