Streaming video solidified its place as the vanguard for television creativity as Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” was honored with five statuettes including outstanding drama series at the 69th Emmy Awards.
The win in the drama category marks the first time a streaming series has earned the most prestigious prize at the awards which were presented Sunday at the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles.
FULL COVERAGE: Emmy Awards 2017 >>
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Laura Dern with her Emmy for supporting actress in a limited series or movie for “Big Little Lies.”
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Ann Dowd of “The Handmaid’s Tale” with her Emmy for supporting actress in a drama.
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Julia Louis-Dreyfus with her Emmy for actress in a comedy series, for “Veep.”
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“Master Of None’s” Aziz Ansari and Lena Waithe with their Emmys for writing for a comedy series.
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“This Is Us” star Sterling K. Brown with his Emmy for lead actor in a drama series.
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Elisabeth Moss of “The Handmaid’s Tale” with her Emmys for drama series and actress in a drama series.
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“Saturday Night Live’s” Kate McKinnon hoists her Emmy for supporting actress in a comedy series.
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Donald Glover poses with the Emmys he won for lead actor in a comedy series and director of a comedy series, for “Atlanta.”
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Nicole Kidman hoists her awards for lead actress in a limited series or a movie and limited series for “Big Little Lies.”
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Alexander Skarsgard in the press room with his award for supporting actor in a limited series or movie for “Big Little Lies.”
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Alec Baldwin with his Emmy for supporting actor in a comedy series for “Saturday Night Live.”
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Riz Ahmed of “The Night Of” with his Emmy for lead actor in a limited series or movie.
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Julia Louis-Dreyfus, fourth from left, and the cast of “Veep” with their Emmy for comedy series.
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The cast and crew of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” winner of outstanding drama series.
(Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images) The politically charged series based on the Margaret Atwood novel and produced by MGM Television, also won the drama categories for actress (Elisabeth Moss), supporting actress (Ann Dowd), direction (Reed Morano) and writing (Bruce Miller). With its wins at the Creative Arts Emmys last week, it won a total of eight awards, the second most of any show.
“Saturday Night Live” won the most of any show — nine — including for actors Alec Baldwin and Kate McKinnon for their brilliant impersonations of President Trump and Hillary Clinton, wins that underscored the sometimes funny, sometimes fierce political tenor of the awards.
HBO’s “Veep” won for comedy series for the third consecutive year while its star Julia Louis-Dreyfus was named best actress in a comedy for the sixth time, a record for any performer in the same role.
The wins for Hulu, which had not won an Emmy in a major category before, reflect the stunning rise of streaming video which has upended the television industry and also ushered in a boom in television production and diversity of offerings for consumers.
Streaming giant Netflix also scored wins for its anthology series “Black Mirror: San Junipero,” which was honored for television movie. It also earned a direction win in the category for Charlie Brooker. Aziz Ansari and Lena Waithe earned wins in comedy writing for its series “Master of None,” and John Lithgow won for best supporting actor honor for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in “The Crown.”
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Presenter Oprah Winfrey and Emmy winner Elisabeth Moss of “The Handmaid’s Tale” after the show won the Emmy for drama series.
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Elizabeth Moss receives her Emmy for lead actress in a drama series (“The Handmaid’s Tale”) from Tatiana Maslany and Jeffrey D. Morgan.
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Elisabeth Moss hugs co-star Joseph Fiennes along with the cast of “The Handmaid’s Tale” after they won the drama series award during the 69th Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
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Bruce Miller and the cast congratulates Elisabeth Moss of “The Handmaid’s Tale” after they won drama series.
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Cast and crew of “Veep” accept the comedy series award onstage.
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Nicole Kidman reacts to “Big Little Lies” winning the limited series Emmy.
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Nicole Kidman accepts the award for lead actress in a limited series or a movie for “Big Little Lies.”
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Reese Witherspoon, center, accepts for “Big Little Lies” afer winning the Emmy fpr limited series.
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Nicole Kidman with the Emmy for lead actress in a limited series or movie for “Big Little Lies.”
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Sterling K. Brown accepting his Emmy for lead actor in a drama series for “This Is Us.”
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Alec Baldwin accepts his Emmy for supporting actor in a comedy series.
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Host Stephen Colbert being carried offstage in a scripted performance.
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A tender moment on stage is shared between actors Anna Faris and Allison Janney, the stars of TV comedy series “Mom.”
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Anika Noni Rose and Cecily Tyson present the Emmy for limited series or movie.
