66th Primetime Emmy Awards

66th Primetime Emmy Awards
Promotional poster
Date	August 25, 2014[1] (Ceremony) August 16, 2014[1] (Creative Arts Awards)
Location	Nokia Theatre, Los Angeles, California
Presented by	Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
Hosted by	Seth Meyers
Highlights
Most awards	Breaking Bad (5)
Most nominations	The Normal Heart (9)
Outstanding Comedy Series	Modern Family
Outstanding Drama Series	Breaking Bad
Outstanding Miniseries	Fargo
Outstanding Competition Program	The Amazing Race
Outstanding Variety Series	The Colbert Report
Television/radio coverage
Network	NBC[2]
Produced by	Don Mischer
Directed by	Glenn Weiss
← 65th Primetime Emmy Awards 67th →

The 66th Primetime Emmy Awards honored the best in U.S. prime time television programming from June 1, 2013 until May 31, 2014, as chosen by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. The ceremony was held on Monday, August 25, 2014, at the Nokia Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles, California, and was broadcast in the U.S. by NBC.^[2] Comedian and Late Night host Seth Meyers hosted the ceremony for the first time.^{[3][4][5][6][7]} The nominations were announced on July 10, 2014.^[8][9][10]

The scheduling of the Primetime Emmy Awards is coordinated with that of the Creative Arts Emmy Awards ceremony, which was held the previous weekend on August 16, 2014.^[1]

Breaking Bad was the major winner of the night, with five wins, including its second Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series for the second part of its fifth season. Modern Family won its fifth consecutive Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series, tying with Frasier as the series with the most consecutive wins in the category. The Amazing Race won its tenth Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program as well. Other major winners of the night were Sherlock: His Last Vow (3 wins), American Horror Story: Coven and Fargo (2 wins each).

Scheduling of ceremony[]

The ceremony was held on a night other than Sunday for the first time since 1976 (the 28th Primetime Emmy Awards were also staged on a Monday that year, May 17).^[2] The ceremony's unusual date — a Monday night in late August — was due to two factors, primary being NBC's commitment to Sunday Night Football; since acquiring the National Football League's Sunday night game package in 2006, NBC, when it is their turn in the four-network rotation to air the Primetime Emmy Awards, usually schedules the ceremony for the Sunday before Labor Day weekend, to avoid conflicts with SNF in mid-September (when ABC, CBS, or Fox normally air the ceremony).^{[Note 1]} NBC's ideal date on the 2014 calendar for the ceremony (Sunday, August 24) led to the other scheduling factor — MTV's Video Music Awards, which were set for that night more than a year in advance^[12] (and would be staged in the L.A. area as well, at The Forum in Inglewood). On January 28, 2014, rather than go head-to-head with the VMA's, NBC announced that the ceremony would take place on Monday, August 25.^[2] The move would allow NBC to commit to a preseason Sunday Night Football broadcast for the 24th (a game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals); it also ensured the tradition of staging the Primetime Emmy Awards the weekend after the Creative Arts Emmy Awards (that ceremony was already set for August 16).^[2]

The ceremony's weeknight date and start time — 5:00 p.m. (PDT) in Los Angeles, California — led to concerns of rush hour traffic gridlock in Los Angeles' downtown core at the time of the ceremony; to help alleviate the concerns, the ATAS worked with Los Angeles city officials to map out street closures and red carpet staging areas, as well as include travel instructions (including which routes to take and where to park) in attendees' ticket packets.^[13]

Changes in categories and balloting[]

On November 14, 2013, the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced that it would implement online voting for its members to select the nominees. However, online voting to determine the winners will not be used until 2015, and winners for this year were voted on via paper ballots.^[14]

