Entertainment

Amazon's 'Fleabag' and HBO's 'Game of Thrones' win top honors at the 71st Emmy Awards show

Key Points
  • HBO's "Game of Thrones" and Amazon's "Fleabag" won the top awards at the 71st Primetime Emmy  Awards.
  • HBO came into the ceremony with a record-breaking 137 nominations, including 32 for "Game of Thrones." However, the fantasy series only won two awards Sunday night. 
  • Netflix had the second-most nominations with 117 for shows like "Russian Doll," "When They See Us" and "Ozark." The streaming service took home four awards Sunday. 
  • Amazon snagged seven awards Sunday night. 
US actor Bill Hader (R) and British actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge present the award for Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Limited Series Or Movie during the 71st Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles on September 22, 2019.
FREDERIC J. BROWN | AFP | Getty Images

Amazon's "Fleabag" stole the show Sunday at the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards, bringing home four awards, including those for best actress in a comedy, directing and best comedy series.

The show, which centers around a dry-witted, grief-riddled and promiscuous British woman living in London, earned writer and star Phoebe Waller-Bridge the outstanding writing award. However, it was her win for lead actress that was unexpected.

Many had anticipated the award would either go to Rachel Brosnahan from "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" or to Julia Louis-Dreyfus from "Veep." Had Louis-Dreyfus taken home the prize she would have had the most wins of any performer in the history of the Emmys. She currently is tied for this honor with Cloris Leachman. Both actresses have eight Emmys for their acting performances.

Streaming's very big night at the Emmys
VIDEO7:2507:25
Streaming's very big night at the Emmys

One of the biggest questions of the night was how many trophies "Game of Thrones" would bring home. Heading into the ceremony the HBO show had 32 nominations for long-running drama. The show earned 10 Emmys during the Creative Emmy Awards ceremony earlier in the month and tacked on another two during the broadcast.

Peter Dinklage won for best supporting actor for his portrayal of Tyrion Lannister and the show won the outstanding drama prize.

In the category for limited series and TV movies, "Chernobyl," "A Very English Scandal," "When They See Us" and "The Act" took home awards.

Notably, Jharrel Jerome won the Emmy for lead actor for his performance in Netflix's "When They See Us," a limited series about the Central Park Five.

When accepting the award Jerome said, "This is for the men that we know as the Exonerated Five."

Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, Raymond Santana, Korey Wise, and Yusef Salaam, the five men who were convicted and later exonerated for the 1989 assault and rape of a female jogger in Central Park, were in the crowd when Jerome won.

Calls to action

Throughout the night, a number of speeches were peppered with calls to action. During Patricia Arquette's acceptance speech for best supporting actress in a limited series or TV movie, the actress spoke about the death of her sister Alexis and about rights for transgender people.

"I'm in mourning, Alexis, and I will be the rest of my life for you until we change the world, until trans people are not persecuted," Arquette said. "And give them jobs. They're human beings, let's give them jobs. Let's get rid of this bias that we have everywhere."

Prior to the broadcast, actress Laverne Cox, who is transgender, used her time on the Emmys red carpet to discuss an upcoming Supreme Court case that will decide whether federal employment law, which bans discrimination based on sex, also bans discrimination based on transgender status.

Additionally, Michelle Williams, who won the award for lead actress in a limited series or TV movie, used her acceptance speech to discuss the gender pay gap in Hollywood.

"I want to say thank you so much to FX and to Fox 21 Studios for supporting me completely and for paying me equally, because they understood that when you put value into a person, it empowers that person to get in touch with their own inherent value, and then where do they put that value? They put it into their work," she said.

Williams added, "And so the next time a woman — and especially a woman of color, because she stands to make 52 cents on the dollar compared to her white, male counterpart — tells you what she needs in order to do her job, listen to her. Believe her. Because one day she might stand in front of you and say thank you for allowing her to succeed because of her workplace environment and not in spite of it."

