The 69th annual Primetime Emmy Awards will take place on Sunday, September 17, but the first round of trophies was given out at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards this weekend. The Creative Arts Emmys recognize technical achievements as well as reality, documentary, variety, and animated programs. Guest acting roles are also celebrated in advance of the main Emmys telecast, and it was in those categories that we got to see some of our TV favorites take home the goods.
Gilmore Girls alums Alexis Bledel and Melissa McCarthy both won their Outstanding Guest Actress categories: Bledel in the Drama Series category for her role in The Handmaid’s Tale, and McCarthy in the Comedy Series category for Saturday Night Live (thanks, Sean Spicer!).
Of course, they weren’t the only memorable wins of the weekend: Leah Remini beat out four-time winner Anthony Bourdaine to take home the Outstanding Informational Series Emmy for her A&E docuseries Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath. During her acceptance speech, she dedicated her award to the show’s “brave contributors who, despite ongoing risk and repercussion, spoke out and told their stories” about their former lives in Scientology.
Director Ava DuVernay also gave an incredibly powerful speech as she accepted her Outstanding Documentary or Non-Fiction Special Emmy for her documentary 13th on Saturday night. The film explores issues of race and incarceration in the US. “I want to thank, and think about tonight, the hundreds of thousands of families who are waiting for their loved ones to come home,” she said. “Mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, who don’t know where their loved one is. Unsung heroes of a struggle that has not a lot to do with them, but has a lot to do with how they live each day.”
There’s still plenty of Emmys buzz to see on CBS on Sunday, September 17 when Stephen Colbert hosts the Primetime Emmy Awards show, but in the meantime, check out the full list of this weekend’s winners below.
Night 1:
Outstanding Host for a Reality/Reality-Competition Program: RuPaul Charles, RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)
Outstanding Special Class Program: 70th Annual Tony Awards (CBS)
Outstanding Choreography: TIE — Mandy Moore, Dancing With the Stars (ABC), and Travis Wall, So You Think You Can Dance (Fox)
Outstanding Structured Reality Program: Shark Tank (ABC)
Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program: United Shades of America With W. Kamau Bell (CNN)
Outstanding Picture Editing for an Unstructured Reality Program: Life Below Zero (National Geographic)
Outstanding Writing for a Nonfiction Program: Ava DuVernay and Spencer Averick, 13th (Netflix)
Outstanding Sound Mixing for Nonfiction Program (Single or Multi Camera): The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years (Hulu)
Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special: 13th (Netflix)
Outstanding Character Voiceover Performance: Seth MacFarlane, Family Guy (Fox)
Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series: Planet Earth II (BBC America)
Outstanding Music Direction: Taking the Stage: African American Music and Stories That Changed America (ABC)
Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media Within an Unscripted Program: The Oscars (ABC)
Outstanding Interactive Program: Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (HBO)
Outstanding Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Program: O.J.: Made in America(ESPN)
Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program: Planet Earth II (BBC America)
Outstanding Directing for a Nonfiction Program: O.J.: Made in America (ESPN)
Outstanding Short Form Animated Program: Adventure Time (Cartoon Network)
Outstanding Animated Program: Bob’s Burgers (Fox)
Governor’s Award: ITVS
Outstanding Makeup for a Multi-Camera Series or Special (Non-Prosthetic): Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Outstanding Production Design for a Variety, Nonfiction Event or Award Special: Hairspray Live! (NBC)
Outstanding Sound Editing for a Nonfiction Program (Single or Multi Camera): The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years (Hulu)
Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics: 13th, “Letter to the Free,” performed by Common (Netflix)
Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction or Reality Series: Viceland at the Women’s March (Viceland)
Outstanding Informational Series or Special: Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath (A&E)
Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video Control for a Limited Series, Movie or Special: Hairspray Live! (NBC)
Outstanding Narrator: Meryl Streep, Five Came Back
Outstanding Production Design for a Variety, Nonfiction, Reality, or Reality Competition Series: Saturday Night Live
Outstanding Hairstyling for a Multi-Camera Series or Special: Hairspray Live!(NBC)
Outstanding Cinematography for a Reality Program: Bruce Ready, Born This Way (A&E)
Outstanding Picture Editing for a Structured or Competition Reality Program: RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)
