On Saturday August 16th, 2014 the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) handed out 80 trophies for Creative Arts Primetime Emmy Awards. The number of categories actually increased by five this year, which is almost unfathomable, this award body may rival the Grammy Awards soon. Most of the awards passed out involved things like casting, cinematography, or picture editing. The big winners of the evening were Saturday Night Live (5 wins), True Detective (4 wins), Game of Thrones (3 wins), Orange is the New Black (3 wins), and Sherlock: His Last Vow (5 wins).
While most of the winners announced were behind the scenes categories, there were also categories presented which included guest performances, and voice work on animated series.
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series went to Jimmy Fallon for Hosting Saturday Night Live, Fallon is the sixth person to be honored for this work on Saturday Night Live. One of the three prizes Orange is the New Black won included Uzo Aduba who won for Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. Aduba is considered a guest performer because her name does not appear in the opening credits for season one.
Allison Janney and Joe Morton won Guest Actress and Guest Actor in a Drama Series for their work because they are not listed in the opening credits either. Janney’s arc on Masters of Sex was one of the most talked about performances of the year. Morton won playing Papa Pope on Scandal, Scandal’s Dan Bucatinsky won this category last year, never underestimate Shonda Rhimes actors in these categories.
One of the biggest milestones of the night is that bridesmaids finally took home trophies at the ceremony last night. Harry Shearer who has been with The Simpson’s from the beginning had never won, the Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance category, but last night changed that. Bill Maher topped Angela Lansbury as the biggest loser recently, but took home a trophy for the HBO docu-series Vice.
The big question is will these winners mean you should change your predictions to True Detective or Orange is the New Black at next Sunday’s main ceremony? In the last few years the shows that have won big at the Creative Arts Primetime Emmy Awards have been Boardwalk Empire, and Game of Thrones, but neither of those shows went on to win the top prize. Modern Family did not win any awards last year at this ceremony either, and it went on to win Outstanding Comedy Series. New shows and shows with high levels of technical behind the scenes work tend to do well at these award shows. You can’t use this as a barometer for next week’s award, completely, but it can be an indicator. Many of the categories at next week’s ceremony also submit specific episodes for viewing panels, hence some mild surprises like Jeff Daniels for The Newsroom, and Merrit Wever for Nurse Jackie.
Here is the full list of winners:
Casting in a Comedy Series: Jennifer Euston-Orange Is the New Black
Casting in a Dramatic Series: Alexa L. Fogel, Christine Kromer, Meagan Lewis-True Detective
Casting in a Miniseries: Rachel Tenner, Jackie Lind-Fargo
Guest Actress in a Drama Series: Allison Janney as Margaret Scully- Masters of Sex
Guest Actor in a Drama Series: Joe Morton-Scandal
Guest Actress in a Comedy Series: Uzo Aduba-Orange Is the New Black
Guest Actor in a Comedy Series: Jimmy Fallon-Saturday Night Live
Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program: Jane Lynch-Hollywood Game Night
Structured Reality Program: Shark Tank
Unstructured Reality Program: Deadliest Catch
Writing for a Variety Series: The Colbert Report
Directing for a Variety Series: Saturday Night Live
Interactive Program: The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Documentary or Non-Fiction Special: JFK (American Experience)
Short-Format Nonfiction Program: 30 For 30 Shorts
Short-Format Live-Action Entertainment Program: Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis: President Barack Obama
Informational Series or Special: Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown and Vice
Special Class Program: 67th Annual Tony Awards
Animation Program: Bob’s Burgers
Governor’s Award: Marion Dougherty, C.S.A.
Music Direction: The Beatles: The Night That Changed America
Choreography: So You Think You Can Dance
Original Main Title Theme Music: COSMOS: A SpaceTIme Odyssey
Originial Main Title Design: True Detective
Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or Special: Sherlock: His Last Vow
Music Composition for a Series: COSMOS: A SpaceTIme Odyssey
Sound Mixing for a Variety Series or Special: The 56th Grammy Awards
Sound Mixing for Nonfiction Programming: American Masters
Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (1 Hour): House of Cards
Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (half-hour): Nurse Jackie
Sound Mixing for a Miniseries or Movie: Treme
Art Direction for a Variety, Nonfiction, Reality or Reality-Competition Program: The Oscars
Art Direction for a Contemporary Program: House of Lies
Art Direction for a Period, Miniseries or a Movie (Single-Camera): Boardwalk Empire
Art Direction for a Contemporary or Fantasy Series (Single-Camera): Game of Thrones
Costumes for a Miniseries: Lou Eyrich, Elizabeth Macey, Ken Van Duyne- American Horror Story: Coven
Costumes for a Series: Michael Clapton, Sheena Wichary, Alexander Fordham, Nina Ayres-Game of Thrones
Longform Makeup: Sherri Berman Laurence-The Normal Heart
Single-Camera Series Makeup: Felicity Bowring –Non-Prosthetic-True Detective
Multi-Camera Series or Special Makeup: Louie Zakarian-Saturday Night Live
Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Miniseries, Movie or Special: Game of Thrones
Hairstyling for a Miniseries/Movie: American Horror Story: Coven
Hairstyling for a Multi-Camera Series or Special: Saturday Night Live
Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series: Downton Abbey
Sound Editing for a Miniseries Movie or Special: Sherlock: His Last Vow
Sound Editing for Nonfiction Programming: COSMOS: A SpaceTime Odyssey
Sound Editing for a Series: Black Sails
Picture Editing for Short-Form Segments and Variety Specials: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Picture Editing for Nonfiction Programming: The Square
Picture Editing for Reality Programming: Deadliest Catch
Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series: Orange is the New Black
Single-Camera Picture Editing for A Drama Series: Breaking Bad
Multi-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series: The Big Bang Theory
Single- Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries or Movie: Sherlock: His Last Vow
Short-format Animated Program: Disney Mickey Mouse
Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Variety Special: Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games Opening Ceremony
Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Variety Series: Dancing with the Stars
Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video Control for a Series: Dancing with the Stars
Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video Control for Miniseries, Movie or Special: The Sound of Music Live!
Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series: True Detective
Cinematography for a Multi-Camera Series: How I Met Your Mother
Cinematography for a Minseries or Movie: Sherlock: His Last Vow
Cinematography for Nonfiction Programming: The Square
Cinematography for Reality Programming: Deadliest Catch
Stunt Coordination for a Drama Series, Miniseries or Movie: The Blacklist
Stunt Coordination for a Comedy Series or Variety Program: Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Special and Visual Effects: Game of Thrones