61st Primetime Emmy Awards

61st Primetime Emmy Awards
Date	September 20, 2009
Site	Nokia Theatre, Los Angeles, California
Creative Arts Awards	September 12, 2009
Host	Neil Patrick Harris (Primetime) Kathy Griffin (Creative Arts)
TV in the United States
Network	CBS (Primetime) E! (Creative Arts)
< 60th Primetime Primetime Emmy Awards 62nd Primetime >

The 61st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards took place on September 20, 2009. CBS broadcast the Primetime event and E! the Creative Arts event; both took place at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The nominations for the Awards were announced on July 16.

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced in July 2009 that Neil Patrick Harris would host the Primetime event. The Creative Arts Emmys for primetime were hosted by Kathy Griffin.

After the previous year's lackluster performance in ratings, the 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.

Primetime Telecast nominations

• Winners are listed first in bold.

Network breakdown

Network	Nominations	Awards
HBO	99	21
NBC	67	16
ABC	55	10
CBS	49	9
Fox	42	10
Showtime	29	6
PBS	26	9
AMC	23	5
Comedy Central	13	3
Bravo	11	1
FX	11	2
TNT	10	0
Disney Channel	3	1
Nickelodeon	2	0

Results

Nominees and winners in the categories Programs, Acting, Hosting, Directing and Writing include:

Programs

Outstanding Drama Series	Outstanding Comedy Series
Mad Men (AMC) Big Love (HBO) Breaking Bad (AMC) Damages (FX) Dexter (Showtime) House (FOX) Lost (ABC)	30 Rock (NBC) Entourage (HBO) Family Guy (FOX) Flight of the Conchords (HBO) How I Met Your Mother (CBS) The Office (NBC) Weeds (Showtime)
Outstanding Miniseries	Outstanding Made for Television Movie
Little Dorrit (PBS) Generation Kill (HBO)	Grey Gardens (HBO) Coco Chanel (Lifetime) Into the Storm (HBO) Prayers for Bobby (Lifetime) Taking Chance (HBO)
Outstanding Variety, Music, or Comedy Series	Outstanding Variety, Music, or Comedy Special
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central) The Colbert Report (Comedy Central) Late Show with David Letterman (CBS) Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO) Saturday Night Live (NBC)	The Kennedy Center Honors (CBS) Chris Rock: Kill the Messenger (HBO) Kathy Griffin: She'll Cut a Bitch (Bravo) Ricky Gervais: Out of England—The Stand-Up Special (HBO) You're Welcome America. A Final Night with George W Bush (HBO)
Outstanding Reality-Competition Program	Special Class Animated Program
The Amazing Race (CBS) American Idol (FOX) Dancing with the Stars (ABC) Project Runway (Bravo) Top Chef (Bravo)	None. Phineas and Ferb (Disney Channel) SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)
Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming Less Than One Hour)	Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming One Hour or More)
South Park (Comedy Central) American Dad! (FOX) Robot Chicken (Cartoon Network) The Simpsons (FOX)	Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends: Destination Imagination (Cartoon Network) Afro Samurai: Resurrection (Spike TV)

