Emmys 2017: Veep, Big Little Lies, Handmaid's Tale win big; see full winners' list

Oscar winner Nicole Kidman won her first ever Emmy Award as Outstanding Actress in a Limited Series, for her role in Big Little Lies. She called domestic abuse a “complicated, insidious disease”.

Kidman played Celeste, a wife and mother who becomes the victim of domestic violence at the hands of her husband Perry, essayed by Alexander Skarsgard, who also won an Emmy here on September 17.

Looking resplendent and radiant in a red gown, Kidman thanked her husband Keith Urban and her daughters for supporting her career, and said she hoped the Emmy win can be a lesson for others in a way.

“Sometimes, when you’re acting you get a chance to bring a bigger message… We shone a light on domestic abuse,” she said.

“It is a complicated, insidious disease. It exists far more than we allow ourselves to know. It is filled with shame and secrecy. And by you acknowledging me with this award, it shines a light on it even more,” she said in gratitude to the Television Academy.

Saturday Night Live wins Best Outstanding Variety Sketch Series. Rather well deserved. 

Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer made a surprise entry to Emmys 2017, and then followed to help Stephen Colbert make fun of the president. 

. @seanspicer borrows @melissamccarthy ’s podium for a surprise appearance at the #Emmys pic.twitter.com/xGOezHygVa

— Variety (@Variety) September 18, 2017

Host Stephen Colbert kicked off the show with a massive song and dance number. The Emmys are being lauded on Twitter for maintaining pace, and sticking to schedule. 

Alec Baldwin walked away with the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series trophy at the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards here for his portrayal of US President Donald Trump on “Saturday Night Live”.

After accepting his first Emmy since 2009, Baldwin began his speech by saying: “I suppose I should say, at long last, Mr. President, here is your Emmy."

He said in response to the September 17 awards ceremony’s host Stephen Colbert’s opening monologue.

The host had joked about Hollywood not giving Trump an Emmy for his show “The Apprentice”.

“Bet he wouldn’t have run for president” if he had won the award, said Colbert.

Baldwin continued with his speech where he said: “I always remember once someone told me that when you die, you don’t remember a bill that Congress passed or a decision the Supreme Court made or an address made by the president…you remember a song, you remember a line from a movie, you remember a play, you remember a book, a painting, a poem."

“What we do is important, and for all of you out there in motion pictures and television, don’t stop doing what you’re doing. The audience is counting on you,” he said to the crowd that consisted of stars like Robert De Niro, Oprah Winfrey and Kevin Spacey.

Baldwin, who had won Emmy in 2008 and 2009 for his portrayal of Jack Donaghy on “30 Rock”, defeated Louie Anderson, Tituss Burgess, Ty Burrell and Tony Hale and Matt Walsh to win the honour.

“Saturday Night Live”, known for its parodies specifically US politics, received more awards at the ceremony.

. @seanspicer borrows @melissamccarthy ’s podium for a surprise appearance at the #Emmys pic.twitter.com/xGOezHygVa

— Variety (@Variety) September 18, 2017

Indian-American Aziz Ansari and African-American Lena Waithe added a shade of diversity to the winners of the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards here as co-writers of a Master of None episode on a character coming out to her family as a lesbian.

Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra stepped out in a figure hugging white custom-made Balmain mermaid creation at the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards.

She took the stage alongside Anthony Anderson to present the Award for Outstanding Variety Talk Series to John Oliver for “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” at the Microsoft Theater on September 17.

