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‘Game of Thrones’ broke an Emmy record tonight

The debut season of “American Crime Story”, titled “The People v. O.J. Simpson”, took home five trophies from last night’s 2016 Primetime Emmys, including acting awards for Sarah Paulson, Courtney B. Vance and Sterling K. Brown.

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Meanwhile, HBO’s Game of Thrones and Veep each brought home their second consecutive wins for best drama and comedy series, respectively.

Another favourite, the true-crime series “The People vs OJ Simpson: American Crime Story”, a dramatization of the 1995 murder trial of the U.S. football star, won nine Emmys, including the award for best limited series.

Golden Globe-winning Mr. Robot, a conspiracy thriller about a troubled hacker, is vying for the top drama series award and best actor honours for star Rami Malek. Smith went on to win the award for supporting actress in a drama for her role as the Dowager Countess on “Downton Abbey“. The “Master of None” claimed their first ever Emmy award for the outstanding writing for a comedy series.

Supporting Actor, Drama Series: Ben Mendelsohn, “Bloodline”.

Kate McKinnon offered an emotional – and at times seemingly muted by the censors – speech after her work on “Saturday Night Live” won her the outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series Emmy. So when Kimmel lost outstanding variety talk series to John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight, Damon kept the row alive when he walked out onstage munching an apple. No one can even really begrudge Julia Louis-Dreyfus her fifth win too as Outstanding Actress in a Comedy, Veep is ruthlessly brilliant in so many ways. In a video bit, Jimmy Kimmel was shown trying to get to the ceremony and encountering former GOP presidential contender Jeb Bush as a limo driver.

Paulson was joined at the Emmys by Marcia Clark, the prosecutor she portrayed in the People v OJ Simpson: American Crime Story.

There will be more than ego tallies at the awards, with diversity in Hollywood an ongoing issue. “I think that Veep has torn down the wall between comedy and politics”, promising to “rebuild that wall and make Mexico pay for it”. “Right? Are you rooting for O.J.to win this time?” “No, no, no, no, no”, Kimmel said.

Tongue-twister catch phrase: Transparent creator Jill Soloway’s call to “Topple the patriarchy!”

In the best actor/drama category, Rami Malek won for his portrayal of Elliot Alderson, the cybersecurity engineer with dissociative identity disorder on “Mr. Robot”.

Perpetual bridesmaid in the series categories, FX has found great Emmy success in the limited series/miniseries arena with a genre it reintroduced to television, anthology drama series, with American Horror Story. The pair hugged after she was named outstanding lead actress in a limited series for her performance. The prerecorded portion began with a freeway chase (in a white Bronco) with Malcolm-Jamal Warner driving – an obvious reference to Emmys’ front-runner for limited series, “The People v. O.J. Simpson (which starred Warner as Al Cowlings)”. Live’s Thomas Kail for Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special.

The win for FX’s “The People v. O.J. Simpson” for best limited series was the most widely predicted victory of the night, and the show-a scripted drama recounting the American football star’s shocking fall from grace-swept up acting prizes.

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From left, Michael Kelly, Keegan Michael-Key, victor of the award for outstanding variety sketch series for “Key & Peele,” Angela Bassett, and Leslie Jones.

Record-breaking Game Of Thrones wins best drama at Emmy awards