The 2017 Emmy Awards let Sterling K. Brown finish his acceptance speech... backstage

Donald Glover wins the Emmy for lead actor in a comedy series on Sunday night.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Dressed in a smart purple suit and looking pleasantly dazed, Donald Glover entered the press room Sunday night clutching the two Emmys that helped him make history. One for best director for a comedy series, and the other for best actor in the same series, “Atlanta.”

“I feel crazy,” Glover said. “I’m all right. It’s been a pretty good year. I know everyone else is having an awful one, but mine is OK.”

Like many others who came to the backstage podium, he touched on politics.

“I don’t really have much to say other than what I said; it’s pretty obvious people in dystopian societies don’t realize they’re in dystopian societies. I just want people to be aware, I think people are aware.”

Glover credited his history of working alongside incredible directors, including Ridley Scott, with helping him become a director in his own right.

“Directors usually don’t get to work with other directors, but I’ve gotten to work with a bunch of great directors. I’ve had a lot of research, so I guess it paid off.”

Despite the excitement surrounding his Emmy wins, Glover said he has not even begun to process what it all means.

“It has not sunk in at all. I don’t know what’s happening right now, it feels like a dream,” he said. “I don’t want to make the best indie movie, I want to make the best movie. I don’t believe in labels like that. I’m glad I made history, but that’s not what I was trying to do. I was trying to make the best product. I just wanted to make a really great show.”

Before he became a double Emmy winner-- for both drama series and writing for a drama series-- and before he helped Hulu make streaming TV history, “The Handmaid’s Tale” producer spent Emmy morning, well, watching television.

“I sat with my daughter and watched ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer,’” Bruce Miller said when we asked him on the red carpet about his Emmy pre-game.

Gee, maybe there is something to be said about the power of strong female characters, Hollywood.

Praise be.

To say that “Saturday Night Live” has experienced a renaissance this year with one of its most politically charged seasons would be as understated as Alec Baldwin’s pursed lips when he’s impersonating Trump.

Asked about the importance of TV in turbulent times, Lorne Michaels, the creator and executive producer of the late-night sketch comedy show, says it comes down to trust.

“I think on a certain level, people trust television — certainly, our president does,” Michaels told The Times on the Emmys red carpet.

“The hard part of this last season was things were changing so quickly,” he added. “Something that you wrote on Wednesday was no longer relevant by Friday. ...You have to keep up. And when people are following the news, and paying attention the way they were this entire election, it helps us.”

That boost translated to nine Emmy wins this year for the show, including a win for variety sketch series as well as a supporting actor in a comedy series win for Baldwin and supporting actress for Kate McKinnon, who portrayed Hillary Clinton.

For more on “Saturday Night Live’s” big night, check out Times staff writer Meredith Blake’s piece here.

Stephen Colbert understands that sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name. Scratch that. Where you know everybody’s name. Because they’re on TV. And you’re watching it.

Regardless, the host of the 2017 Emmy Awards opened his show with a song-and-dance number reminding the world that when, well, the world gets to be a little too much, there’s always refuge to be found on television.

As delightful as Colbert’s performance is, the entire bit is elevated by a surprise appearance by Chance the Rapper, who implored viewers to watch TV, sure, but to also not blind themselves to the pressing social issues of our time.

Chance’s rap in full:

Ya heard

The song can be heard in full above. And read more about Colbert’s hosting gig here.

Elisabeth Moss of “The Handmaid’s Tale” arrives at the Governors Ball on Sunday night.

(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

After the Emmy Awards wrapped, it was off to the Governors Ball, the evening’s official post-party celebration.

Nobody who was anybody escaped the river of formally clad folks walking from the Microsoft Theater to the nearby L.A. Convention Center, where a score of stairs awaited those who’d been walking in heels all day. Jimmy Kimmel was spotted making the trip, as were Priyanka Chopra, GLAAD President Sarah Kate Ellis and directing nominee Lesli Linka Glatter.

Tables packed with glasses of Champagne and bottles of water greeted the guests as they reached their destination and entered a room that had been transformed for the evening.

Massive Emmy statues flanked the entry and dots of blue light looked like stars on a dark sky surrounding the festivities. Hanging from the ceiling were hundreds — maybe thousands? — of gold tubes that gave the effect of walking through the heart of a fantastical pipe organ.

Dancers perform at the Governors Ball on Sunday.

(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

In the middle of the room, a round, tiered, rotating stage rose toward the ceiling. As the celebration began, a quartet of women in shining gold dresses played the strings on instrumental renditions of tunes by Michael Jackson, Bruno Mars and Journey. The dancing wouldn’t start until much later.

Susan Sarandon arrived promptly, chatting while Seth MacFarlane fought the flow of bodies to pop back outside for a bit. Debra Messing made her way across the room, and Thandie Newton simply glowed as the hundreds of guests streamed in.

At a table in the A-list cluster of seats, presenter Anika Noni Rose of BET’s “The Quad,” chiffon skirt surrounding her like a pink cloud, tucked into the Patina Catering meal right off the bat. Alec Baldwin flew solo past her, toting his third Emmy as if he had carried one around his whole life.

Viola Davis, left, with Cicely Tyson at the Governors Ball.