And the winners are...

Other notable wins throughout the night were "Chernobyl," which took home the prize for outstanding limited series, as well as "Saturday Night Live" and "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver," which each won two awards in the variety category.

Like the Academy Awards ceremony earlier this year, the Emmys did not have a host. Instead, Fox invited pop star Halsey, known for her songs "Now or Never" and "Bad at Love," to perform the tribute for the In Memoriam segment.

In addition, comedian Adam DeVine, whose credits include "Workaholics," introduced the variety genre with a special performance, and Thomas Lennon, of "The State" and "Reno 911," provided commentary during the ceremony for audiences at home.

Here are the winners of the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards:

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series:

Tony Shalhoub — "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" (Amazon) (WINNER)
Alan Arkin — "The Kominsky Method" (Netflix)
Anthony Carrigan — "Barry" (HBO)
Henry Winkler — "Barry" (HBO)
Stephen Root — "Barry" (HBO)
Tony Hale — "Veep" (HBO)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series:

Alex Borstein — "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" (Amazon) (WINNER)
Anna Chlumsky — "Veep" (HBO)
Betty Gilpin — "GLOW" (Netflix)
Kate McKinnon — "Saturday Night Live" (NBC)
Marin Hinkle— "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" (Amazon)
Olivia Coleman — "Fleabag" (Amazon)
Sarah Goldberg — "Barry" (HBO)
Sian Clifford — "Fleabag" (Amazon)

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series:

Phoebe Waller-Bridge — "Fleabag" (Amazon) (WINNER)
Alec Berg and Bill Hader — "Barry" (HBO)
Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle — "PEN15" (Hulu)
Leslye Headland, Natasha Lyonne and Amy Poehler — "Russian Doll" (Netflix)
Allison Silverman — "Russian Doll" (Netflix)
Josh Siegal and Dylan Morgan — "The Good Place" (NBC)
David Mandel — "Veep" (HBO)

Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series:

Harry Bradbeer — "Fleabag" (Amazon) (WINNER)
Alec Berg — "Barry" (HBO)
Amy Sherman-Palladino — "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" (Amazon)
Bill Hader — "Barry" (HBO)
Daniel Palladino — "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" (Amazon)
Mark Cendrowski — "The Big Bang Theory" (CBS)

British actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge accepts the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series award for "Fleabag" onstage during the 71st Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles on September 22, 2019.
FREDERIC J. BROWN | AFP | Getty Images

Lead Actor in a Comedy Series:

Bill Hader — "Barry" (HBO) (WINNER)
Anthony Anderson — "Black-ish" (ABC)
Don Cheadle — "Black Monday" (Showtime)
Ted Danson — "The Good Place" (NBC)
Michael Douglas — "The Kominsky Method" (Netflix)
Eugene Levy — "Schitt's Creek" (CBC Television)

Lead Actress in a Comedy Series:

Phoebe Waller-Bridge — "Fleabag" (Amazon) (WINNER)
Christina Applegate — "Dead to Me" (Netflix)
Rachel Brosnahan — "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" (Amazon)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus — "Veep" (HBO)
Natasha Lyonne — "Russian Doll" (Netflix)
Catherine O'Hara — "Schitt's Creek" (CBC Television)

Outstanding Competition Program:

"RuPaul's Drag Race" (VH1) (WINNER)
"The Amazing Race" (CBS)
"American Ninja Warrior" (NBC)
"Nailed It" (Netflix)
"Top Chef" (Bravo)
"The Voice" (NBC)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie:

Patricia Arquette — "The Act" (Hulu) (WINNER)
Marsha Stephanie Blake — "When They See Us" (Netflix)
Patricia Clarkson — "Sharp Objects" (HBO)
Vera Farmiga — "When They See Us" (Netflix)
Margaret Qualley — "Fosse/Verdon" (FX)
Emily Watson — "Chernobyl" (HBO)

Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series or Movie

Johan Renck — "Chernobyl" (HBO) (WINNER)
Stephen Frears — "A Very English Scandal" (BBC)
Ben Stiller — "Escape at Dannemora" (Showtime)
Thomas Kail — "Fosse/Verdon" (FX)
Jessica Yu — "Fosse/Verdon" (FX)
Ava DuVernay — "When They See Us" (Netflix)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 22: Cast and crew of 'RuPaul's Drag Race' accept the Outstanding Competition Program award onstage during the 71st Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater on September 22, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.
Kevin Winter | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie:

Ben Whishaw — "A Very English Scandal" (Amazon) (WINNER)
Asante Blackk — "When They See Us" (Netflix)
Paul Dano — "Escape at Dannemora" (Showtime)
John Leguizamo — "When They See Us" (Netflix)
Stellan Skarsgard — "Chernobyl" (HBO)
Michael K. Williams — "When They See Us" (Netflix)

Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series or Movie:

Craig Mazin — "Chernobyl" (HBO) (WINNER)
Russell T. Davies — "A Very English Scandal" (BBC)
Brett Johnson and Michael Tolkin — "Escape At Dannemora" (Showtime)
Brett Johnson, Michael Tolkin and Jerry Stahl — "Escape At Dannemora" (Showtime)
Steven Levenson and Joel Fields — "Fosse/Verdon" (FX)
Ava DuVernay and Michael Starrbury — "When They See Us" (Netflix)

Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie:

Jharrel Jerome — "When They See Us" (Netflix) (WINNER)
Mahershala Ali — "True Detective" (HBO)
Benicio Del Toro — "Escape at Dannemora" (Showtime)
Hugh Grant — "A Very English Scandal" (BBC)
Jared Harris — "Chernobyl" (HBO)
Sam Rockwell — "Fosse/Verdon" (FX)

Jharrel Jerome accepts the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie award for "When They See Us" onstage during the 71st Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles on September 22, 2019.
FREDERIC J. BROWN | AFP | Getty Images

Outstanding Television Movie:

"Bandersnatch: Black Mirror" (Netflix) (WINNER)
"Brexit" (Amazon)
"Deadwood: The Movie" (HBO)
"King Lear" (BBC)
"My Dinner with Herve" (HBO)

Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie:

Michelle Williams — "Fosse/Verdon" (FX) (WINNER)
Amy Adams — "Sharp Objects" (HBO)
Patricia Arquette — "Escape at Dannemora" (Showtime)
Aunjanue Ellis — "When They See Us" (Netflix)
Joey King — "The Act" (Hulu)
Niecy Nash — "When They See Us" (Netflix)

Outstanding Limited Series:

"Chernobyl" (HBO) (WINNER)
"Escape at Dannemora" (Showtime)
"Fosse/Verdon" (FX)
"Sharp Objects" (HBO)
"When They See Us" (Netflix)

Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series:

"Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" (HBO) (WINNER)
"Documentary Now!" (IFC)
"Full Frontal with Samantha Bee" (TBS)
"Late Night with Seth Meyers" (NBC)
"Saturday Night Live" (NBC)
"The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" (CBS)

John Oliver accepts the Outstanding Variety Talk Series award for 'Last Week Tonight with John Oliver' from Billy Porter onstage during the 71st Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater on September 22, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.
Kevin Winter | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images

Outstanding Variety Sketch Series:

"Saturday Night Live" (NBC) (WINNER)
"At Home with Amy Sedaris" (truTV)
"Documentary Now!" (IFC)
"Drunk History" (Comedy Central)
"I Love You, America with Sarah Silverman" (Hulu)
"Who Is America?" (Showtime)

Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series:

Don Roy King — "Saturday Night Live" (NBC) (WINNER)
Alex Buono and Rhys Thomas — "Documentary Now!" (IFC)
Derek Waters — "Drunk History" (Comedy Central)
Paul Pennolino — "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" (HBO)
Jim Hoskinson — "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" (CBS)
Sacha Baron Cohen, Nathan Fielder, Daniel Gray Longino and Dan Mazer — "Who Is America?" (Showtime)

Outstanding Variety Talk Series:

"Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" (HBO) (WINNER)
"The Daily Show with Trevor Noah" (Comedy Central)
"Full Frontal with Samantha Bee" (TBS)
"Jimmy Kimmel Live" (ABC)
"The Late Late Show with James Corden" (CBS)
"The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" (CBS)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series:

Peter Dinklage — "Game of Thrones" (HBO) (WINNER)
Alfie Allen — "Game of Thrones" (HBO)
Chris Sullivan — "This is Us" (NBC)
Giancarlo Esposito — "Better Call Saul" (AMC)
Jonathan Banks — "Better Call Saul" (AMC)
Michael Kelly — "House of Cards" (Netflix)
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau — "Game of Thrones" (HBO)

Peter Dinklage accepts the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series award for 'Game of Thrones' onstage during the 71st Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater on September 22, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.
Kevin Winter | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series:

Jesse Armstrong — "Succession" (HBO) (WINNER)
Peter Gould and Thomas Schnauz — "Better Call Saul" (AMC)
Jed Mercurio — "Bodyguard" (Netflix)
David Benioff and D.B. Weiss — "Game of Thrones" (HBO)
Emerald Fennell — "Killing Eve" (BBC)
Bruce Miller and Kira Snyder — "The Handmaid's Tale" (Hulu)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series:

Julia Garner — "Ozark" (Netflix) (WINNER)
Fiona Shaw — "Killing Eve" (BBC)
Gwendoline Christie — "Game of Thrones" (HBO)
Lena Headey — "Game of Thrones" (HBO)
Maisie Williams — "Game of Thrones" (HBO)
Sophie Turner — "Game of Thrones" (HBO)

Lead Actor in a Drama Series:

Billy Porter — "Pose" (FX) (WINNER)
Jason Bateman — "Ozark" (Netflix)
Sterling K. Brown — "This is Us" (NBC)
Kit Harington — "Game of Thrones" (HBO)
Bob Odenkirk — "Better Call Saul" (AMC)
Milo Ventimiglia — "This is Us" (NBC)

Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series:

Jason Bateman — "Ozark" (Netflix) (WINNER)
David Benioff and D.B. Weiss — "Game of Thrones" (HBO)
David Nutter — "Game of Thrones" (HBO)
Miguel Sapochnik — "Game of Thrones" (HBO)
Lisa Bruhlmann — "Killing Eve" (BBC)
Adam McKay — "Succession" (HBO)
Daina Reid — "The Handmaid's Tale" (Hulu)

Lead Actress in a Drama Series:

Jodie Comer — "Killing Eve" (BBC/AMC) (WINNER)
Emilia Clarke — "Game of Thrones" (HBO)
Viola Davis — "How to Get Away with Murder" (ABC)
Laura Linney — "Ozark" (Netflix)
Mandy Moore — "This is Us" (NBC)
Sandra Oh — "Killing Eve" (BBC/AMC)
Robin Wright — "House of Cards" (Netflix)

Outstanding Comedy Series:

"Fleabag" (Amazon) (WINNER)
"Barry" (HBO)
"The Good Place" (NBC)
"The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" (Amazon)
"Russian Doll" (Netflix)
"Schitt's Creek" (CBC Television)
"Veep" (HBO)

Outstanding Drama Series:

"Game of Thrones" (HBO) (WINNER)
"Better Call Saul" (AMC)
"Bodyguard" (Netflix)
"Killing Eve" (BBC/AMC)
"Ozark" (Netflix)
"Pose" (FX)
"Succession" (HBO)
"This is Us" (NBC)

Disclosure: Comcast is the parent company of NBCUniversal and CNBC.