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Charlie Brooker accepts the award for outstanding television movie for “Black Mirror: San Junipero.”
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Charlie Brooker and “Black Mirror: San Junipero” win for television movie.
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Riz Ahmed wins for lead actor in a limited series or movie for “The Night Of.”
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Norman Lear and Carol Burnett present comedy series.
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Julia Louis-Dreyfus returns to the stage with Norman Lear and Carol Burnett after her show “Veep” wins for comedy series.
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Julia Louis-Dreyfus wins lead actress in a comedy series for “Veep.”
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Julia Louis-Dreyfus wins lead actress in a comedy series.
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Former White House press secretary Sean Spicer appears onstage during the 69th Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater.
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Chris Hardwick presents Julia Louis-Dreyfus her Emmy as she wins lead actress in a comedy series.
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Julia Louis-Dreyfus and her husband Brad Hall react in the audience.
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LOS ANGELES, CA., ††September 17, 2017: Sterling K. Brown accepting his Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series†during the show at the 69th Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theater†in Los Angeles, CA., Sunday, September 17, 2017. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Oprah Winfrey speaks onstage before presenting the award for drama series.
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A tender moment between actors Anna Faris and Allison Janney, the stars of TV comedy series “Mom.”
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Actresses Anika Noni Rose, left, and Cicely Tyson present the award for limited series.
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John Oliver of “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” accept the award for variety talk series.
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Actors Jessica Biel and Joseph Fiennes onstage.
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Executive producer David Mandel and the cast and crew of “Veep” accept the award for comedy series for “Veep.”
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Reed Morano accepts her award after winning the Emmy for directing for a drama series.
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Jean-Marc Vallée accepts his Emmy for directing in a limited series or movie (“Big Little Lies”).
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“Ghosted” actors Craig Robinson, left, and Adam Scott present the award for directing for a variety series.
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Christopher Jackson sings as a picture of Adam West appears on-screen during an in memoriam tribute at the 69th Emmy Awards.
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“Big Bang Theory” actor Jim Parsons and “Young Sheldon” actor Iain Armitage during the show.
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“Star Trek: Discovery’s” Sonequa Martin-Green and “Entourage” actor Jeremy Piven during the show.
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Writers Aziz Ansari and Lena Waithe accept the writing in a comedy series award for “Master of None.”
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Seth MacFarlane and Emmy Rossum onstage during the 69th Emmy Awards.
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Actress Viola Davis
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Kaitlin Olsen and Tracee Ellis Ross onstage during the 69th Emmy Awards.
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Kate McKinnon accepts her Emmy for supporting actress in a comedy series Sunday during the 69th Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
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Actor Christopher Jackson performs during the in-memoriam section of the 2017 Emmys.
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The cast and crew of “The Voice” wins the Emmy for reality competition program.
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Laura Dern accepts her Emmy for supporting actress in a limited series or movie during the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards.
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Television Academy President Hayma Washington onstage during the 69th Emmy Awards.
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Donald Glover accepts the award for directing a comedy series for the “Atlanta” episode “B.A.N.” at the 69th Emmy Awards.
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LOS ANGELES, CA., September 17, 2017: Ann Dowd accepts the award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for ‘The Handmaids Tale’ during the show at the 69th Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, CA., Sunday, September 17, 2017. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Seth Meyers, left, and James Corden speak onstage during the 69th Emmy Awards.
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Singer Jon Batiste performs onstage during the 69th Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater.
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Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman in the audience at the 69th Emmy Awards.
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Rachel Bloom performs onstage during the 69th Emmy Awards, introducing the accountants.
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Ernst & Young representatives appear onstage during the 69th Emmy Awards.
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Actor Alexander Skarsgard accepts for supporting actor in a limited series or movie for “Big Little Lies” with Dolly Parton, left, and Lily Tomlin during the 69th Emmy Awards.
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Director Jean-Marc Vallée accepts the directing for a limited series, movie or dramatic special award for “Big Little Lies” onstage during the 69th Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater.
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Lorne Michaels and the cast of “SNL” accept the award for outstanding variety sketch series for “Saturday Night Live” at the 69th Emmy Awards.
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Dave Chappelle and Melissa McCarthy speak onstage during the 69th Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theater.
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The band Stay Human performs during the show at the 69th Emmy Awards.
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Host Stephen Colbert doing his monologue during the 69th Emmy Awards.
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Host Stephen Colbert is led offstage by costumed individuals recalling characters from HBO’s “Westworld.”
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Actors Issa Rae of “Insecure” and Riz Ahmed of “The Night Of” speak onstage.