(Tibrina Hobson / AFP/Getty Images )

Staff in tuxedos, gold bow ties and white gloves stood at the ready at half a dozen engraving stations near the back of the large ballroom, waiting to personalize the winners’ statues. Along with a trophy, each winner took home a pricey, specially packaged silver bottle of Sterling wine.

The meal started off with a salad laden with heirloom tomatoes, plums, red quinoa and balsamic jelly. Pan-roasted filet mignon with roasted grapes, purple potatoes and a horseradish puree followed, topped off by a finger-thin brownie bar with dulce de leche and roasted cherries.

Two hours into the party, the number of famous faces still in the crowd was remarkable. To name a few: Sterling K Brown and his wife, “Atlanta’s” LaKeith Stanfield, Dave Chappelle, Chris Sullivan of “This Is Us,” Jeffrey Wright of “Westworld,” Cicely Tyson and Padma Lakshmi.

Then it was off to a long line of black SUV limos and shuttles waiting to take people off to other parties thrown by HBO, Netflix, Hulu and more — with a Groundwork coffee bar strategically placed on the way out, to give the guests a boost and keep the night’s parties going.

Just like the “This is Us” star himself, folks in the audience were annoyed that Sterling K. Brown was played off during his acceptance speech for lead actor in a drama at Sunday night’s Emmy Awards. “Nobody got that loud music,” he said from the stage as he got the wrap-up sign and the crowd in the Microsoft Theater began booing when his microphone was cut.

The moment felt extra galling given that when Nicole Kidman gave her speech for lead actress in a limited series for “Big Little Lies,” the orchestra never began playing and she talked for far longer, 2:46 vs Brown’s 1:57.

Later, in the press room, Brown reclaimed his time to share more thanks to his real and TV families. (For another 1:25.)

And of “This is Us” creator Dan Fogelman he said, “In his own little, small, special way, he’s not trying to make America great again, he’s trying to make America the best it’s ever been.”

See his heartfelt remarks above.

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Hollywood came for President Trump at the 2017 Emmy Awards. Many nominees, presenters and winners took aim at the president from the Microfost Theater stage. Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin even pulled out old quotes from their 1980 classic “9 to 5” call

The stars of Sunday’s Emmy Awards had plenty to say about Donald Trump during a night when it seemed as if everyone from host Stephen Colbert to the winners took a shot at the president.

“At long last, Mr. President, here is your Emmy,” said Alec Baldwin upon winning the Emmy for supporting actor in a comedy series for his work on “Saturday Night Live.”

Week after week during the 2016-17 television season, Baldwin took to the “SNL” stage with his now famous Trump impression.

Baldwin’s dig took aim at the fact that Trump, though nominated, never won an Emmy for “Celebrity Apprentice,” which even Colbert mentioned earlier in the show.

But the night was just beginning. “9 to 5” stars Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin -- with a no-comment Dolly Parton in the middle of them -- referenced the premise of their own movie to call Trump a “sexist egotistical lying hypocritical bigot.”

“Atlanta’s” Donald Glover used his winner’s speech to thank “Trump, for making black people No. 1 on the most oppressed list.”

“Veep’s” Julia Louis-Dreyfus even mentioned an abandoned story line involving impeachment.

Watch some of the harshest Trump burns from the 2017 Emmys in the clip above.

Kate McKinnon as Hillary Clinton, left, and the real Clinton on “Saturday Night Live” in 2015.

(Dana Edelson / Associated Press)

Former First Lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was among the memorable figures frequently spoofed by two-time Emmy Award winner Kate McKinnon on “Saturday Night Live.”

During Sunday’s Primetime Emmy Awards, McKinnon picked up her second trophy for supporting actress in a comedy and during an emotional acceptance speech thanked the former presidential hopeful for her “grace and grit.”

It was an interesting choice of words, given that Clinton’s recently released memoir, “What Happened,” touched upon McKinnon’s take on the candidate following her loss to Donald Trump in the November election. The chapter was titled “Grit and Gratitude.” ABC News’ Chris Donovan tweeted a picture of the excerpt about McKinnon on Sunday night.

“On the Saturday after the election, I turned on ‘Saturday Night Live’ and watched Kate McKinnon open the show with her impression of me one more time. She sat at a grand piano and played ‘Hallelujah’.... As she sang, it seemed like she was fighting back tears. Listening, so was I,” Clinton wrote.

“At the end, Kate-as-Hillary turned to the camera and said, ‘I’m not giving up and neither should you.’”

Watch the clip below.

Stephen Colbert came locked and loaded for his monologue at last night’s Emmy Awards ceremony, and had plenty of targets in his sights.

The host of “The Late Show” was nothing if not consistent, mocking President Trump throughout his opening remarks, just as he typically does nightly on his show.

But the joke may have ultimately been on Colbert himself, with his introduction of Sean Spicer in a painfully unfunny gag about crowd size that left a bad taste in the mouths of many.

To see Colbert’s remarks in full — including a sick burn on Bill Maher — check out the video above. Read all about the highlights of Colbert’s Emmys opening salvo here.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

“Saturday Night Live” star Kate McKinnon stepped out with her girlfriend on Sunday when she picked up her second trophy for supporting actress in a comedy series at the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards.

