Emmys 2015: Viola Davis, Jon Hamm make history as big winners

Viola Davis has made history as the first black actress to win an Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a drama series. The 50-year-old star was honored for her role as Professor Annalise Keating in How To Get Away With Murder at Sunday's 67th Emmy Awards, and received a standing ovation from the crowd after giving an emotional and powerful acceptance speech.

"I see a line and over that line I see green fields and lovely flowers and beautiful white women with their arms stretched out to me over that line. I can't seem to get there now. I can't seem to get over that line," she said, quoting abolitionist Harriet Tubman.

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Viola gave a moving speech that brought Kerry Washington to tears Photo: Getty Images

"But let me tell you something, the only thing that separates women of color from anything else is opportunity. You cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there," she added. "Here's to all the writers, awesome people."

Viola wasn't the only star breaking records at this year's ceremony. Jon Hamm won the award for outstanding lead actor in a drama series for his role as Don Draper in Mad Men. The actor, 44, had been nominated 16 times in the past – eight for lead actor for his portrayal of Don – and finally took home his first Emmy on Sunday night. It was his last chance at winning the award for Mad Men, which concluded its run earlier this year.

Jon crawled to the podium for his award Photo: Getty Images

In disbelief, Jon crawled his way on to the stage. "There's been a terrible mistake, clearly," he joked as he held his trophy. "It's impossible to be named with all of those extraordinary gentlemen. It's impossible to be standing up here. It's impossible to have done this show with this incredible cast."

Jon notably thanked his ex-partner Jennifer Westfeldt, who he split from earlier in the month after 18 years together, as well as their dog Cora. "It's incredible and impossible for me personally to be standing here so I want to thank the people to whom I owe an incredible debt,” he said. "Cora and Jen, thank you all very much. I would not be standing here without you."

Don Draper got an Emmy! Photo: Getty Images

Sunday night also saw Game of Thrones become the most accoladed series in Emmy history. The fantasy drama took home a stunning 12 awards on the night – the most of any series in a single year. Its final win, for outstanding drama series, made GOT the first fantasy program to take home an award in the category.

Emmy Awards 2015: winners list

Outstanding Drama Series
Better Call Saul
Downton Abbey
Game Of Thrones*WINNER
Homeland
House Of Cards
Mad Men
Orange Is The New Black

Outstanding Comedy Series
Louie
Modern Family
Parks And Recreation
Silicon Valley
Transparent
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Veep*WINNER

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Kyle Chandler, Bloodline
Jeff Daniels, The Newsroom
Jon Hamm, Mad Men*WINNER
Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul
Liev Schreiber, Ray Donovan
Kevin Spacey, House of Cards

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Claire Danes, Homeland
Viola Davis, How to Get Away With Murder*WINNER
Taraji P. Henson, Empire
Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men
Robin Wright, House of Cards

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Anderson, black-ish
Louis C.K., Louie
Don Cheadle, House of Lies
Will Forte, Last Man on Earth
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes
William H. Macy, Shameless
Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent *WINNER

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Lisa Kudrow, The Comeback
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep*WINNER
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation
Amy Schumer, Inside Amy Schumer
Lily Tomlin, Grace and Frankie

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Jonathan Banks, Better Call Saul
Ben Mendelsohn, Bloodline
Jim Carter, Downton Abbey
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones*WINNER
Michael Kelly, House of Cards
Alan Cumming, The Good Wife

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Joanne Froggatt, Downton Abbey
Lena Headey, Game of Thrones
Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones
Christina Hendricks, Mad Men
Uzo Aduba, Orange Is the New Black*WINNER
Christine Baranski, The Good Wife

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Niecy Nash, Getting On
Julie Bowen, Modern Family
Allison Janney, Mom *WINNER
Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live
Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory
Gaby Hoffmann, Transparent
Jane Krakowski, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Anna Chlumsky, Veep

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Andre Braugher, Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Adam Driver, Girls
Keegan-Michael Key, Key & Peele
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Tituss Burgess, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Tony Hale, Veep*WINNER

Outstanding Miniseries
American Crime
American Horror Story: Freak Show
The Honorable Woman
Olive Kitteridge*WINNER
Wolf Hall

Outstanding Television Movie
Agatha Christie's Poirot: Curtain, Poirot's Last Case
Bessie*WINNER
Grace Of Monaco
Hello Ladies: The Movie
Killing Jesus
Nightingale

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie
Timothy Hutton, American Crime
Ricky Gervais, Derek Special
Adrien Brody, Houdini
David Oyelowo, Nightingale
Richard Jenkins, Olive Kitteridge*WINNER
Mark Rylance, Wolf Hall

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
Felicity Huffman, American Crime
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Freak Show
Queen Latifah, Bessie
Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Honorable Woman
Frances McDormand, Olive Kitteridge*WINNER
Emma Thompson, Sweeney Todd

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie
Richard Cabral, American Crime
Denis O'Hare, American Horror Story: Freak Show
Finn Wittrock, American Horror Story: Freak Show
Michael Kenneth Williams, Bessie
Bill Murray, Olive Kitteridge *WINNER
Damian Lewis, Wolf Hall

