Emmy night is big for first-timers

LOS ANGELES — It was a good night for first-timers.

The majority of the statuettes handed out at the
62nd annual Emmy Awards have gone to first-time winners — although
almost all were familiar faces.

Kyra Sedgwick won her first Emmy, for actress in a
drama series, playing the sweet-as-sugar and hard-as-nails L.A. cop in
TNT’s “The Closer,” while Bravo’s “Top Chef” put a stunning end to the
reign of CBS’ “The
Amazing Race,” which had won for competitive reality series seven years
in a row, ever since the category was created by the Academy of
Television Arts & Sciences.

HBO’s “Temple Grandin,” about a woman who triumphed
over autism to become a doctor of animal science, resulted in three
acting statuettes for first-time winners: Claire Danes won for lead actress in a movie or miniseries for playing Grandin. She
thanked her real-life counterpart, calling her “the most brave and
intrepid person I have ever known.” During her speech, the real Grandin
stood up and took a bow. Danes’ co-star Julia Ormond won supporting actress for the movie, and David Strathairn also won for “Temple Grandin” for supporting actor.

Other first-timers going home with a statuette: Adam Mazer won for writing the screenplay for the TV movie “You Don’t Know Jack”; lanky Jim Parsons for actor in a comedy series for his performance as the ultimate nerd, Sheldon, on CBS’ “The Big Bang Theory”; Eric Stonestreet for supporting actor in a comedy for playing half of the gay couple on the ABC hit comedy series “Modern Family”; Aaron Paul picked up his first Emmy, for supporting actor in a drama for playing a
character who teams with his former teacher to make meth in AMC’s
“Breaking Bad”; and Archie Panjabi won her first trophy, for supporting
actress in a drama for CBS’ “The Good Wife.” “This is just amazing for my career,” Panjabi said. Steve Shill won for directing a drama series for Showtime’s “Dexter.” Erin Levy won for dramatic series writing for AMC’s “Mad Men,” along with repeat winner Matthew Weiner.

“Glee,” which entered the award season with 19 nominations, picked up two statuettes for first-timers. Jane Lynch won for supporting actress for playing ultra-competitive cheerleading
coach Sue on Fox’ “Glee.” (Lynch was almost unrecognizable as she
traded in her track suit for a sleek off-the-shoulder sheath.) And
creator-producer Ryan Murphy also won for comedy
director for his work on the series pilot. He told the audience the
series was “about the importance of arts education” and dedicated it to
all his teachers.

And it what might have been the biggest upset of the
night, Bravo’s “Top Chef” took home its first Emmy in the competitive
reality TV category, toppling “The Amazing Race.” The CBS
show had won in the competitive reality TV category for seven years in
a row — ever since the category was created by the Academy of
Television Arts & Sciences. (And once again Fox’s “American Idol”
was the bridesmaid in the category.)

By contrast, there were several winning streaks that showed no sign of slowing. Bryan Cranston for the third year in a row won for lead actor in a drama for “Breaking
Bad.” For the seventh year in a row, variety, musical or comedy series
went to Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.”

Edie Falco, best known for her Emmy-winning role as
Carmela Soprano in “The Sopranos,” earned her fourth Emmy but this time
in the comedy actress category as the pill-popping “Nurse Jackie” in
the darkly comic Showtime series. Falco seemed shocked: “I’m not funny!” she insisted.

First-time Emmy host Jimmy Fallon has brought a lot of rock ‘n’ roll to his comedy. He kicked off the 62nd annual awards with a fun-filled take on Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run” in which he played the Boss and was joined by cast members from “Glee” as well as Tina Fey, Jon Hamm and Randy Jackson among others. Later, he bid farewell to departing series “24,” “Law
& Order” and “Lost” with spot-on imitations of the likes of Elton John and Green Day.

Other winners included “Modern Family’s” Steve Levitan and Christopher Lloyd for comedy writing, writing for a variety, musical or comedy special went to CBS’ broadcast of the Tony Awards, and Bucky Gunts won for directing a variety, music or comedy special for directing the opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Oscar winner George Clooney earned a standing ovation when he accepted the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award from his former “ER” co-star Julianna Margulies.
He was being honored for his work in mobilizing the entertainment
community to raise funds during such crises as the Haitian earthquake
and 9/11. He is only the fourth person to receive the honor and the
first in six years.

The Primetime Emmy Awards were broadcast live from the Nokia Theatre in downtown Los Angeles.

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