‘Breaking Bad’ And ‘Modern Family’ Win Top Emmys

Top show honors at the Emmy Awards last night went to Breaking Bad, which won its first-ever best drama Emmy one week before its series finale, and Modern Family, which claimed the best comedy award for the fourth year in a row. Breaking Bad's Anna Gunn also picked up the award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series and Veep took two of the major acting awards, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for JuliaLouis-Dreyfus and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for Tony Hale.

In the other major acting categories, Claire Danes won her second consecutive Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series trophy for Homeland, while Jeff Daniels was a surprise winner for the Lead Actor award in the same category for his role in The Newsroom. Taking the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series was The Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons, who also won in 2010 and 2011.

Merritt Wever

Adding to the unexpected winners list was Merritt Wever of Nurse Jackie for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, who was so stunned that she only said, "Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Um, I got to go, bye."

Wever said backstage that she made her quick exit when she realized she was about to cry, but she got props from host Neil Patrick Harris, who said, "Merritt Wever, best speech ever." Also unexpected up on stage was Bobby Cannavale, who won Best Supporting Actor in a Drama for Boardwalk Empire. Commenting on all the upsets, Harris quipped, "This just in: Nobody in America is winning their Emmy office poll."

The Liberace biopic, Behind the Candelabra, won three Emmys, for Outstanding Miniseries or TV Movie, Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special for Oscar-winner Steven Soderbergh, and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for Michael Douglas, who portrayed Liberace and beat out co-star Matt Damon. Douglas had one of the more memorable moments of the night with his hilarious and raunchy acceptance speech that had several double-entendres directed at a red-faced and laughing Damon in the audience, who played his young lover in the film.

Stephen Colbert

In other categories:

The Colbert Report won Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series, breaking Comedy Central mate's The Daily Show with John Stewart's 10-year winning streak.

The Voice won best reality-competition program while Undercover Boss took the Emmy for Outstanding Reality Program.

Tina Fey picked up an Emmy, but for writing, not acting, on 30 Rock, along with Tracey Wigfield.

The Netflix original series, House of Cards, won Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for David Fincher, the first-ever major Emmy for an online series.

WINNERS LIST

• Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series - Tony Hale, Veep
• Outstanding Writer for a Comedy Series - Tina Fey and Tracey Wigfield, 30 Rock
• Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series - MerrittWeaver, Nurse Jackie
• Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series - Gail Mancuso, Modern Family
• Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series - Jim Parsons, Big Bang Theory
• Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series - JuliaLouis-Dreyfus, Veep
• Outstanding Reality Competition Program - The Voice
• Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program - Heidi Klum & Tim Gunn, Project Runway
• Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series - AnnaGunn, Breaking Bad
• Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series - Henry Bromell (deceased), Homeland
• Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series - BobbyCannavale, Boardwalk Empire
• Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series - David Fincher, House Of Cards
• Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series - Jeff Daniels, Newsroom
• Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series - Claire Danes, Homeland
• Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Special - The Colbert Report
• Outstanding Directing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Special - Don Roy King, Saturday Night Live
• Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series - The Colbert Report
• Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie - Ellen Burstyn, Political Animals
• Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie - James Cromwell, American Horror Story: Asylum
• Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special - Abi Morgan, The Hour
• Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie - Laura Linney, The Big C
• Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special - Steven Soderbergh, Behind the Candelabra
• Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie - MichaelDouglas, Behind The Candelabra
• Outstanding Miniseries or TV Movie - Behind The Candelabra
• Outstanding Drama Series - Breaking Bad
• Outstanding Comedy Series - Modern Family
• Outstanding Choreography - Derek Hough, Dancing With The Stars
• Outstanding Animated Program - South Park
• Outstanding Reality Program - Undercover Boss