The “Rough Night” and “Office Christmas Party” actress, who memorably played presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton on the long-running NBC sketch comedy, was accompanied by Jackie Abbott, whom McKinnon hugged when Gina Rodriguez and Shemar Moore announced that she had won.

It was McKinnon’s first public appearance with Abbott, a New York-based actress, photographer and artist, according to People. The comedic actress was last spotted out with Abbott in April 2016 backstage at a performance of Broadway’s “Fun/Home,” People said.

“Being part of this season of ‘Saturday Night Live’ was the most meaningful thing that I will ever do. So I should probably stop now,” the emotional McKinnon said during her acceptance speech.

ALSO

Riding high on Trump, ‘SNL’ wins big at the Emmys

The complete list of 2017 Emmy winners and nominees

This year’s Emmys didn’t even pretend not to be political

At the 2017 Emmy Awards we asked the people responsible for making “Peak TV”: “What is the last show you had a strong, emotional response to?”

The answers ran the gamut of the recent Emmy nomination list, with many, many nominees and presenters picking eventual drama series winner “The Handmaid’s Tale” as the show that elicited strong feelings.

John Turturro from “The Night Of” name-checked the Margaret Atwood adaptation (because “unfortunately, it seems very relevant”) as did Emmy winner RuPaul Charles and “Feud’s” Jackie Hoffman.

Meanwhile, Milo Ventimiglia from “This Is Us” offered a variety of titles including limited series winner “Big Little Lies,” “Stranger Things” and this surprising reveal: “At times even ‘Big Bang Theory’ gets me.”

“The Night Of” star Michael Kenneth Williams picked the last season of “Shameless,” and guest actor in a drama series winner Gerald McRaney of “This is Us” reached back to extol his affection for previous Emmy favorite “Downton Abbey.”

Of Carson, Bates, Edith and the gang, the former star of “Major Dad” said, “I loved those people.”

(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

If there’s one thing new Hollywood could learn from old Hollywood, it’s the value of a celebrity feud. Luckily, actress Jackie Hoffman is bringing vendettas back to the forefront – even in jest.

Hoffman, who portrayed Mamacita on FX’s “Feud: Bette and Joan,” which detailed the complicated rivalry between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, looked to start a competition of her own after losing the Emmy for supporting actress in a limited series or movie to Laura Dern.

Hoffman delivered an outsized reaction to the announcement of the winner Sunday night, yelling “damn it!” and hitting the seat in front of her in what appeared to be a delicious moment of reality among the facade of smiles and polite clapping.

She then turned to Twitter to share some salacious rumors she had heard about six-time nominee Dern, including tales of exploitation and art looting.

Hoffman’s outlandish tweets harkened to the catty backstabbing depicted in “Feud,” where Crawford and Davis actively worked to undermine the other’s chance at an Oscar for “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?”

Still, Hoffman didn’t let the ruse go on too long, tweeting later in the ceremony, “I hear the media actually taking my reaction seriously? Are you kidding me?”

“The Handmaid’s Tale’s” Elisabeth Moss holds up her Emmy Awards out side the Los Angeles Convention Center.

(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

As the last of the winners wrap up their remarks, the Emmy Awards telecast comes to an end. But that does not mean the night is completely over.

For some, including “The Handmaid’s Tale’s” Elisabeth Moss, “Atlanta’s” Donald Glover and “Master of None’s” Lena Waithe, the celebration continues at the glitzy after-party held just across the street.

The theme of this year’s Governors Ball was “Golden Grandeur.” The ceiling at the Los Angeles Convention Center was decorated with more than 5,000 gold-colored, paper tubes to set the mood.

Here’s a peek inside the official 2017 Emmys after-party.

“Atlanta’s” Stephen Glover, left, and Donald Glover are all smiles at the Governors Ball. (11:27 a.m.: An earlier version of this caption misidentified Stephen Glover as Brian Tyree Henry.)

(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Lena Waithe of “Master of None” won the Emmy for writing in a comedy series.

(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

“This Is Us’s’” Chrissy Metz, right, poses for a selfie at the Governors Ball.

(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THE GOVERNORS BALL HERE >>

David Mandel and “Veep” winning the Emmy for comedy series.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Sunday was a good night for HBO’s “Veep.” The political satire, a two-time Emmy-winning comedy series about the first female POTUS, not only received 17 Emmy nominations in all but took home the Emmy for best comedy series.

With a mix of cast and series creators behind them, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and executive producer David Mandel addressed the crowd.

“In our show, when Selina does something horrible or lies, she gets caught and actually pays a price for it,” Mandel said, alluding to President Trump.

On whether the evening’s wins for women indicate a permanent shift in Hollywood, Louis-Dreyfus jumped in: “God, I hope so; let’s hope this is the beginning of something even better in our country -- and in the world -- because I think the world would be a better place if more women were in charge,” she said.

Then she turned to Mandel: “Right, David?!”

“You ARE in charge,” Mandel replied. “You’re my boss!”

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

There was an awkward moment in the press room when Lena Waithe and Aziz Ansari of “Master of None” were asked to step aside at the Emmys on Sunday night to make way for the cast and crew of “Big Little Lies,” fresh off their win for limited series.

