Emmy Awards 2016

(VNF) - Fantasy drama series “Game of Thrones” and comedy “Veep” proved repeat winners for cable giant HBO at the Emmy awards on Sunday, but newcomers and actors of color also made their mark in the Awards.

The cast of HBO’s Game of Thrones. (Photo: Reuters)

Fan favorite “Game of Thrones,” went into Sunday’s show with a leading 23 nominations and won a total of 12 Emmys, including for best drama series, directing and writing. It beat off a challenge from USA network’s “Mr. Robot,” as well as Netflix’s dark Washington D.C. drama “House of Cards.”

True crime was also a big winner.

“The People v. O.J. Simpson,” FX’s 10-hour dramatization of the former football player’s 1995 double murder trial and sensational acquittal won nine Emmys, including for best limited series and for actors Sarah Paulson, Courtney B. Vance and Sterling K. Brown.

Sunday’s Emmys were notable for having a record 21 nominees of color.

Several took home Emmys, many for the first time. Along “O.J. Simpson” winners Brown and Vance, Egyptian-American Rami Malek beat veterans Kevin Spacey and Liev Schreiber to scoop his first Emmy for playing a socially inept computer hacker in “Mr. Robot.”

Aziz Ansari (L) and Alan Yang accept the award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for “Master of None”. (Photo: Reuters/Mike Blake)

Indian-American Aziz Ansari shared a writing Emmy with Asian-American Alan Yang for their comedy series “Master of None,” while black actress Regina King won for her role in “American Crime” and African-American comedians Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele were honored for their sketch series “Key & Peele.”

Other Emmy newcomers included Canadian Tatiana Maslany, a surprise best drama actress winner who beat out presumed front runner Robin Wright for playing a woman with multiple cloned personalities in “Orphan Black.”

Actress Tatiana Maslany holds her award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for “Orphan Black”. (Photo: Reuters/Lucy Nicholson)

Elsewhere, Jeffrey Tambor won best comedy actor for a second time for his role as a father who transitions to a woman in Amazon’s ground-breaking “Transparent.”

Here's the full list of winners:

Comedy

• Outstanding Comedy Series: Veep
• Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: Louie Anderson, Baskets
• Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series: Aziz Ansari, Master of None ("Parents")
• Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live
• Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series: Jill Soloway, Transparent ("Man on the Land")
• Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
• Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series: Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent
• Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series: Peter Scolari, Girls (HBO)
• Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series: Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, Saturday Night Live

Drama

• Outstanding Drama Series: Game of Thrones
• Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series: Rami Malek, Mr. Robot
• Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series: Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black
• Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: Ben Mendelsohn, Bloodline
• Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Dame Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
• Outstanding TV movie: Sherlock: The Abominable Bride
• Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series: Hank Azaria, Ray Donovan
• Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series: Margo Martindale, The Americans
• Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series: Game of Thrones, "Battle of the Bastards," Miguel Sapochnik
• Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series: Game of Thrones, "Battle of the Bastards," David Benioff and D.B. Weiss

Variety

• Outstanding Variety Talk Series: Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
• Outstanding Variety Sketch Series: Key & Peele
• Outstanding Variety Special: "The Late Late Show Carpool Karaoke Prime Time Special"
• Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special: Patton Oswalt, Talking For Clapping
• Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special: “Grease: Live!”
• Outstanding Reality Competition Series: The Voice

Miniseries, Movie, or Special

• Outstanding Writing for Limited Series, Movie or Special: The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
• Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie: Regina King, American Crime
• Outstanding Directing in a limited series, movie, or special: Susanne Bier, The Night Manager
• Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie: Sterling K. Brown, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
• Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie: Sarah Paulson, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
• Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie: Courtney B. Vance, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
• Outstanding Limited Series: The People vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story

Outstanding Host for a Reality-Competition or Reality Program: RuPaul Charles, RuPaul's Drag Race

Best Structured Reality Program: Shark Tank

Best Unstructured Reality Program: Born This Way

Best Documentary or Non-Fiction Special: What Happened, Miss Simone?

Best Documentary or Non-Fiction Series: Making a Murderer

Best Informational Series or Special: Anthony Bourdain - Parts Unknown

Minh Phuong