Game of Thrones wrestled back control of the Emmys in Los Angeles on Monday night, winning the ceremony’s biggest award, Outstanding Drama Series.
The HBO behemoth picked up the prize in 2015 and 2016, but was absent from proceedings last year when its broadcast date failed to meet eligibility criteria. The fallow year allowed The Handmaid’s Tale to shine, but the dystopian Hulu drama could not hold onto its crown in 2018.
However, Game of Thrones failed to dominate in other categories, its only other award on the night being a Supporting Actor honour for Peter Dinklage – his third Emmy win for the show.
The drama and limited series categories were split at an unpredictable ceremony, but Amazon’s The Marvelous Mrs Maisel trounced its comedy rivals. The dramedy – about a 1950s housewife who discovers she has a talent for stand-up – managed to scoop five awards while its hotly-tipped rival, the Donald Glover-starring Atlanta, went home empty handed.
Other winners at the Microsoft Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles included Claire Foy for her final performance as Queen Elizabeth in The Crown and Matthew Rhys for The Americans. The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story was declared Outstanding Limited Series, while HBO’s newest comedy Barry picked up surprise acting awards for Bill Hader and Henry Winkler.
The 70th Primetime Emmys were also notable for the surprisingly lack of politics. Whereas Hollywood celebrations have become well-known for their protests against Donald Trump, the president’s name was rarely mentioned, hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che – of Saturday Night Live fame – steering clear of the usual topic of discussion. Instead, their monologues, skits and jokes centred on diversity, the #MeToo movement and declining viewing figures for the Emmys.
Other notable moments including Betty White’s razor-sharp life achievement acceptance speech, delivered at the age of 96, and the Atlanta character Teddy Perkins attending the ceremony – it was widely believed that Glover was under the mask, but reports have since clarified that co-star Lakeith Stanfield was.
The 2018 Emmy winners list in full
Drama Series
Game of Thrones – Winner
The Handmaid’s Tale
This Is Us
The Crown
The Americans
Stranger Things
Westworld
Comedy Series
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel - Winner
Atlanta
Barry
Black-ish
Curb Your Enthusiasm
GLOW
Silicon Valley
The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Limited Series
The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story - Winner
The Alienist
Genius: Picasso
Godless
Patrick Melrose
Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Claire Foy (The Crown) – Winner
Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black)
Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Sandra Oh (Killing Eve)
Keri Russell (The Americans)
Evan Rachel Wood (Westworld)
Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Matthew Rhys (The Americans) - Winner
Jason Bateman (Ozark)
Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us)
Ed Harris (Westworld)
Milo Ventimiglia (This Is Us)
Jeffrey Wright (Westworld)
Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Thandie Newton (Westworld) – Winner
Alexis Bledel (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things)
Ann Dowd (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Lena Headey (Game of Thrones)
Vanessa Kirby (The Crown)
Yvonne Strahovski (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) - Winner
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game of Thrones)
Joseph Fiennes (The Handmaid’s Tale)
David Harbour (Stranger Things)
Mandy Patinkin (Homeland)
Matt Smith (The Crown)
Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Darren Criss (The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story) – Winner
Antonio Banderas (Genius: Picasso)
Benedict Cumberbatch (Patrick Melrose)
Jeff Daniels (The Looming Tower)
John Legend (Jesus Christ Superstar)
Jesse Plemons (Black Mirror: USS Callister)
Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Regina King (Seven Seconds) - Winner
Laura Dern (The Tale)
Jessica Biel (The Sinner)
Michelle Dockery (Godless)
Edie Falco (The Menendez Murders)
Sarah Paulson (American Horror Story: Cult)
Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series or Movie, or Dramatic Special
Ryan Murphy (The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story) - Winner
Scott Frank (Godless)
David Leveaux and Alex Rudzinski (Jesus Christ Superstar Live In Concert)
Craig Zisk (The Looming Tower, 9/11)
Barry Levinson (Paterno)
Edward Berger (Patrick Melrose)
David Lynch (Twin Peaks)
Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series or Movie, or Dramatic Special
William Bridges and Charlie Brooker (Black Mirror) - Winner
Kevin McManus and Matthew McManus (American Vandal)
Tom Rob Smith (The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story)
Scott Frank (Godless)
David Nicholls (Patrick Melrose)
David Lynch and Mark Frost (Twin Peaks)
Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Jeff Daniels (Godless) - Winner
Brandon Victor Dixon (Jesus Christ Superstar)
John Leguizamo (Waco)
Ricky Martin (The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story)
Edgar Ramirez (The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story)
Michael Stuhlbarg (The Looming Tower)
Finn Wittrock (The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story)
Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Merritt Wever (Godless) – Winner
Sara Bareilles (Jesus Christ Superstar Live In Concert)
Penelope Cruz (The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story)
Judith Light (The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story)
Adina Porter (American Horror Story: Cult)
Letitia Wright (Black Mirror: Black Museum)
Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Bill Hader (Barry) - Winner
Donald Glover (Atlanta)
Anthony Anderson (Black-ish)
William H. Macy (Shameless)
Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm)
Ted Danson (The Good Place)
Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) - Winner
Pamela Adlon (Better Things)
Tracee Ellis Ross (Black-ish)
Allison Janney (Mom)
Lily Tomlin (Grace and Frankie)
Issa Rae (Insecure)
Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series
Amy Sherman-Palladino (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) - Winner
Donald Glover (Atlanta)
Hiro Murai (Atlanta)
Bill Hader (Barry)
Mark Cendrowski (The Big Bang Theory)
Jesse Peretz (GLOW)
Mike Judge (Silicon Valley)
Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series
Amy Sherman-Palladino (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) - Winner
Donald Glover (Atlanta)
Stefani Robinson (Atlanta)
Alec Berg and Bill Hader (Barry)
Liz Sarnoff (Barry)
Alec Berg (Silicon Valley)
Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Alex Borstein (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) - Winner
Zazie Beetz (Atlanta)
Aidy Bryant (Saturday Night Live)
Betty Gilpin (GLOW)
Leslie Jones (Saturday Night Live)
Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live)
Laurie Metcalf (Roseanne)
Megan Mullally (Will & Grace)
Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Henry Winkler (Barry) - Winner
Louie Anderson (Baskets)
Alec Baldwin (Saturday Night Live)
Tituss Burgess (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt)
Brian Tyree Henry (Atlanta)
Tony Shalhoub (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)
Kenan Thompson (Saturday Night Live)
Variety Talk Series
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver - Winner
The Daily Show With Trevor Noah
Full Frontal With Samantha Bee
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Late Late Show with James Corden
Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Variety Sketch Series
Saturday Night Live - Winner
Portlandia
Drunk History
Tracey Ullman’s Show
At Home with Amy Sedaris
I Love You, America
Reality Competition
RuPaul’s Drag Race - Winner
The Amazing Race
American Ninja Warrior
Project Runway
Top Chef
The Voice
Structured Reality Program
Queer Eye - Winner
Antiques Roadshow
Fixer Upper
Lip Sync Battle
Shark Tank
Who Do You Think You Are?
Unstructured Reality Program
United Shades of America With W. Kamau Bell - Winner
Born This Way
Deadliest Catch
Intervention
Naked and Afraid
RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked
Host for Reality/Reality Competition Program
RuPaul Charles (RuPaul’s Drag Race) - Winner
W. Kamau Bell (United Shades of America With W. Kamau Bell)
Ellen DeGeneres (Ellen’s Game of Games)
Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn (Project Runway)
Jane Lynch (Hollywood Game Night)