Although it had been announced that the group from “Big Little Lies” was coming up next, Waithe and Ansari walked in holding their Emmys. Waithe had just made history as the first black woman to win for comedy writing and the two stood by awkwardly while the “Big Little Lies” cast failed to emerge.

Instead of being ushered to the podium to take questions since they were there, Waithe and Ansari were escorted to the side where they waited patiently through a long question-and-answer session once the “Big Little Lies” team arrived. (The situation would’ve been uncomfortable regardless of which shows were involved, but the optics weren’t great.)

After a while, Ansari took Waithe’s picture at the side of the podium. They later gamely took to the stage after being introduced, not by their names as many winners were, but simply as the winners of writing in a comedy series.

Elisabeth Moss from “The Handmaid’s Tale” clutches her two Emmys.

(Yvonne Villarreal / Los Angeles Times)

It was just before 10 p.m., and the cast of “The Handmaid’s Tale” hadn’t yet arrived at Hulu’s Emmy party at downtown L.A.’s Otium — the curse of being winners and making the media rounds at the Microsoft Theater. Their presence was felt in other ways, though — like with specialty cocktails: “Blessed be the Fruit,” “Praise Be” and “Under His Eye.”

By 11 p.m., the cast began making their way into the Hulu party.

Hulu CEO Mike Hopkins, author Margaret Atwood and writer-producer Bruce Miller celebrate “The Handmaid’s Tale’s” Emmy win for best drama at the Hulu party.

(Yvonne Villarrea / Los Angeles Times)

Samira Wiley was among the first to arrive.

How are she and her fellow handmaidens processing their big showing at the Emmys?

“We’re all freaking out, are you kidding me?” Wiley said as she walked into the party. “We just keep looking at each other screaming. This has been an amazing night.”

When “The Handmaid’s Tale” author Margaret Atwood walked in, party attendees cheered. “No one thought it was just a show,” Atwood said of the series adapted from her 1985 novel. “When people woke up on Nov. 9, no one felt it was just a show.”

Star Elisabeth Moss appeared shortly after, holding two Emmys, one for her win as actress in a drama and one as a producer on the series.

“This is a pretty great workout,” Moss said, curling the trophies like hand weights. “I’m going to be sore tomorrow.”

Writer-producer Bruce Miller, who also took home a pair of Emmys for the series, said, “I’m feeling a little overwhelmed right now. But I’m so happy and proud of everybody. They all deserve it so much and they work so hard.”

“Handmaids” await guests outside the Hulu party.

(Yvonne Villarreal / Los Angeles Times)

Reed Morano is the second woman to win a directing Emmy. She got the nod for “The Handmaid’s Tale.”

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

This year’s Emmys were memorable for a number of reasons, and not just for Anna Chlumsky’s shocked reaction when Sean Spicer rolled that lectern onstage.

Donald Glover, the multi-hyphenate behind FX’s groundbreaking comedy “Atlanta,” became the first black director to win an Emmy for comedy direction. Glover won for “B.A.N.,” an experimental stand-alone episode set in “Atlanta’s” alternate-universe Black Entertainment Television. It was one of the first-year series’ best episodes, blistering in its honest and funny look at race, outrage culture and black masculinity.

“Atlanta’s” Donald Glover is the first black director to win an Emmy and is only the second black man to win lead actor in a comedy.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Glover also won the Emmy for lead actor in a comedy, becoming just the second black man to take that award. Robert Guillaume won for “Benson” in 1985.

Lena Waithe, the first black woman ever nominated for comedy writing, took that Emmy for the “Master of None” episode “Thanksgiving,” which she co-wrote with series creator Aziz Ansari. The episode’s story, inspired by Waithe’s own life, followed her character, Denise, discovering her sexuality over the course of her life and finally revealing it to her mother.

Lena Waithe, the first black woman nominated for comedy writing, took the Emmy for co-writing the “Master of None” episode “Thanksgiving.”

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

“I had survived that thing that I was so afraid of,” Waithe told The Times of her coming-out experience.

Read MoreSEE THE FULL LIST OF 2017 EMMY WINNERS HERE>>

It turns out Stephen Colbert may be more than the typical Emmy “host.”

Or so viewers were led to believe during a skit that transported the Emmy emcee to the world of “Westworld.”

When Colbert started spouting gibberish on stage, two people clad in hazmat suits appeared to drag him away. When Colbert came to, he was face to face with Jeffrey Wright, a.k.a. Bernard from HBO’s “Westworld.”

In “Westworld,” the androids that populate the immersive theme park are known as “hosts.” What follows is Wright running a diagnostic on Colbert.

“Have you ever questioned the nature of your reality?” asks Wright.

“Every day since November 8th,” answers Colbert.

Watch the full segment above.

Bruce Miller, from left, Margaret Atwood and Elisabeth Moss accept the Emmy for drama series for “The Handmaid’s Tale.”

(Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

With “Game of Thrones” debuting too late to be eligible for this year’s Emmys, plenty of fresh names were in the running for best drama series. But ultimately, Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” — based on Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel about a futuristic, totalitarian patriarchal theocracy that prizes fertile women above all else — scored the top honor.

Creator Bruce Miller had no trouble answering what he hopes audiences will take away from the show: “a desire to watch the second season,” he replied quickly. “No, if we’ve done our job well, it’ll be different for everyone who watches it.”

On Hulu being the first streaming service to win one of the Emmy’s top two prizes,” Miller added: “The way Hulu handled our show, they were bold and behind us and committed to making something different. If streaming services continue to do that, I don’t see a limit to what they [can do].”

The entire evening, said Elisabeth Moss — who won the Emmy for lead actress for her role as Offred — was a “roller coaster of emotions.”

Perhaps that’s what prompted the F-bombs during her acceptance speech.

“That was the best version you could have gotten of that — that was the clean version,” she joked. “You do have an out-of-body experience [accepting the award]. It’s a surprise. It should be a surprise; otherwise, you’re an A-hole.”

On a more serious note, Moss added that the many wins for women Sunday night — and for such strong roles — could be considered a positive turn for Hollywood: “We’ve made incredible progress, but there’s still a lot of work to be done,” she said. “But obviously incredible progress is being made. It’s not just women in front of the camera but behind the camera. ... we need to see more of that.”

“As a young actor, you don’t pay attention to the limitations placed upon you,” said Ann Dowd, who won the Emmy for supporting actress. “Now there are so many more opportunities. It’s a beautiful thing.

“There’s a war going on every day, a battle for women’s rights,” producer Warren Littlefield added. “And the fact that we can remind people that the resistance is alive — there are days in America that feels like it’s a prequel to [the show’s fictitious Republic of] Gilead, so maybe we can help with the fight.”

Atwood finally stepped forward to offer what she hopes people will take away from the book and the TV series.

“Well, one take-away would be ‘never believe it can never happen here,’” she said. “Which was one of the premises I used for the book. Nothing went into the book that people hadn’t done at some point in time, in some place.”

Then she mentioned several pop cultural offshoots of “Handmaid’s Tale” that the show’s popularity has sparked. There’s a graphic novel, she said, and a man’s version of “The Handmaid’s Tale” on YouTube, apparently. And she receives fan pictures of viewers’ pets — dogs, cats — dressed in Handmaids’ garb.

“In a way, you can say the handmaids have escaped,” Atwood said. “They’re out there, and they’re coming to you again in Season 2!”

SEE THE FULL LIST OF 2017 EMMY WINNERS HERE>>

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

The “Black Mirror” episode “San Junipero” won big at the Emmys Sunday night. Creator Charlie Brooker won writing for a limited series or movie, and later the episode picked up a second win for TV movie.

In a backstage reveal at the Emmys, Brooker explained that the episode — starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Mackenzie Davis — about technologically star-crossed lovers, was originally written for a heterosexual couple. It wasn’t until Brooker decided to make them a queer couple that things started to fall into place.

“It became more fun, more interesting,” he said. “It was sort of easiest to write in a way. We felt we captured something special, and the reaction has been quite overwhelming — the way people have taken it to heart. I’m genuinely a cynic, as you can tell from the series, so the fact that this happened blows up my worldview.”

He also addressed the fact that the winning episode is markedly different from most of the “Black Mirror” offerings in that it presents a world of hope rather than the usual ultra-dark fare the series offers.

“It was out of place deliberately. It was the first episode I wrote for this season because I wanted to blow up my preconceptions for the show,” Brooker said.

That subversion of tone became particularly resonant this year, a point the “Black Mirror” showrunner underlined in his acceptance speech.

“I’ve heard 2017 described as being trapped — like being trapped in one long, unending ‘Black Mirror’ episode,” Brooker said, “But I like to think if I had written it, it wouldn’t be quite so on the nose with all the sort of Nazis and hate.”

SEE THE FULL LIST OF 2017 EMMY WINNERS HERE>>

Lena Waithe giving her acceptance speech with Aziz Ansari at the 2017 Emmy Awards.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Among the biggest winners at the 2017 Emmy Awards: LGBTQ stories and storytellers.

Kate McKinnon was one of the early winners of the evening Sunday, beating a field that included some of her “Saturday Night Live” colleagues to take home the award for supporting actress in a comedy series. The first openly lesbian cast member of the sketch comedy show, McKinnon made her mark this season with portrayals of Hillary Clinton, Jeff Sessions, Kellyanne Conway, Betsy DeVos and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Lena Waithe of “Master of None” made history as the first black woman to win the Emmy for writing in a comedy series. Waithe, who also plays Denise on the Netflix series, co-wrote the “Thanksgiving” episode with the show’s co-creator, Aziz Ansari. The intensely personal story was based on Waithe’s own coming out story.

In her speech Sunday, Waithe gave a shout-out to fellow members of the LGBTQ community, calling them superheroes and saying that “the world would not be as beautiful as it is if you weren’t in it.”

“Black Mirror” won for its “San Junipero” episode, which tells the story of two women falling in love at a beach resort town (which — spoiler alert — is actually a simulated reality). The show won for best TV movie and writing for a limited series, movie or dramatic special.

During the telecast, host Stephen Colbert sat down for an interview with the Emmy statue herself, a golden-winged woman played by RuPaul, TV’s most famous drag queen.

