61st Primetime Emmy Awards


The 61st Primetime Emmy Awards were held on Sunday, September 20, 2009. CBS broadcast the Primetime event and E! broadcast the Creative Arts event; both took place at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The nominations were announced on July 16, 2009.
On July 13, 2009, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced that Neil Patrick Harris would host the Primetime ceremony. The Creative Arts Emmy Awards for prime time were hosted by Kathy Griffin on September 12.
After the previous year's lackluster performance in ratings, the Primetime Emmy Awards were hoping to achieve success by selecting Harris as sole host, as opposed to a group of hosts as in the previous year. The 61st Primetime Emmy Awards earned a 4.2 rating in the 18–49 demo and drew 13.3 million, 1.1 million more than the previous year's all-time low.
30 Rock became the sixth show to win Outstanding Comedy Series three consecutive years, winning three major awards on that night. 30 Rock made history when it smashed the record for most major nominations by a comedy series with 18. The Cosby Show had held the record of 13 since 1986, while 30 Rock had tied this the previous year. The 18 major nominations became the third biggest record of all time, behind Roots record number of 21 in 1977 and NYPD Blues mark of 19 in 1994. These records still stand.
The drama field also crowned the defending champion, AMC's Mad Men. It won two major awards on that night. After airing for fifteen seasons, ER went out a winner as its series finale won for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series. This was the first major win for ER since 2001.
Cherry Jones became the first from a Fox network show to win the award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama series but also the second female ever from Fox to win a Major Acting award since Gillian Anderson in 1997.
History was also made by The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Amazing Race. Both programs won their series categories for the seventh straight year, this broke the record for most consecutive victories in a major category of six that was held by The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Cagney & Lacey. The Amazing Race would lose the following year. However, in 2013, The Daily Shows streak was finally snapped by The Colbert Report, after a record of ten consecutive wins.

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 Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program winner

Programs

Outstanding Comedy SeriesOutstanding Drama Series

  • 30 Rock
  • * Entourage
  • * Family Guy
  • * Flight of the Conchords
  • * How I Met Your Mother
  • * The Office
  • * Weeds
  • Mad Men
  • * Big Love
  • * Breaking Bad
  • * Damages
  • * Dexter
  • * House
  • * Lost
    • Outstanding Variety, Music, or Comedy SeriesOutstanding Variety, Music, or Comedy Special
  • The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
  • * The Colbert Report
  • * Late Show with David Letterman
  • * Real Time with Bill Maher
  • * Saturday Night Live
  • The Kennedy Center Honors
  • * '
  • * Kathy Griffin: She'll Cut a Bitch
  • * Ricky Gervais: Out of England—The Stand-Up Special
  • * You're Welcome America. A Final Night with George W Bush
    • Outstanding Made for Television MovieOutstanding Miniseries
  • Grey Gardens
  • * Coco Chanel
  • * Into the Storm
  • * Prayers for Bobby
  • * Taking Chance
  • Little Dorrit
  • * Generation Kill
    • Outstanding Reality-Competition Program
  • The Amazing Race '
  • * American Idol
  • * Dancing with the Stars
  • * Project Runway
  • * Top Chef''

    • Acting

    Lead performances

    Supporting performances

    Hosting

    Directing

    Writing

    Most major nominations

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

    Presenters

    The awards were presented by the following:
    NameRole

    		Presenters of the award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series



    		Presenters of the award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series

    		Presenters of the award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
    Presenter of the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

    		Introducers of Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series winner Justin Timberlake
    and Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series winner Tina Fey
    and presenters of the award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
    Presenter of the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

    		Presenters of the award for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program
    Presenter of the award for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program

    		Presenters of the award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie
    and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie

    		Presenters of the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie

    		Presenters of the awards for Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Dramatic Special
    and Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Dramatic Special
    Presenter of the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie

    		Presenters of the awards for Outstanding Television Movie and Outstanding Miniseries


    		Presenters of the awards for Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series
    and Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series
    Presenter of the award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics
    Presenter of the award for Outstanding Variety Series

    		Presenters of the awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
    and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

    		Introducers of Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series winner Michael J. Fox
    and Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series winner Ellen Burstyn

    		Presenters of the award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
    and Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
    Presenter of the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
    Presenter of the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
    Presenter of the award for Outstanding Comedy Series
    Presenter of the award for Outstanding Drama Series

    In Memoriam

    The singer Sarah McLachlan performed the song "I Will Remember You" during the tribute: