Emmy wins celebrate best of television

The Emmy awards were handed on Sunday night with a number of actors winning their first award.

Viola Davis became the first black woman to win best drama series actress in Emmy history. She won for her memorable role as the professor and defence attorney in ABC’s “How to Get Away With Murder,” which is just beginning its second season.

Davis quoted Harriet Tubman in her acceptance speech. She said “the only thing that separates women of colour from anybody else is opportunity.”

Tracy Morgan returns

Tracy Morgan has made a triumphant appearance on the Emmy Awards stage to present the best drama series award for HBO’s “Game of Thrones.”

Morgan suffered a traumatic brain injury after his limousine was struck by a Wal-Mart truck in June 2014.

Morgan stepped onstage and told the cheering crowd, “Thank you so much. I miss you guys so much.”

Spoiler Awards

The 2015 Emmy Awards are being criticized not for the television they celebrated but all the shows it spoiled for fans.

A video montage during the show celebrated shows that ended this year, but the footage gave away the ending to series such as `”Mad Men,” ”Sons of Anarchy” and “True Blood.”

Criticism began online soon after the video aired and host Andy Samberg quipped after a commercial break, “Welcome back to the Spoiler Awards.”

Game of Thrones cleans up

“Game of Thrones” made Emmy history. The show won a total of a dozen Emmys this year, topping the nine-awards record set by “The West Wing” in 2000.

List of winners at Sunday’s 67th prime-time Emmy Awards in Los Angeles:

Drama Series; “Game of Thrones” HBO.

Actor, Drama Series; Jon Hamm, “Mad Men,” AMC.

Actress, Drama Series; Viola Davis, “How to Get Away With Murder,” ABC.

Supporting Actor, Drama Series; Peter Dinklage, “Game of Thrones,” HBO.

Supporting Actress, Drama Series; Uzo Aduba, “Orange is the New Black,” Netflix.

Directing, Drama Series; David Nutter, “Game of Thrones,” HBO.

Writing, Drama Series; David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, “Game of Thrones,” HBO.

Comedy Series; “Veep,” HBO.

Actor, Comedy Series; Jeffrey Tambor, “Transparent,” Amazon Instant Video.

Actress, Comedy Series; Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep,” HBO.

Supporting Actor, Comedy Series; Tony Hale, “Veep,” HBO.

Supporting Actress, Comedy Series; Allison Janney, “Mom,” CBS.

Directing, Comedy Series; Jill Soloway, “Transparent,” Amazon Instant Video.

Writing, Comedy Series; Simon Blackwell, Amando Iannucci, Tony Roche, “Veep,’” HBO.

Limited Series; “Olive Kitteridge,” HBO.

Actor, Limited Series or Movie; Richard Jenkins, “Olive Kitteridge,” HBO.

Actress, Limited Series or Movie; Frances McDormand, “Olive Kitteridge,” HBO.

Supporting Actor, Limited Series or Movie; Bill Murray, “Olive Kitteridge,” HBO.

Supporting Actress, Limited Series or Movie; Regina King, “American Crime,” ABC.

Directing, Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special; Lisa Cholodenko, “Olive Kitteridge,” HBO.

Writing, Limited Series, Movie or Dramatic Special; Jane Anderson, “Olive Kitteridge,” HBO.

Variety Talk Series; “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart,” Comedy Central.

Directing, Variety Series; Chuck O’Neil, “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart.”

Variety Sketch Series; “Inside Amy Schumer,” Comedy Central.

Writing, Variety Series; “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart,” Comedy Central.

Reality-Competition Program; “The Voice,” NBC.

-with files from The Canadian Press