RuPaul was a winner this year too, nabbing the award for host of a reality or reality-competition series for the second consecutive year at the Creative Arts Emmys last weekend.

And no fewer than three gay icons came together during the ceremony’s “9 to 5” reunion. The Emmys brought Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda onstage to present the award for supporting actor in a limited series or TV movie (won by Alexander Skarsgard for “Big Little Lies”).

Add a big night for “The Handmaid’s Tale,” which had its own lesbian story line, and that’s a lot of love for LGBTQ television -- even in a year when “Transparent” went winless.

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Governors Ball 2017 Emmy Awards performance

Making it from the Emmys broadcast home at the Microsoft Theater to the convention center across the street, where the Governors Ball is held, is no easy feat for those in heels. But even with screaming toes and ankles betraying our age, the select few with ball tickets make the trek.

“We’re all teetering at this point of the night,” actress Yvette Nicole Brown said. “But I’m not above taking these off... I don’t care if it’s downtown. They can talk.”

Her friend, actress Anika Noni Rose, laughed and mused about what could make the walk easier in the future.

“Golf carts. Moving walkways. I’ve thought about all of this,” she said.

Walking up to the Governors Ball, guests were met with a red carpet lined with bottles of water and pre-poured white wine. A string version of Michael Jackson’s “Bad” -- played by an all-female quartet on the inside -- was in the air.

Once inside, the convention center was transformed into a faux starry night sky. Gold pipes hung from the ceiling in waves.

Then the quartet kicked into a rendition of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing.” And no one who made that long walk did.

Emmys host Stephen Colbert being carried in a bit inspired by HBO’s “Westworld.”

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

For its 69th festival of self-benediction, broadcast Sunday on CBS, the Television Academy brought on Stephen Colbert as its master of ceremonies. Already on the CBS payroll, already schooled in hosting — it is two years almost to the day that, having abandoned his ironic “Colbert Report” persona, he took over “The Late Show” — he was an obvious choice for this job. It was a choice made even easier, to be sure, as his numbers improved and the narrative surrounding “The Late Show” turned from disappointment to delight.

As a comedian, it’s Colbert’s job to take things apart, but he is temperamentally a thoughtful, philosophical, gracious, happy sort of humorist. Like “The Late Show,” where Colbert shows himself more interested in philosophy than celebrity self-promotion, Colbert’s Emmys show was, not surprisingly, genial, pointed, exuberant, just a little bit outrageous and marked by a kind of bemused patience with the vanities of Hollywood that did not exempt the host. When he led the audience in “the traditional Hollywood prayer: Lord, thank you for giving us talent and beauty and the gaping hole inside of each of us that craves love and will never be filled,” that was not meant just in fun. . . .

Stephen Colbert hosts the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

. . .The monologue began as a mix of good and bad jokes, like any late-night monologue, mostly on lightweight topics. There was the usual engaging with selected stars in the front row seats. But it was the Donald Trump jokes — the current administration being the source of much of “The Late Show’s” invigorated focus — that one awaited.

“If we’re honest with ourselves,” Colbert said finally, “we know that the biggest TV star of the last year is Donald Trump,” whom he grouped with television’s other “morally compromised anti-heroes” as “Walter Much-Whiter.” He read, in Trump’s voice, an old Trump tweet about Seth Meyers hosting the Emmys: “He is very awkward, with almost no talent. Marbles in his mouth.” Meyers, in the audience, opened his mouth, and marbles poured out.

“Unlike the presidency,” said Colbert, “Emmys go to the winner of the popular vote.” And then an aside, “Where do I find the courage to tell that joke in this room?” . . .

. . .What did shock the room came next, as Colbert, noting Trump’s obsession with ratings, and wondering whether there were a way to know how well the broadcast was doing at that moment, brought former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer on to say, “This will be the largest audience to witness any Emmys, period, both in person and around the world.”

Read More

Lena Waithe of “Master of None.”

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Here it is, the obligatory roundup of Emmy favs kissing on their Atom lady. But what sparks this trophy love between recipient and award? Is this genuine joy from an ecstatic winner, or was it prompted by the red carpet photographers angling for a quality photo-op?

Truly this is the chicken and the egg conundrum of award season. We may never know the answer, but also who cares Lena Waithe looks great holding gold.

Donald Glover poses with his Emmys for lead actor in a comedy series and director of a comedy series, for “Atlanta.”

(Mark Ralston / AFP / Getty Images)

Elisabeth Moss of “The Handmaid’s Tale” with her Emmys for drama series and actress in a drama series.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Julia Louis-Dreyfus poses in the press room with her awards for lead actress in a comedy series and omedy series for “Veep.”

(Jordan Strauss / Invision / AP)

Kate McKinnon with her award for supporting actress in a comedy series for “Saturday Night Live.”

(Jordan Strauss / Invision / AP)

MORE: Photos from backstage at the Emmys

SEE THE FULL LIST OF 2017 EMMY WINNERS HERE>>

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Riz Ahmed, Emmy winner for best actor in a limited series for playing the role of “Naz” in the bleak HBO drama “The Night Of” fielded questions about the importance of diversity onscreen.

“I don’t know if any one person’s win of an award, or one person’s snagging one role, or one person doing really well, changes anything when it comes to a systemic lack of inclusion,” he said. “I think what we’re starting to see is more awareness around how beneficial it can be to tell a diverse range of stories in a way that is authentic.”

Still, he was very pleased to be standing right where he was.

“When I heard my name announced, I thought, ‘Whose idea is that?’ I just felt really lucky to be mentioned bedside those actors,” he said of winning in a category that included Robert DeNiro, Geoffrey Rush and his “Night Of” co-star John Turturro. “I learned so much from John in particular, I feel like I share this with him.”

SEE THE FULL LIST OF 2017 EMMY WINNERS HERE>>

When “Big Little Lies” director Jean-Marc Vallee and the star-studded cast of HBO’s “Big Little Lies” appeared backstage after winning the Emmy for best limited series, everyone wanted to know one thing: Just how “limited” did the show’s creators intend to keep it? Would there be a Season 2?

“I’m just like the audience, and like these girls and everyone else,” Vallee said, gesturing to two of his leading ladies, Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman, who stood smiling beside him. “It would be great to reunite the team. Are we gonna be able to do it? I wish. We’ll see what the future holds.”

Witherspoon giddily interjected, “You already know we’re liars, I don’t think you should trust anything we say.”

Kidman also fanned the flames of fan hope for the popular show, which was based on the best-selling novel by Liane Moriarty.

“We loved playing these roles. The story lines are so interesting, and it would be fantastic if we could continue.”

However, the only person who really has the authority to decide the future was Moriarty, who said coyly, “I’m thinking about it, it’s a beautiful possibility.”

The show, Witherspoon said, stands on its own whether a Season 2 comes to pass, thanks to its thoughtful treatment of its Emmy-nominated female leads.

“If you talk about changing things in society, about the way you see women in film and women at the center of a story ... this is a real watershed moment for me,” she said. “All of these women are the heroes of their own stories, and they are complicated. They aren’t good or bad. The performances are very diverse.”

SEE THE FULL LIST OF 2017 EMMY WINNERS HERE>>

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Sean Spicer’s cameo during the Emmy Awards generated a mixture of emotions.

There was surprise, of course, when Spicer made an appearance during Stephen Colbert’s opening monologue. But inside the Microsoft Theater on Sunday evening there also appeared to be a bit of consternation. Cameras, for instance, caught Melissa McCarthy, who impersonated the embattled former White House press secretary on “Saturday Night Live,” appearing less than amused.

Colbert wheeled out Spicer at the end of his monologue for a gag that recalled Spicer’s presser about President Trump’s inauguration attendance.

“This will be the largest audience to witness the Emmys, period. Both in person and around the world,” said Spicer, who’s been making several public appearances since his departure from the White House in July.

But the former communications director’s reception on Twitter was far more scathing. In this divisive political era, critics berated the Emmys for making light of Spicer’s behavior. As press secretary, Spicer was known for his combative behavior, as he often reprimanded reporters, and he came to symbolize the administration’s use of so-called “alternative facts.”

Here’s a sampling:

Sterling K. Brown backstage with his Emmy for lead actor in a drama series.

(Mark Ralston / AFP/Getty Images)

NBC’s “This Is Us,” which follows the story of a family at different stages in their lives, is nothing if not a tearjerker. So it was appropriate that when Sterling K. Brown took the podium in the press room on Sunday, his eyes were seemingly bloodshot, as if he had been crying.

When asked if he had more to say after his acceptance speech was cut off, he quickly brightened.

“I wouldn’t mind finishing, thank you for the invitation. I want to thank our writers,” said Brown, who won the Emmy for lead actor in a drama series. “You guys are our life supply.” He then went on to thank the show’s producers and directors and his family members.

“I want to represent; I don’t want to be a flash in the pan,” Brown said. “I love what I do so much. I feel like I have 1,000 people living inside of me, and I’m just looking for an opportunity to let them all out. It feels big.”

“This Is Us,” he said, has resonance, even internationally, because “it’s about real people dealing with real life and trying to figure out what’s next. Everyone can relate to that.”

SEE THE FULL LIST OF 2017 EMMY WINNERS HERE>>

Nicole Kidman, Elisabeth Moss, Emmy Rossum and Millie Bobby Brown on the Emmys red carpet.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times, left, and Associated Press)

If you took a tally, body-conscious evening gowns still outnumbered any other silhouette on the Emmys red carpet, insuring the continued profitability of the Spanx brand.

Yet the women who chose differently proved that there’s something so lavish, exuberant and freeing about an evening gown with a vast, full skirt. (A big plus: No figure-control garments required.)

The standouts? Emmy winner Nicole Kidman’s lipstick-red gown from Calvin Klein by Appointment; Elisabeth Moss in structured baby pink satin by Prabal Gurung; Emmy Rossum in Zac Posen; and Millie Bobby Brown in a ballet-inspired Calvin Klein that makes us want to dance -- and breathe a sigh of relief.

Our picks for best- and worst-dressed on the 2017 Emmy Awards red carpet Âť

SEE THE FULL LIST OF 2017 EMMY WINNERS HERE>>

Julia Louis-Dreyfus was all smiles backstage with her Emmy for lead actress in a comedy series.

