'Veep' and 'The Handmaid's Tale' win top Emmy Award prizes

LOS ANGELES -- The dystopian series "The Handmaid's Tale" was crowned best TV drama on Sunday at the Emmy Awards, and the show also won best drama writing and directing, while earning Elisabeth Moss a best actress statuette and Ann Dowd a best drama supporting actress award.

"Veep" and "Saturday Night Live" were also big winners.

Sterling K. Brown won his second back-to-back Emmy for his role in the series "This Is Us" and in his speech honored Andre Braugher, who was the last black man to be nominated in the same category, for "Gideon's Crossing" in 2001.

"It does feel different but for different reasons. I'm the first African-American in 16 years nominated. That kind of blows my mind," he said.

Moss won her first Emmy and thanked her mother in a speech peppered with expletives.

Norman Lear, center, and Carol Burnett, right, present the award for outstanding comedy series for "Veep" to Julia Louis-Dreyfus on Sunday at the Emmys.Chris Pizzello ~ Invision/AP

"You are brave and strong and smart," she said.

Donald Glover won the best comedy actor for "Atlanta," which he created and carries his distinctive voice, while Julia Louis-Dreyfus was honored for a sixth time for her role as a self-absorbed politician in the comedy "Veep," named best comedy for the third time.

"I want to thank Trump for making black people No. 1 on the most oppressed list. He's the reason I'm probably up here," Glover said, acknowledging the entertainment industry's and the Emmys' tilt toward the nonstop political under President Donald Trump.

Combined with Emmys that Louis-Dreyfus has won for "Seinfeld" and "New Adventures of Old Christine," her latest trophy tied her with Cloris Leachman as the most-winning Emmy performer ever.

"Saturday Night Live" triumphed early for a season of skewering President Donald Trump, while the ceremony and host Stephen Colbert did likewise.

"I remember the first time we won this award," creator Lorne Michaels said in accepting the show's trophy for best variety sketch series. "It was after the first season in 1976. I remember thinking ... this was the high point," and there would never be "another season as crazy, as unpredictable, as frightening, as exhausting or as exhilarating. Turns out I was wrong."

The trophies for best supporting comedy acting went to Kate McKinnon, who played Hillary Clinton on "SNL," and Alec Baldwin for his Trump portrayal on the NBC show.

McKinnon thanked Clinton for her "grace and grit."

Baldwin spoke directly to Trump, who has complained in the past he was cheated out of a trophy for hosting "Celebrity Apprentice": "I suppose I should say, 'At long last, Mr. President, here is your Emmy.'"

Melissa McCarthy was honored at last weekend's creative arts Emmys as best guest actress for her "SNL" work, including portraying Sean Spicer. The former White House press secretary made a surprise Emmys appearance, wheeling in his own podium.

"This will be the largest audience to witness an Emmys, period. Both in person and around the world," Spicer shouted with authority, echoing his claim Trump's inauguration crowd was the biggest ever and evoking McCarthy's manic portrayal of him.

Colbert's song-and-dance opening -- with help from Chance the Rapper -- included the song "Everything Is Better on TV," which slammed Trump, mentioning his ties to Russia and included the lyric "even treason is better on TV."

John Lithgow, who received the best supporting drama actor for his role as British leader Winston Churchill in "The Crown," took a more diplomatic approach to political commentary.

"Most of all, I have to thank Winston Churchill. In these crazy times, his life, even as an old man, reminds us what courage and leadership in government really looks like," Lithgow said.

Many celebrities wore blue ribbons support the American Civil Liberties Union, which sought to shed light on the plight of young immigrants facing the potential of being deported.

"Big Little Lies" won the limited series award, with Nicole Kidman taking the lead actress award and supporting honors going to castmates Alexander Skarsgard and Laura Dern.

"More great roles for women, please," Kidman said.

Riz Ahmed was honored as best limited series actor for "The Night Of." "Black Mirror: San Junipero" was named best TV movie.

Lena Waithe became the first African-American woman to win an Emmy for comedy series writing, for "Master of None," sharing it with series co-creator Aziz Ansari, who is of Indian heritage.

"The things that make us different, those are superpowers," Waithe said. "Thank you for embracing a little Indian boy from South Carolina and a little queer black girl from the south side of Chicago," she said, basking in a standing ovation from the theater audience.

TV academy President and CEO Hayma Washington paid tribute to TV's increasing diversity. That was reflected in the record number of African-American continuing series acting nominees, but Latinos were overlooked and Ansari was the only Asian-American contender.

"The Voice" won the reality competition category. "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" won the award for variety talk series, prompting also-rans Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel to jokingly raise a glass to each other and speculate maybe the wrong name was announced.

The "In Memorian" segment had several notable exclusions, including Dick Gregory and Harry Dean Stanton.

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Emmy Award winners

List of winners of the annual Emmy Awards, announced Sunday by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

Drama Series: "The Handmaid's Tale."

Directing, Drama: Reed Morano, "The Handmaid's Tale."

Actor, Drama Series: Sterling K. Brown, "This is Us."

Actress, Drama Series: Elisabeth Moss, "The Handmaid's Tale."

Supporting Actor, Drama Series: John Lithgow, "The Crown."

Supporting Actress, Drama Series: Ann Dowd, "The Handmaid's Tale."

Comedy Series: "Veep."

Directing, Comedy: Donald Glover, "Atlanta."

Actor, Comedy Series: Donald Glover, "Atlanta."

Actress, Comedy Series: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, "Veep."

Supporting Actor, Comedy Series: Alec Baldwin, "Saturday Night Live."

Supporting Actress, Comedy Series: Kate McKinnon, "Saturday Night Live."

Variety Talk Series: "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver."

Variety, Writing Series: "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver."

Variety Sketch Series: "Saturday Night Live."

Writing, Drama: Bruce Miller, "The Handmaid's Tale."

Limited Series: "Big Little Lies."

Directing, Limited Movie or Special: Jean-Marc Vallee, "Big Little Lies."

Actor, Limited Series or Movie: Riz Ahmed, "The Night Of."

Actress, Limited Series or Movie: Nicole Kidman, "Big Little Lies."

Supporting Actor, Limited Series or Movie: Alexander Skarsgard, "Big Little Lies."

Supporting Actress, Limited Series or Movie: Laura Dern, "Big Little Lies."

Writing, Limited Series, Movie or Special: Charlie Brooker, "Black Mirror: San Junipero."

Directing, Variety: Don Roy King, "Saturday Night Live."

Writing, Comedy: Aziz Ansari and Lena Waithe, "Master of None."

Reality Competition Program: "The Voice."

Television Movie: "Black Mirror."

-- Associated Press