Acting

Lead Roles

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Bryan Cranston as Walter White on Breaking Bad (Episode: "Phoenix") (AMC) Simon Baker as Patrick Jane on The Mentalist (Episode: "Pilot") (CBS) Gabriel Byrne as Dr. Paul Weston on In Treatment (Episode: "Week 4: Gina") (HBO) Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan on Dexter (Episode: "The Lion Sleeps Tonight") (Showtime) Jon Hamm as Don Draper on Mad Men (Episode: "The Mountain King") (AMC) Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House on House (Episode: "Under My Skin") (FOX)	Glenn Close as Patricia "Patty" Hewes on Damages (Episode: "Trust Me") (FX) Sally Field as Nora Walker on Brothers & Sisters (Episode: "A Father Dreams") (ABC) Mariska Hargitay as Det. Olivia "Liv" Benson on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (Episode: "PTSD") (NBC) Holly Hunter as Grace Hanadarko on Saving Grace (Episode: "Have a Seat, Earl") (TNT) Elisabeth Moss as Margaret "Peggy" Olson on Mad Men (Episode: "Meditations in an Emergency") (AMC) Kyra Sedgwick as Brenda Leigh Johnson on The Closer (Episode: "Cherry Bomb") (TNT)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy on 30 Rock (Episode: "Generalissimo") (NBC) Steve Carell as Michael Scott on The Office (Episode: "Broke") (NBC) Jemaine Clement as Jemaine on Flight of the Conchords (Episode: "Unnatural Love") (HBO) Jim Parsons as Dr. Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory (Episode: "The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis") (CBS) Tony Shalhoub as Adrian Monk on Monk (Episode: "Mr. Monk and the Miracle") (USA) Charlie Sheen as Charlie Harper on Two and a Half Men (Episode: "The 'Ocu' or the 'Pado'?") (CBS)	Toni Collette as Tara Gregson/Alice/Buck/T on United States of Tara (Episode: "Pilot") (Showtime) Christina Applegate as Samantha "Sam" Newly on Samantha Who? (Episode: "The Pill") (ABC) Tina Fey as Liz Lemon on 30 Rock (Episode: "Reunion") (NBC) Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Christine Campbell on The New Adventures of Old Christine (Episode: "Everybody Says I Love You Except Richie") (CBS) Mary-Louise Parker as Nancy Botwin on Weeds (Episode: "Lady's a Charm") (Showtime) Sarah Silverman as Sarah Silverman on The Sarah Silverman Program (Episode: "There's No Place Like Homeless") (Comedy Central)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie
Brendan Gleeson as Sir Winston Churchill in Into the Storm (HBO) Kevin Bacon as Michael Strobl in Taking Chance (HBO) Kenneth Branagh as Kurt Wallander in Wallander: One Step Behind (PBS) Kevin Kline as Cyrano de Bergerac in Cyrano de Bergerac (PBS) Ian McKellen as King Lear in King Lear (PBS) Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer in 24: Redemption (FOX)	Jessica Lange as Edith "Big Edie" Beale in Grey Gardens (HBO) Drew Barrymore as Edith "Little Edie" Beale in Grey Gardens (HBO) Shirley MacLaine as Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel in Coco Chanel (Lifetime) Sigourney Weaver as Mary Griffith in Prayers for Bobby (Lifetime) Chandra Wilson as Yvonne Caldwell in Accidental Friendship (Hallmark)

Supporting Roles

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Michael Emerson as Benjamin Linus on Lost (Episode: "Dead is Dead") (ABC) Christian Clemenson as Jerry Espenson on Boston Legal (Episode: "Roe") (ABC) William Hurt as Daniel Purcell on Damages (Episode: "Hey! Mr. Pibb!") (FX) Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman on Breaking Bad (Episode: "Peekaboo") (AMC) William Shatner as Denny Crane on Boston Legal (Episode: "Made in China/Last Call") (ABC) John Slattery as Roger Sterling, Jr. on Mad Men (Episode: "Six Month Leave") (AMC)	Cherry Jones as President Allison Taylor on 24 (Episode: "Day 7: 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.") (FOX) Rose Byrne as Ellen Parsons on Damages (Episode: "Trust Me") (FX) Hope Davis as Mia Nesky on In Treatment (Episode: "Week 6: Mia") (HBO) Sandra Oh as Dr. Cristina Yang on Grey's Anatomy (Episode: "Elevator Love Letter") (ABC) Dianne Wiest as Dr. Gina Toll on In Treatment (Episode: "Week 6: Gina") (HBO) Chandra Wilson as Dr. Miranda Bailey on Grey's Anatomy (Episode: "Stairway to Heaven"(ABC)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Jon Cryer as Dr. Alan Harper on Two and a Half Men (Episode: "Sir Lancelot's Litterbox") (CBS) Kevin Dillon as Johnny "Drama" Chase on Entourage (Episode: "Tree Trippers") (HBO) Neil Patrick Harris as Barnabus "Barney" Stinson on How I Met Your Mother (Episode: "Benefits") (CBS) Jack McBrayer as Kenneth Parcell on 30 Rock (Episode: "The Bubble") (NBC) Tracy Morgan as Tracy Jordan on 30 Rock (Episode: "The Funcooker") (NBC) Rainn Wilson as Dwight Schrute on The Office (Episode: "Heavy Competition") (NBC)	Kristin Chenoweth as Olive Snook on Pushing Daisies (Episode: "Bad Habits") (ABC) Jane Krakowski as Jenna Maroney on 30 Rock (Episode: "The Ones") (NBC) Elizabeth Perkins as Celia Hodes on Weeds (Episode: "No Man is Pudding") (Showtime) Amy Poehler as Various Characters on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Josh Brolin") (NBC) Kristen Wiig as Various Characters on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Neil Patrick Harris") (NBC) Vanessa Williams as Wilhelmina Slater on Ugly Betty (Episode: "The Fall Issue") (ABC)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie
Ken Howard as Phelan Beale in Grey Gardens (HBO) Len Cariou as Franklin D. Roosevelt in Into the Storm (HBO) Sir Tom Courtenay as William Dorrit in Little Dorrit (PBS) Andy Serkis as Rigaud/Blandois in Little Dorrit (PBS) Bob Newhart as Judson in The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice (TNT)	Shohreh Aghdashloo as Sajida Khairallah Talfah in House of Saddam (HBO) Jeanne Tripplehorn as Jacqueline "Jackie" Onassis in Grey Gardens (HBO) Janet McTeer as Clementine Churchill in Into the Storm (HBO) Cicely Tyson as Pearl in Relative Stranger (Hallmark) Marcia Gay Harden as Janina Krzyżanowska in The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler (CBS)