The Academy had also announced changes to several awards and categories that affect both the Primetime and Creative Arts Emmy Awards. Changes for the Primetime Emmy Awards involved separating the Outstanding Miniseries or Movie category into two entities again—Outstanding Miniseries and Outstanding Television Movie. The two were combined in 2011, due to a downtrend in the genres. This separation is only for the program category with all other awards in the category remaining combined between the two formats.^[15] The Academy also introduced two new categories—Outstanding Structured Reality Program and Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program.^{[Note 2][16]}

There was also an increase in the number of longform nominees in writing, directing and performing categories for miniseries/movie (from five to six nominees) as well as a change in their final voting procedures.^[15] Additionally, a 2% rule was adopted in the comedy and drama series categories, wherein, a seventh nominee can be added to the respective categories if its total first-round votes are within 2% of the sixth place series.^[15]

Winners and nominees[]

Winners are listed first and highlighted in bold:^[17]

Programs[]

Outstanding Comedy Series	Outstanding Drama Series
Modern Family (ABC) The Big Bang Theory (CBS) Louie (FX) Orange Is the New Black (Netflix) Silicon Valley (HBO) Veep (HBO)	Breaking Bad (AMC) Downton Abbey (PBS) Game of Thrones (HBO) House of Cards (Netflix) Mad Men (AMC) True Detective (HBO)
Outstanding Variety Series	Outstanding Miniseries
The Colbert Report (Comedy Central) The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central) Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC) Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO) Saturday Night Live (NBC) The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC)	Fargo (FX) American Horror Story: Coven (FX) Bonnie & Clyde (A&E) Luther (BBC America) Treme (HBO) The White Queen (Starz)
Outstanding Television Movie	Outstanding Reality-Competition Program
The Normal Heart (HBO) Killing Kennedy (Nat Geo) Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight (HBO) Sherlock: His Last Vow (PBS) The Trip to Bountiful (Lifetime)	The Amazing Race (CBS) Dancing with the Stars (ABC) Project Runway (Lifetime) So You Think You Can Dance (Fox) Top Chef (Bravo) The Voice (NBC)

Acting[]

Lead performances[]

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Jim Parsons as Dr. Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory (Episode: "The Relationship Diremption") (CBS) Louis C.K. as Louie on Louie (Episode: "Model") (FX) Don Cheadle as Marty Kaan on House of Lies (Episode: "Wreckage") (Showtime) Ricky Gervais as Derek Noakes on Derek (Episode: "Episode 6") (Netflix) Matt LeBlanc as Himself on Episodes (Episode: "Episode Six") (Showtime) William H. Macy as Frank Gallagher on Shameless (Episode: "Lazarus") (Showtime)	Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Vice President Selina Meyer on Veep (Episode: "Crate") (HBO) Lena Dunham as Hannah Horvath on Girls (Episode: "Beach House") (HBO) Edie Falco as Jackie Peyton, RN on Nurse Jackie (Episode: "Super Greens") (Showtime) Melissa McCarthy as Molly Flynn on Mike & Molly (Episode: "Mind Over Molly") (CBS) Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope on Parks and Recreation (Episode: "Recall Vote") (NBC) Taylor Schilling as Piper Chapman on Orange Is the New Black (Episode: "The Chickening") (Netflix)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Bryan Cranston as Walter White on Breaking Bad (Episode: "Ozymandias") (AMC) Jeff Daniels as Will McAvoy on The Newsroom (Episode: "Election Night, Part II") (HBO) Jon Hamm as Don Draper on Mad Men (Episode: "The Strategy") (AMC) Woody Harrelson as Detective Martin Hart on True Detective (Episode: "The Locked Room") (HBO) Matthew McConaughey as Detective Rustin "Rust" Cohle on True Detective (Episode: "Form and Void") (HBO) Kevin Spacey as Vice President Frank Underwood on House of Cards (Episode: "Chapter 26") (Netflix)	Julianna Margulies as Alicia Florrick on The Good Wife (Episode: "The Last Call") (CBS) Lizzy Caplan as Virginia Johnson on Masters of Sex (Episode: "Pilot") (Showtime) Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison on Homeland (Episode: "The Star") (Showtime) Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary Crawley on Downton Abbey (Episode: "Episode One") (PBS) Kerry Washington as Olivia Pope on Scandal (Episode: "The Fluffer") (ABC) Robin Wright as Second Lady Claire Underwood on House of Cards (Episode: "Chapter 26") (Netflix)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie	Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie
Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes on Sherlock: His Last Vow (PBS) Chiwetel Ejiofor as Louis Lester on Dancing on the Edge (Starz) Idris Elba as DCI John Luther on Luther (BBC America) Martin Freeman as Lester Nygaard on Fargo (FX) Mark Ruffalo as Ned Weeks on The Normal Heart (HBO) Billy Bob Thornton as Lorne Malvo on Fargo (FX)	Jessica Lange as Fiona Goode on American Horror Story: Coven (FX) Helena Bonham Carter as Elizabeth Taylor on Burton & Taylor (BBC America) Minnie Driver as Maggie Royal on Return to Zero (Lifetime) Sarah Paulson as Cordelia Foxx on American Horror Story: Coven (FX) Cicely Tyson as Mrs. Carrie Watts on The Trip to Bountiful (Lifetime) Kristen Wiig as Cynthia Morehouse on The Spoils of Babylon (IFC)