Here’s the list of TV series and movies nominated for the 2017 Emmys:

Outstanding Drama Series

Stranger Things
Westworld
Better Call Saul
The Handmaid’s Tale
This Is Us
The Crown
House of Cards

Outstanding Comedy Series

Silicon Valley
Modern Family
Veep
Atlanta
Black-ish
Master of None
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Outstanding Limited Series or Movie

Big Little Lies
Fargo
Feud: Bette and Joan
Genius
The Night Of

Outstanding Reality Competition

The Amazing Race
American Ninja Warrior
Project Runway
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Top Chef
The Voice

Outstanding Variety Talk Series

Full Frontal With Samantha Bee
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
The Late Late Show With James Corden
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
Real Time With Bill Maher

Outstanding Variety Sketch Series

Billy on the Street
Documentary Now!
Drunk History
Portlandia
Saturday Night Live
Tracey Ullman’s Show

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
 
Claire Foy (The Crown)
Viola Davis (How to Get Away With Murder)
Robin Wright (House of Cards)
Evan Rachel Wood (Westworld)
Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Keri Russell (The Americans)
 
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
 
Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul)
Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us)
Anthony Hopkins (Westworld)
Kevin Spacey (House of Cards)
Matthew Rhys (The Americans)
Milo Ventimiglia (This Is Us)
Liev Schreiber (Ray Donovan)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black)
Ann Dowd (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Chrissy Metz (This Is Us)
Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things)
Samira Wiley (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Thandie Newton (Westworld)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Jonathan Banks (Better Call Saul)
Michael Kelly (House of Cards)
John Lithgow (The Crown)
Jeffrey Wright (Westworld)
Mandy Patinkin (Homeland)
David Harbour (Stranger Things)
Ron Cephas Jones (This Is Us)

 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
 
Allison Janney (Mom)
Jane Fonda (Grace and Frankie)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep)
Pamela Adlon (Better Things)
Lily Tomlin (Grace and Frankie)
Ellie Kemper (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt)
Tracee Ellis Ross (Black-ish)
 
 
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
 
William H. Macy (Shameless)
Zach Galifianakis (Baskets)
Anthony Anderson (Black-ish)
Aziz Ansari (Master of None)
Jeffrey Tambor (Transparent)
Donald Glover (Atlanta)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Leslie Jones (Saturday Night Live)
Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live)
Vanessa Bayer (Saturday Night Live)
Kathryn Hahn (Transparent)
Judith Light (Transparent)
Anna Chlumsky (Veep)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Louie Anderson (Baskets)
Ty Burrell (Modern Family)
Alec Baldwin (Saturday Night Live)
Tituss Burgess (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt)
Tony Hale (Veep)
Matt Walsh (Veep)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie

Carrie Coon (Fargo)
Felicity Huffman (American Crime)
Nicole Kidman (Big Little Lies)
Jessica Lange (Feud: Bette and Joan)
Susan Sarandon (Feud: Bette and Joan)
Reese Witherspoon (Big Little Lies)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie

Riz Ahmed (The Night Of)
Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock)
Robert De Niro (The Wizard of Lies)
Ewan McGregor (Fargo)
Geoffrey Rush (Genius)
John Turturro (The Night Of)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie

Regina King (American Crime)
Laura Dern (Big Little Lies)
Jackie Hoffman (Feud: Bette and Joan)
Shailene Woodley (Big Little Lies)
Judy Davis (Feud: Bette and Joan)
Michelle Pfeiffer (The Wizard of Lies)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie

Alexander Skarsgard (Big Little Lies)
Alfred Molina (Feud: Bette and Joan)
David Thewlis (Fargo)
Bill Camp (The Night Of)
Stanley Tucci (Feud: Bette and Joan)
Michael K. Williams (The Night Of)

A couple of winners were announced during last weekend’s Creative Arts Emmys:

The winner in the Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series category is: Gerald McRaney (This Is Us)

The winner in the Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series category is: Alexis Bledel (The Handmaid’s Tale)

The winner in the Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series category is: Dave Chappelle (Saturday Night Live)

The winner in the Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series category: Melissa McCarthy (Saturday Night Live)

With regular winners Downton Abbey and Game of Thrones out of the running this year, critics and viewers were left guessing about who would win this year. The race truly began when the list of nominees was announced, and Westworld and Saturday Night Live bagged 22 nominations each. People were also placing their bets on The Handmaid’s Tale and House of Cards.