Directing

Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series	Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
Rod Holcomb for ER (Episode: "And in the End...") (NBC) Phil Abraham for Mad Men (Episode "The Jet Set") (AMC) Bill D'Elia for Boston Legal (Episode: "Made In China/Last Call") (ABC) Todd A. Kessler for Damages (Episode: "Trust Me") (FX) Michael Rymer for Battlestar Galactica (Episode: "Daybreak, Part 2") (Syfy)	Jeffrey Blitz for The Office (Episode: "Stress Relief") (NBC) James Bobin for Flight of the Conchords (Episode: "The Tough Brets") (HBO) Julian Farino for Entourage (Episode: "Tree Trippers") (HBO) Todd Holland for 30 Rock (Episode: "Generalissimo") (NBC) Beth McCarthy-Miller for 30 Rock (Episode: "Reunion") (NBC) Millicent Shelton for 30 Rock (Episode "Apollo, Apollo") (NBC)
Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Dramatic Special	Outstanding Directing for a Variety, Music, or Comedy Series
Dearbhla Walsh for Little Dorrit (PBS) Ross Katz for Taking Chance (HBO) Philip Martin for Wallander: One Step Behind (PBS) Thaddeus O'Sullivan for Into the Storm (HBO) Michael Sucsy for Grey Gardens (HBO) Susanna White for Generation Kill (Episode: "Bomb in the Garden") (HBO)	Bruce Gowers for American Idol (FOX) Jerry Foley for Late Show with David Letterman (CBS) Hal Grant for Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO) Jim Hoskinson for The Colbert Report (Comedy Central) Don Roy King for Saturday Night Live (NBC) Chuck O'Neil for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central)
Outstanding Directing for a Variety, Music, or Comedy Special	Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming
Bucky Gunts for Beijing 2008: Games of the XXIX Olympiad (NBC) Marty Callner for You're Welcome America. A Final Night with George W Bush (HBO) Roger Goodman for The 81st Academy Awards (ABC) Don Mischer for Super Bowl XLIII: Halftime Show (NBC) Glenn Weiss for The Neighborhood Ball: An Inauguration Celebration (ABC)	Marina Zenovich for Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired (HBO) Adam Beckman & Christopher Wilcha for This American Life (Showtime) Steve Hryniewicz for Top Chef (Bravo) Paul Starkman for Project Runway (Bravo) Bertram van Munster for The Amazing Race (CBS)

Writing

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series	Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
Kater Gordon & Matthew Weiner for Mad Men (Episode: "Meditations in an Emergency") (AMC) Carlton Cuse & Damon Lindelof for Lost (Episode: "The Incident") (ABC) Andre Jacquemetton, Maria Jacquemetton, and Matthew Weiner for Mad Men (Episode: "Six Month Leave") (AMC) Robin Veith & Matthew Weiner for Mad Men (Episode: "A Night to Remember") (AMC) Matthew Weiner for Mad Men (Episode: "The Jet Set") (AMC)	Matt Hubbard for 30 Rock (Episode: "Reunion") (NBC) James Bobin, Jemaine Clement, and Bret McKenzie for Flight of the Conchords (Episode: "Prime Minister") (HBO) Jack Burditt & Robert Carlock for 30 Rock (Episode: "Kidney Now!") (NBC) Robert Carlock for 30 Rock (Episode: "Apollo, Apollo") (NBC) Ron Weiner for 30 Rock (Episode "Mamma Mia") (NBC)
Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Dramatic Special	Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music, or Comedy Special
Andrew Davies for Little Dorrit (PBS) Ross Katz & Michael Strobl for Taking Chance (HBO) Patricia Rozema & Michael Sucsy for Grey Gardens (HBO) David Simon for Generation Kill (Episode: "Bomb in the Garden") (HBO) Hugh Whitemore for Into the Storm (HBO)	Chris Rock: Kill the Messenger (HBO) The 81st Academy Awards (ABC) Louis C.K.: Chewed Up (Showtime) Ricky Gervais: Out of England (HBO) You're Welcome America. A Final Night with George W Bush (HBO)
Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music, or Comedy Series	Outstanding Writing for Nonfictional Programming
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central) The Colbert Report (Comedy Central) Late Night with Conan O'Brien (NBC) Late Show with David Letterman (CBS) Saturday Night Live (NBC)	Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired (HBO) American Experience (PBS) American Masters (PBS) Make 'Em Laugh: The Funny Business Of America (PBS) Penn & Teller: Bullshit!(Showtime)