Supporting performances[]

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Ty Burrell as Phil Dunphy on Modern Family (Episode: "Spring-a-Ding-Fling") (ABC) Fred Armisen as Various Characters on Portlandia (Episode: "Pull-Out King") (IFC) Andre Braugher as Captain Ray Holt on Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Episode: "Christmas") (Fox) Adam Driver as Adam Sackler on Girls (Episode: "Two Plane Rides") (HBO) Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Mitchell Pritchett on Modern Family (Episode: "Message Received") (ABC) Tony Hale as Gary Walsh on Veep (Episode: "Crate") (HBO)	Allison Janney as Bonnie Plunkett on Mom (Episode: "Estrogen and a Hearty Breakfast") (CBS) Mayim Bialik as Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler on The Big Bang Theory (Episode: "The Indecision Amalgamation") (CBS) Julie Bowen as Claire Dunphy on Modern Family (Episode: "The Feud") (ABC) Anna Chlumsky as Amy Brookheimer on Veep (Episode: "Detroit") (HBO) Kate McKinnon as Various Characters on Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Anna Kendrick") (NBC) Kate Mulgrew as Galina "Red" Reznikov on Orange Is the New Black (Episode: "Tit Punch") (Netflix)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman on Breaking Bad (Episode: "Confessions") (AMC) Jim Carter as Charles Carson on Downton Abbey (Episode: "Episode One") (PBS) Josh Charles as Will Gardner on The Good Wife (Episode: "Hitting the Fan") (CBS) Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister on Game of Thrones (Episode: "The Laws of Gods and Men") (HBO) Mandy Patinkin as Saul Berenson on Homeland (Episode: "Gerontion") (Showtime) Jon Voight as Mickey Donovan on Ray Donovan (Episode: "Fite Nite") (Showtime)	Anna Gunn as Skyler White on Breaking Bad (Episode: "Ozymandias") (AMC) Christine Baranski as Diane Lockhart on The Good Wife (Episode: "The Last Call") (CBS) Joanne Froggatt as Anna Bates on Downton Abbey (Episode: "Episode Four") (PBS) Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister on Game of Thrones (Episode: "The Lion and the Rose") (HBO) Christina Hendricks as Joan Harris on Mad Men (Episode: "The Strategy") (AMC) Maggie Smith as Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham on Downton Abbey (Episode: "Episode Eight") (PBS)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie
Martin Freeman as Dr. John Watson on Sherlock: His Last Vow (PBS) Matt Bomer as Felix Turner on The Normal Heart (HBO) Colin Hanks as Officer Gus Grimly on Fargo (FX) Joe Mantello as Mickey Marcus on The Normal Heart (HBO) Alfred Molina as Ben Weeks on The Normal Heart (HBO) Jim Parsons as Tommy Boatwright on The Normal Heart (HBO)	Kathy Bates as Delphine LaLaurie on American Horror Story: Coven (FX) Angela Bassett as Marie Laveau on American Horror Story: Coven (FX) Ellen Burstyn as Olivia Foxworth on Flowers in the Attic (Lifetime) Frances Conroy as Myrtle Snow on American Horror Story: Coven (FX) Julia Roberts as Dr. Emma Brookner on The Normal Heart (HBO) Allison Tolman as Deputy Molly Solverson on Fargo (FX)

