AMC’s Breaking Bad finally earned the outstanding drama award on Sunday at the 2012-2013 65th Primetime Emmys Awards, a title that has been eluded the show for years.
The show’s creator, Vince Gilligan, announced up on stage that the award was unexpected. “I thought this was going to be House of Cards,” he admitted referring to the Netflix series starring Kevin Spacey. Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston, who plays the show’s lead character Walter White, standing behind Gilligan onstage, applauded as he made his remarks.
Cranston was a favorite to win the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, but lost to Jeff Daniels for his performances in HBO’s Newsroom.
ABC’s Modern Family won its fourth consecutive Best Comedy Series award, tying with all-time classics All In The Family, Cheers and The Dick Van Dyke Show.
The show was hosted by Neil Patrick Harris.
Below is a complete list of all the winners.
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Tony Hale – Veep
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
Tina Fey, Tracey Wigfield – 30 Rock
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Merritt Wever – Nurse Jackie
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
Gail Mancuso – Modern Family, “Arrested”
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Jim Parsons – The Big Bang Theory
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Julia Louis-Dreyfus – Veep
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE
Laura Linney – The Big C: “Hereafter”
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
Henry Bromell – Homeland; Q&A
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Anna Gunn – Breaking Bad
OUTSTANDING REALITY-COMPETITION PROGRAM
NBC • One Three, Inc., Talpa Media USA, Inc. in association with Warner Horizon Television – The Voice
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Bobby Cannavale – Boardwalk Empire
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jeff Daniels – The Newsroom
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Claire Danes – Homeland
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
David Fincher – House of Cards; Chapter 1
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A VARIETY SERIES
Comedy Central • Hello Doggie, Inc. with Busboy Productions and Spartina – The Colbert Report
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY SERIES
Saturday Night Live – “Host: Justin Timberlake” – Don Roy King
OUTSTANDING HOST FOR A REALITY OR REALITY-COMPETITION PROGRAM Heidi Klum, Tim Gunn – Project Runway
OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY
Derek Hough – Dancing with the Stars
OUTSTANDING VARIETY SERIES
Comedy Central • Hello Doggie, Inc. with Busboy Productions and Spartina Productions – The Colbert Report
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE OR A DRAMATIC SPECIAL
Abi Morgan – The Hour
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE
James Cromwell – American Horror Story: “Asylum”
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE OR A DRAMATIC SPECIAL
Steven Soderbergh – Behind The Candelabra
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE
Ellen Burstyn – Political Animals
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE
Michael Douglas – Behind The Candelabra
OUTSTANDING MINISERIES OR MOVIE
HBO • Jerry Weintraub Productions in association with HBO Films – Behind The Candelabra
OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
Modern Family – ABC • Picador Productions & Steve Levitan Productions in association with 20th Century Fox Television
OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
Breaking Bad – AMC • Sony Pictures Television
