"Game of Thrones" and "Veep" proved to be repeat winners for cable giant HBO at the Emmy awards on Sunday. The awards show "The People v. O.J. Simpson" ran away with the night at the 68th Emmy Awards Sunday even as "Game of Thrones" broke a record. In addition, newcomers and actors of color made their mark in a ceremony where election-year politics played large.
"The People v. O.J. Simpson," a FX's 10-hour dramatization of the former football player's 1995 double murder trial and sensational acquittal won nine Emmys, including outstanding limited series and for some actors Courtney B. Vance, Sterling K. Brown and Sara Paulson who won outstanding lead actress in a limited series. During her speech, she talked about the challenge of playing O.J. Simpson murder trial prosecutor Marcia Clark.
On the Sunday's show, fan favorite "Game of Thrones," went a leading 23 nominations and won a total of 12 Emmys, including her directing, writing and for best drama series. "Game of Thrones" beat off a challenge from "Mr. Robot," a USA network and "House of Cards," Netflix's dark Washington D.C. drama.
According to CNN News, Paulson, who played losing LA trial prosecutor Marcia Clark in the show brought Clark to tears in her speech. At the awards, "Game of Thrones" co-creator Dan Weiss said they are all standing there because George Martin created the world that they all live and play in. In addition, True crime won big.
Paulson said, "The more I learned about the real Marcia Clark, the more I recognized that I along with the rest of the world had been superficial and careless in my judgment." Host Jimmy Kimmel opened the Sunday's show with a string of jokes about star Donald Trump, the Republican presidential contender and former "Celebrity Apprentice."
In the awards, Julia Louis-Dreyfus was tearful and shaking while she accepted her fifth Emmy in a row, she won the award for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series for "Veep." In her speech, she apologized for "the current political state." "I think that 'Veep' has torn down the wall between politics and comedy," she said. Adding that "Veep" started out as political satire, but it now feels more like sobering documentary.
Henry Winkler paid a loving tribute to Garry Marshall, a director/producer who died in July. Winkler said that his former boss had a generosity of both spirit and knowledge. He added that Marshall gave him his career and noted to be very happy lucky enough to meet him as he changed his life, Reuters reported.
Marshalls' remembrance kicked off the "In Memoriam" portion of the Emmys featuring Tori Kelly singing "Hallelujah." Sunday's Emmys were notable for having a record 21 nominees of color, as compared to this year's all-white Oscars acting lineup.
Several individuals took home Emmys, many for the first time. Along "O.J. Simpson" winners Vance and Brown, Egyptian-American Rami Malek beat veterans Liev Schreiber and Kevin Spacey to scoop his first Emmy for playing a socially inept computer hacker in "Mr. Robot."