Directing[]

Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series	Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
Modern Family (ABC) - "Las Vegas", Directed by Gail Mancuso Episodes (Showtime) - "Episode Nine", Directed by Iain B. MacDonald Glee (Fox) - "100", Directed by Paris Barclay Louie (FX) - "Elevator, Part 6", Directed by Louis C.K. Orange Is the New Black (Netflix) - "Lesbian Request Denied", Directed by Jodie Foster Silicon Valley (HBO) - "Minimum Viable Product", Directed by Mike Judge	True Detective (HBO) - "Who Goes There", Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga Boardwalk Empire (HBO) - "Farewell Daddy Blues", Directed by Tim Van Patten Breaking Bad (AMC) - "Felina", Directed by Vince Gilligan Downton Abbey (PBS) - "Episode One", Directed by David Evans Game of Thrones (HBO) - "The Watchers on the Wall", Directed by Neil Marshall House of Cards (Netflix) - "Chapter 14", Directed by Carl Franklin
Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special	Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Dramatic Special
67th Tony Awards (CBS), Directed by Glenn Weiss 86th Academy Awards (ABC), Directed by Hamish Hamilton The Beatles: The Night That Changed America (CBS), Directed by Gregg Gelfand Kennedy Center Honors (CBS), Directed by Louis J. Horvitz Six by Sondheim (HBO), Directed by James Lapine The Sound of Music Live! (NBC), Directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller; Theatrical Direction by Rob Ashford	Fargo (FX) "Buridan's Ass", Directed by Colin Bucksey "The Crocodile's Dilemma", Directed by Adam Bernstein American Horror Story: Coven (FX) - "Bitchcraft", Directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight (HBO), Directed by Stephen Frears The Normal Heart (HBO), Directed by Ryan Murphy Sherlock: "His Last Vow" (PBS), Directed by Nick Hurran

Writing[]

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series	Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
Louie (FX) - "So Did the Fat Lady", Written by Louis C.K. Episodes (Showtime) - "Episode Five", Written by David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik Orange Is the New Black (Netflix) - "I Wasn't Ready", Written by Liz Friedman and Jenji Kohan Silicon Valley (HBO) - "Optimal Tip-to-Tip Efficiency", Written by Alec Berg Veep (HBO) - "Special Relationship", Written by Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, and Tony Roche	Breaking Bad (AMC) - "Ozymandias", Written by Moira Walley-Beckett Breaking Bad (AMC) - "Felina", Written by Vince Gilligan Game of Thrones (HBO) - "The Children", Written by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss House of Cards (Netflix) - "Chapter 14", Written by Beau Willimon True Detective (HBO) - "The Secret Fate of All Life", Written by Nic Pizzolatto
Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special	Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Dramatic Special
Sarah Silverman: We Are Miracles (HBO), Written by Sarah Silverman 67th Tony Awards (CBS), Written by Dave Boone; Special Material by Paul Greenberg 700 Sundays (HBO), Written by Billy Crystal; Additional Material by Alan Zweibel 71st Golden Globe Awards (NBC) The Beatles: The Night That Changed America (CBS), Written by Kenneth Ehrlich and David Wild	Sherlock: "His Last Vow" (PBS), Written by Steven Moffat American Horror Story: Coven (FX) - "Bitchcraft", Written by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk Fargo (FX) - "The Crocodile's Dilemma", Written by Noah Hawley Luther (BBC America), Written by Neil Cross The Normal Heart (HBO), Written by Larry Kramer Treme (HBO) - "...To Miss New Orleans", Written by David Simon and Eric Overmyer