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Actors Gina Rodriguez (“Jane the Virgin”) and Shemar Moore (“Criminal Minds”) speak onstage during the 69th Emmy Awards.
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Host Stephen Colbert speaks at the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theater.
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Actor Laura Dern, left, reacts when her name is read as the winner of the Emmy for supporting actress in a limited series or movie for “Big Little Lies.”
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Actor Laura Dern accepts supporting actress in a limited series or movie for “Big Little Lies.”
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Host Stephen Colbert dances onstage during the 69th Emmy Awards.
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Actors Shailene Woodley, left, Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern and Zoe Kravitz of “Big Litle Lies” speak onstage during the 69th Emmy Awards.
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John Lithgow accepts his Emmy for supporting actor in a drama series for “The Crown.”
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Host Stephen Colbert performs onstage during the 69th Emmy Awards.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) In commenting on the rapid rise of Netflix and streaming, Emmy host Stephen Colbert noted that “five years ago their hottest show was a scratched DVD of ‘Finding Nemo.’”
Premium cable network HBO was the big winner overall on the night with 10 awards, even though its major piece of Emmy artillery “Game of Thrones” was not eligible this year and one of its most nominated series, “Westworld,” was shut out of the big awards.
The television academy was not even-handed. Only HBO with 10 wins, Hulu with five, NBC with six, Netflix with four and FX were honored on the night. There were no wins for ABC, CBS, Fox, PBS or any other cable network.
Capping a big night for female-centric shows, HBO’s “Big Little Lies,” a program praised for its depiction of spousal abuse, was honored for limited series or movie and took the categories for actress (Nicole Kidman), actor (Alexander Skarsgard), supporting actress (Laura Dern) and director (Jean-Marc Vallee).
HBO’s political commentary show “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” earned wins for variety talk series and writing in a variety series. The network’s other win came in the actor in a limited series or movie category as Riz Ahmed won for his performance in “The Night Of.”
The victories for “Big Little Lies,” “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Last Week Tonight” and NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” also reflect the Television Academy’s bent toward political commentary and socially conscious work, which was honored throughout the night. The actresses who were honored encouraged the industry to do more of it, especially in regard to issues important to women.
“It’s been an incredible year for women on television,” said Reese Witherspoon, who co-starred in “Big Little Lies,” which is based on a based selling novel by Australian author Liane Moriarty. “Can I just say, bring women to the front of their own stories, and make them the hero of their own stories.”
President Donald Trump, who often lamented that he did not win an Emmy for his reality series “The Apprentice,” was very much a presence as awards recipients referenced him throughout the night.
“I suppose I should say, ‘At long last Mr. President, here is your Emmy,” Baldwin said during his acceptance speech for supporting actor in a comedy.
Baldwin acknowledged that his impression of Trump has been life-changing for him. “My wife and I had three children in three years, and we didn’t have a child last year during the “SNL” season,” he said. “I wonder if there’s a correlation there. All you men out there, you put that orange wig on, it’s birth control. Trust me.”
Baldwin’s performance helped thrust “SNL” front and center in the national political conversation. Kate McKinnon was also honored in the supporting actress in a comedy category for her work on the show which she said is “the most important work I would ever do.”
“Saturday Night Live” also won Emmys for best variety sketch series — a prize it has not earned since 1993 — and direction of a variety series (Don Roy King).
“SNL” impresario Lorne Michaels summed up the program’s wild ride of the past year in his speech when he accepted the honor for sketch comedy
“I remember the first time we won this award,” he said. “It was after our first season, 1976. And I remember thinking as I was standing there alone that this was it. This was the high point. There would never be another season as crazy, as unpredictable, as frightening, as exhausting,or as exhilarating. Turns out I was wrong.”
A number of Emmy wins made history on the night. Waithe was the first African American woman to win an Emmy in comedy writing for a series. Donald Glover’s win in direction for his FX comedy series “Atlanta” was also a first for an African American director.
Glover, who also won for actor in a comedy series, became the first winner of in the comedy direction category to direct himself since Alan Alda did it for “MASH” in 1977.
Other major winners on the night included Sterling K. Brown, whose work in NBC’s “This Is Us, earned him a statuette for best actor in a drama series, and John Lithgow who won for best supporting actor in a drama for his portrayal of Winston Churchill in the Netflix series “The Crown.”
NBC’s “The Voice” was named best reality series for the fourth year in a row.
stephen.battaglio@latimes.com
Twitter: @SteveBattaglio
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