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
Regina King, American Crime*WINNER
Sarah Paulson, American Horror Story: Freak Show
Angela Bassett, American Horror Story: Freak Show
Kathy Bates, American Horror Story: Freak Show
Mo'Nique, Bessie
Zoe Kazan, Olive Kitteridge

Outstanding Variety Talk Series
The Colbert Report
The Daily Show *WINNER
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Last Week Tonight
Late Show With David Letterman
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Outstanding Writing For A Variety Series
The Colbert Report
The Daily Show*WINNER
Inside Amy Schumer
Last Week Tonight
Late Show With David Letterman

Outstanding Directing For A Variety Series
The Colbert Report
The Daily Show *WINNER
Inside Amy Schumer
Late Show With David Letterman
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Outstanding Variety Sketch Series
Drunk History
Inside Amy Schumer*WINNER
Key & Peele
Portlandia
Saturday Night Live

Outstanding Reality-Competition Program
The Amazing Race
Dancing with the Stars
Project Runway
So You Think You Can Dance
Top Chef
The Voice*WINNER

Outstanding Structured Reality Program
Antiques Roadshow
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
MythBusters
Property Brothers
Shark Tank*WINNER
Undercover Boss

Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program
Alaska: The Last Frontier
Deadliest Catch*WINNER
Intervention
Million Dollar Listing New York
Naked and Afraid
Wahlburgers

Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality-Competition Program
Tom Bergeron, Dancing With The Stars
Jane Lynch, Hollywood Game Night*WINNER
Heidi Klum & Tim Gunn, Project Runway
Cat Deeley, So You Think You Can Dance
Anthony Bourdain, The Taste

Outstanding Variety Special
Bill Maher: Live From D.C.
The Kennedy Center Honors
Louis C.K.: Live At The Comedy Store
Mel Brooks Live At The Geffen
The Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special *WINNER
Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga: Cheek To Cheek LIVE!

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Alan Alda, The Blacklist
Michael J. Fox, The Good Wife
F. Murray Abraham, Homeland
Reg E. Cathey, House of Cards*WINNER
Beau Bridges, Masters Of Sex
Pablo Schreiber, Orange Is The New Black

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Margo Martindale, The Americans*WINNER
Diana Rigg, Game of Thrones
Rachel Brosnahan, House Of Cards
Cicely Tyson, How To Get Away With Murder
Allison Janney, Masters Of Sex
Khandi Alexander, Scandal

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Mel Brooks, The Comedians
Paul Giamatti, Inside Amy Schumer
Bill Hader, Saturday Night Live
Louis C.K., Saturday Night Live
Bradley Whitford, Transparent *WINNER
Jon Hamm, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Christine Baranski, The Big Bang Theory
Gaby Hoffmann, Girls
Pamela Adlon, Louie
Elizabeth Banks, Modern Family
Joan Cusack, Shameless *WINNER
Tina Fey, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
The Americans - Do Mail Robots Dream Of Electric Sheep? (Joshua Brand)
Better Call Saul - Five-O (Gordon Smith)
Game Of Thrones - Mother's Mercy (David Benioff and D.B. Weiss) *WINNER
Mad Men - Lost Horizon (Semi Chellas and Matthew Weiner)
Mad Men - Person To Person (Matthew Weiner)

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
Episodes - Episode 409 (David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik)
The Last Man On Earth - Alive In Tucson (Pilot) (Will Forte)
Louie - Bobby's House (Louis C.K.)
Silicon Valley - Two Days Of The Condor (Alec Berg)
Transparent - Pilot (Jill Soloway)
Veep - Election Night (Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci and Tony Roche) *WINNER

Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire - Eldorado (Tim Van Patten)
Game Of Thrones - Mother's Mercy (David Nutter) *WINNER
Game Of Thrones - Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken (Jeremy Podeswa)
Homeland - From A To B And Back Again (Lesli Linka Glatter)
The Knick - Method And Madness (Steven Soderbergh)

Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
The Last Man On Earth - Alive In Tucson (Pilot) (Phil Lord and Christopher Miller)
Louie - Sleepover (Louis C.K.)
Silicon Valley - Sand Hill Shuffle (Mike Judge)
Transparent - Best New Girl (Jill Soloway) *WINNER
Veep - Testimony (Armando Iannucci)

Outstanding Writing For A Limited Series, Movie Or A Dramatic Special
American Crime - Episode One (John Ridley)
Bessie (Dee Rees, Christopher Cleveland, Bettina Gilois, Horton Foote)
Hello Ladies: The Movie (Stephen Merchant, Gene Stupnitsky, Lee Eisenberg)
Olive Kitteridge (Jane Anderson) *WINNER
The Honorable Woman (Hugo Blick)
Wolf Hall (Peter Straughan)

Outstanding Directing For A Limited Series, Movie Or A Dramatic Special
Olive Kitteridge (Lisa Cholodenko) *WINNER
Wolf Hall (Peter Kosminsky)
Houdini (Uli Edel)
Bessie (Dee Rees)
American Horror Story: Freak Show (Ryan Murphy)
The Honorable Woman (Hugo Blick)