Hosting

Outstanding Host for a Reality Show or Reality Competition
Jeff Probst for Survivor (CBS) Tom Bergeron for Dancing with the Stars (ABC) Phil Keoghan for The Amazing Race (CBS) Heidi Klum for Project Runway (Bravo) Padma Lakshmi and Tom Colicchio for Top Chef (Bravo) Ryan Seacrest for American Idol (FOX)

Creative Arts Awards

The Creative Arts Emmy Awards for 2009 included an expanded list of categories. According to the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences:

The majority of the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, which honor excellence in more than 70 categories, are dedicated to key technical disciplines and behind-the-scenes crafts essential to television production — including art direction, cinematography, hairstyling, makeup, music, picture editing, sound editing and mixing, special visual effects, stunts and more. Awards are also handed out for animation, commercials, reality series and other programming, as well as four [Outstanding Guest] acting categories.

Programs

Outstanding Reality Program	Outstanding Children's Program
Intervention (A&E) Antiques Roadshow (PBS) Dirty Jobs (Discovery Channel) Dog Whisperer (National Geographic Channel) Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List (Bravo) MythBusters (Discovery Channel)	Wizards of Waverly Place (Disney Channel) Hannah Montana (Disney Channel) iCarly (Nickelodeon)

Guest Acting

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series	Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Michael J. Fox as Dwight on Rescue Me (Episode: "Sheila") (FX) Edward Asner as Abraham Klein on CSI: NY (Episode: "Yahrzeit") (CBS) Ernest Borgnine as Paul Manning on ER (Episode: "And in the End...") (NBC) Ted Danson as Arthur Forbisher on Damages (Episode: "They Had to Tweeze That Out of My Kidney") (FX) Jimmy Smits as Miguel Prado on Dexter (Episode: "Go Your Own Way") (Showtime)	Ellen Burstyn as Bernardette Stabler on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (Episode: "Swing") (NBC) Brenda Blethyn as Linnie Malcolm/Caroline Cantwell on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (Episode: "Persona") (NBC) Carol Burnett as Bridget "Birdie" Sulloway on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (Episode: "Ballerina") (NBC) Sharon Lawrence as Robbie Stevens on Grey's Anatomy (Episode: "No Good at Saying Sorry (One More Chance)") (ABC) C. C. H. Pounder as Mrs. Curtin on The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (Episode: "The Boy with the African Heart") (HBO)
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series	Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Justin Timberlake as Various Characters on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Justin Timberlake") (NBC) Alan Alda as Milton Greene on 30 Rock (Episode: "Mamma Mia") (NBC) Beau Bridges as Eli Scruggs on Desperate Housewives (Episode: "The Best Thing That Ever Could Have Happened") (ABC) Jon Hamm as Dr. Drew Baird on 30 Rock (Episode: "The Bubble") (NBC) Steve Martin as Gavin Volure on 30 Rock (Episode: "Gavin Volure") (NBC)	Tina Fey as Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Presidential Bash 2008") (NBC) Jennifer Aniston as Claire on 30 Rock (Episode: "The One with the Cast of Night Court") (NBC) Christine Baranski as Dr. Beverly Hofstadter on The Big Bang Theory (Episode: "The Maternal Capacitance") (CBS) Gena Rowlands as Marge on Monk (Episode: "Mr. Monk and the Lady Next Door") (USA) Elaine Stritch as Colleen Donaghy on 30 Rock (Episode: "Christmas Special") (NBC) Betty White as Mrs. Weezmer on My Name Is Earl (Episode: "Witch Lady") (NBC)

In Memoriam

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

• Edie Adams
• Gale Storm
• Van Johnson
• Eartha Kitt
• Neal Hefti
• Patrick McGoohan
• Morton Lachman
• Karl Malden
• James Whitmore
• Sam Cohn
• Henry Gibson
• Bill Melendez
• Pat Hingle
• Paul Benedict
• Bernie Hamilton
• Dom DeLuise
• Dominick Dunne
• Robert Prosky
• Fred Travalena

• Irving R. Levine
• Ron Silver
• Natasha Richardson
• David Carradine
• Nora O'Brien
• Michael Crichton
• Beatrice Arthur
• Ricardo Montalbán
• Ed McMahon
• Army Archerd
• Larry Gelbart
• Paul Newman
• Pierre Cossette
• Michael Jackson
• Patrick Swayze
• Don Hewitt
• Farrah Fawcett
• Walter Cronkite

See also

• Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
• Emmy Awards
• 66th Golden Globe Awards
• 15th Screen Actors Guild Awards

External links

• Academy of Television Arts and Sciences website