Outstanding Costumes For Variety, Nonfiction Or Reality Programming: Zaldy Goco and Perry Meek, RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)
Outstanding Casting for a Reality Program: Sasha Alpert and Megan Sleeper, Born This Way (A&E)
Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Variety Special: Super Bowl LI Halftime Show Starring Lady Gaga (Fox)
Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special: Glenn Weiss, The Oscars (ABC)
Outstanding Variety Special: Carpool Karaoke Primetime Special 2017 (CBS)
Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special: Full Frontal With Samantha Bee Presents Not The White House Correspondents’ Dinner (TBS)
Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking: LA 92 (National Geographic)
Night 2:
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series: Gerald McRaney, This Is Us (ABC)
Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series: Jane Lynch, Dropping the Soap (Amazon)
Outstanding Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series: Kim Estes, Dicks (Vimeo)
Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prothetic): Westworld (HBO)
Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (One Hour): The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)
Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (Half Hour): Veep (HBO)
Outstanding Original Interactive Program: The People’s House – Inside the White House With Barack and Michelle Obama (Samsung/Oculus)
Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series: Stranger Things (Netflix)
Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series: Stranger Things (Netflix)
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series: Alexis Bledel, The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)
Outstanding Casting for a Limited Series, Movie, or Special: Big Little Lies (HBO)
Outstanding Makeup for a Limited Series or Movie (Non-Prosthetic): Feud: Bette and Joan (FX)
Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Limited Series or Movie: The Night Of (HBO)
Outstanding Contemporary Costumes for a Series, Limited Series, or Movie: Big Little Lies (HBO)
Outstanding Main Title Design: Stranger Things (Netflix)
Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series: Westworld (HBO)
Outstanding Short Form Comedy or Drama Series: Los Pollos Hermanos Employee Training (AMC)
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Limited Series or Movie: The Night Of (HBO)
Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Limited Series, Movie, or Special: American Horror Story: Roanoke (FX)
Outstanding Sound Editing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Special: The Night Of (HBO)
Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited Series or Movie: The Night Of (HBO)
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (half hour) and Animation: Mozart in the Jungle (Amazon)
Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series: Stranger Things (Netflix)
Outstanding Music Supervision: Big Little Lies (HBO)
Outstanding Hairstyling for a Limited Series or Movie: Feud: Bette and Joan (FX)
Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Supporting Role: Gotham (Fox)
Outstanding Special Visual Effects: Westworld (HBO)
Outstanding Commercial: Calling JohnMalkovich.com (Squarespace)
Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media Within a Scripted Program: Westworld, DiscoverWestworld.com (HBO)
Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Comedy Series or Variety Program: Shameless (Showtime)
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series: Melissa McCarthy, Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Outstanding Music Competition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score): House of Cards (Netflix)
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour): Westworld (HBO)
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series: Dave Chappelle, Saturday Night Live (HBO)
Outstanding Cinematography for a Multi-Camera Series: The Ranch (Netflix)
Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary or Fantasy Program (One Hour or More): The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)
Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Program (Half Hour or Less): Veep (HBO)
Outstanding Children’s Program: Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas (HBO)
Outstanding Music Competition for a Limited Series, Movie, or Special (Original Dramatic Score): Fargo (FX)
Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Period Program (One Hour or More): The Crown (Netflix)
Outstanding Period/Fantasy Costumes for a Series, Limited Series, or Movie: The Crown (Netflix)
Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Drama Series, Limited Series, or Movie: Marvel’s Luke Cage (Netflix)
Outstanding Multi-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series: The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series: Master of None (Netflix)
Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music: Stranger Things (Netflix)
Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series:Veep (HBO)
Will you watch the 2017 Emmy Awards? Let us know @BritandCo!
(Photos via David Livingston/Getty Images + Matthew Simmons/FilmMagic)