Most major nominations[]

By network^{[note 1]}

• HBO – 39
• FX – 20
• CBS – 14
• Netflix / PBS – 11
• AMC / Showtime – 10
• ABC – 9
• NBC – 7
• Lifetime – 5
• BBC America – 4
• Fox – 3
• Comedy Central / IFC – 2

By program

• The Normal Heart (HBO) – 9
• American Horror Story: Coven (FX) / Fargo (FX) – 8
• Breaking Bad (AMC) – 7
• Downton Abbey (PBS) – 6

Most major awards[]

By network^{[note 1]}

• AMC / CBS / FX – 5
• HBO – 4
• ABC / PBS – 3

By program

• Breaking Bad (AMC) – 5
• Modern Family (ABC) / Sherlock: His Last Vow (PBS) – 3
• American Horror Story: Coven (FX) / Fargo (FX) – 2

Notes

Presenters and performers[]

The awards were presented by the following:^[18]

Presenters[]

Name(s)	Role
Amy Poehler	Presenter of the award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Zooey Deschanel Allison Williams	Presenters of the award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
Jimmy Kimmel	Presenter of the award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Hayden Panettiere	Introducer of Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series winner Uzo Aduba
Uzo Aduba Hayden Panettiere	Presenters of the award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
Bryan Cranston Julia Louis-Dreyfus	Presenters of the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Jimmy Fallon	Presenter of the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Mindy Kaling John Mulaney	Presenters of the award for Outstanding Reality-Competition Program
Allison Janney Octavia Spencer	Presenters of the awards for Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Dramatic Special and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie
Stephen Colbert	Presenter of the award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie
Scott Bakula Kate Walsh	Presenter of the award for Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie, or Dramatic Special
Woody Harrelson Matthew McConaughey	Presenters of the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie
Liev Schreiber Kerry Washington	Presenters of the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie
Seth Meyers Andy Samberg	Introducers of the performance of TV theme songs updated by "Weird Al" Yankovic
Lena Headey	Presenter of the award for Outstanding Miniseries
Julianna Margulies	Presenter of the award for Outstanding Television Movie
Ricky Gervais	Presenter of the award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special
Keegan-Michael Key Jordan Peele	Presenter of the accountants from Ernst & Young
Chris Hardwick	Presenter of the award for Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special
Adam Levine Gwen Stefani	Presenters of the award for Outstanding Variety Series
Lucy Liu	Presenter of the award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Billy Crystal	Presenter of a special presentation dedicated to Robin Williams
Debra Messing Jim Parsons	Presenters of the award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Katherine Heigl	Introducer of Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series winner Joe Morton
Joe Morton	Presenter of the award for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
Viola Davis	Presenter of the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Julia Roberts	Presenter of the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Jay Leno	Presenter of the award for Outstanding Comedy Series
Halle Berry	Presenter of the award for Outstanding Drama Series

Performers[]

Name(s)	Performed
"Weird Al" Yankovic Andy Samberg	"Weird Al's Theme Songs"
Sara Bareilles	"Smile"

In Memoriam[]

Sara Bareilles performed the song "Smile" during the "In Memoriam" segment of the awards ceremony:^[19]

After the last picture was shown, a special tribute to Robin Williams, who died on August 11, 2014, was presented by Billy Crystal.^[20][21]

Ratings[]

Despite its departure from its normal telecast schedule, the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards received 15.59 million viewers, the second-largest viewership in eight years.^[22][23]

Footnotes[]

References[]

External links[]

• Emmys.com list of 2014 Nominees & Winners
• Academy of Television Arts and Sciences website
• 66th Primetime Emmy Awards at IMDb