Sept. 22, 2015

The 67th Emmy Awards were presented at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday night. The awards recognize excellence in primetime programming and individual achievement for the 2014-2015 television season. Primetime refers to the evening hours, when television draws the most viewers. The live telecast on the Fox network featured awards in 26 categories. Actor and comedian Andy Samberg hosted the awards for the first time. The telecast featured appearances and performances by Lady Gaga, Rob Lowe, Tina Fey, James Cordon, Jimmy Kimmel, Gina Rodriguez, and LL Cool J.

Viola Davis, center, received an Emmy Award for her performance as a charismatic criminal defense law professor in “How to Get Away with Murder.” Davis became the first African American woman to win an Emmy for best actress in a drama series. Credit: Mitchell Haaseth, ABC

HBO was the night’s big winner. The cable network won a total of 14 Emmy Awards—more than all the other networks and streaming services combined. Its epic medieval fantasy series “Game of Thrones,” which began airing in 2011, won its first best drama award. The series also won Emmys for writing, directing, and for supporting actor Peter Dinklage. Dinklage portrays the scorned heir to a powerful family who is forced to survive by his wits. It was the actor’s second Emmy Award for the show. Including the Emmy Creative Arts Awards presented on Sept. 12, 2015, “Game of Thrones” won a total of 12 Emmys in 2015, the most ever by a series in a single year. HBO’s political comedy “Veep” won for best comedy for the first time. The show, which began airing in 2012, had been shut out for the last five years by the popular ABC sitcom “Modern Family.” Julia Louis-Dreyfus won her fourth Emmy in a row for “Veep” as an underestimated vice president of the United States who becomes president. Tony Hale, who portrays the character’s loyal aide, won for best supporting actor. “Veep” also won a writing award. The HBO miniseries “Olive Kitteridge” won six awards. It was based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Elizabeth Strout about 25 years in the life of a harsh but witty retired Maine schoolteacher. The series won every award in its category, including best limited series (formerly best miniseries). Frances McDormand won for best actress as the title character, Richard Jenkins won for best actor as Olive’s kindly pharmacist husband, Bill Murray won as best supporting actor as a lonely widower befriended by Olive, Lisa Cholodenko won as director, and Jane Anderson won as screenwriter.

Jon Hamm won his first Emmy for his role as 1960′s boozing, womanizing advertising executive Don Draper on AMC’s “Mad Men.” The show, which began airing in 2007, wrapped up its run in May 2015. Viola Davis became the first African American woman to win an Emmy for best actress in a drama series, for her performance as a charismatic criminal defense law professor in ABC’s “How to Get Away with Murder.” Jeffrey Tambor won as best actor in a comedy for Amazon’s groundbreaking series “Transparent,” about a middle-aged father who decides to live his life as a transgender woman. Comedian and actress Amy Schumer won an Emmy for best variety sketch series for her Comedy Central show “Inside Amy Schumer.” “The Daily Show” won Emmys for best variety talk series and for its director, Chuck O’Neill. In August, Jon Stewart stepped down after 16 years as host of the show. He will be succeeded later this month by South African comedian Trevor Noah.

The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences makes awards for nighttime television. The first Emmys were awarded for programs telecast in 1948.