(Mark Ralston / AFP/Getty Images)

Sunday was a good night for HBO’s “Veep.” The political satire and two-time Emmy-winning comedy series about the first female POTUS not only received 17 Emmy nominations, but took home one of the evening’s top prizes, the Emmy for best comedy series.

With a mix of cast and show creatives behind them, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who won the Emmy for lead actress in a comedy series, and executive producer David Mandel addressed the crowd.

“In our show, when Selina does something horrible or lies, she gets caught and actually pays a price for it,” Mandel said right off the bat, alluding, with a verbal wink, to President Trump.

On whether the evening’s many wins for women indicate a permanent shift in Hollywood, Louis-Dreyfus jumped in.

“God, I hope so,” she said. “Let’s hope this is the beginning of something even better in our country -- and in the world -- because I think the world would be a better place if more women were in charge.”

Then she turned to Mandel: “Right, David?!”

“You ARE in charge,” Mandel said to her. “You’re my boss!”

SEE THE FULL LIST OF 2017 EMMY WINNERS HERE>>

(Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

The 2017 Emmy Awards did not use its tape-delay much but it definitely had a moment during Elisabeth Moss’ acceptance speech for lead actress in a drama series.

After going through a laundry list of people who have supported her over her years in the industry – Moss has been acting since she was 8 – she made a point to single out her mother.

“The Handmaid’s Tale” actress then credited her mother with teaching her that, “You can be kind and a [F-word] badass.”

Though audiences at home didn’t hear the message due to censors, it’s a sentiment worth sharing.

SEE THE FULL LIST OF 2017 EMMY WINNERS HERE>>

Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” wins the Emmy Award for drama series.

The other nominees were:

“Better Call Saul”

“The Crown”

“House of Cards”

“Stranger Things”

“This Is Us”

“Westworld”

SEE THE FULL LIST OF 2017 EMMY WINNERS HERE>>

(Jordan Strauss/Invision/Associated Press)

Elisabeth Moss of “The Handmaid’s Tale” wins the Emmy Award for lead actress in a drama.

The other nominees were:

Viola Davis, “How to Get Away With Murder”

Claire Foy, “The Crown”

Keri Russell, “The Americans”

Evan Rachel Wood, “Westworld”

Robin Wright, “House of Cards”

SEE THE FULL LIST OF 2017 EMMY WINNERS HERE>>

“Stranger Things” actors Finn Wolfhard, from left, Noah Schnapp, Gaten Matarazzo and Caleb McLaughlin were among the night’s sartorial standouts.

(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Silver seemed to be the precious metal of choice for those seeking Emmy gold at the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday night. Among the most head-turning takes on the metallic trend were Sarah Paulson’s fresh off the New York Fashion Week runway Carolina Herrera dress for spring and summer 2018 and Tracee Ellis Ross’ Chanel haute couture number that was a sea of silver crystals up top and white feathers down below.

Other notable silver stunners included Laverne Cox in Naeem Khan, Regina King in a fall 2017 Galia Lahav haute couture gown and Anna Chlumsky in a form-fitting liquid silver gown custom made for her by Sachin & Babi.

“I asked them for something in the precious-metal-that-could-be-mined-from-the-earth vein,” she said on the red carpet, and the label delivered to great effect.

Perennial best-dressed lister Priyanka Chopra wore a curve-hugging white Balmain gown with silver embroidered embellishments and a mermaid-tail hem, making her a trend two-fer because that dress silhouette seemed to be having a moment. Of course, Sofia Vergara —wearing Mark Zunino — hardly hits a red carpet in anything but a mermaid hem. But others in the swim this year included Felicity Huffman, Padma Lakshmi, Ruby Modine and Samantha Bee in a custom emerald Rubin Singer gown with a plunging neckline....

In the swim with the mermaid-tail hem: from left, Priyanka Chopra (in Balmain), Padma Lakshmi (in Christian Siriano) and Samantha Bee (in Rubin Singer).

(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

The other was the serious style being rocked by the younger attendees. It was almost a given that “Stranger Things’” Millie Bobby Brown would hit a red-carpet home run in Calvin Klein — she was seen front row at the label’s recent New York Fashion Week show. She wore an ivory silk crepe and tulle dress with ivory bandanna tie that made her look every inch a princess.

But it was her co-stars who really rose to the occasion. Finn Wolfhard, Noah Schnapp, Gaten Matarazzo and Caleb McLaughlin hit the red carpet as a fashion tour de force: Wolfhard in a black Prada tuxedo; Schnapp in a blue velvet double-breasted shawl collar tuxedo jacket with gold braid detail; Matarazzo in a three-piece suit, purple tie and pocket-square flair; and McLaughlin in a purple floral jacquard shawl collar tuxedo jacket. Of course, this made the kids of “Stranger Things” some of our favorite fashionable things from this year’s Emmy Awards red carpet.

Read More

(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Sterling K. Brown of NBC’s “This Is Us” wins the Emmy Award for lead actor in a drama series.

The other nominees were:

Anthony Hopkins, “Westworld”

Bob Odenkirk, “Better Call Saul”

Matthew Rhys, “The Americans”

Liev Schreiber, “Ray Donovan”

Kevin Spacey, “House of Cards”

Milo Ventimiglia, “This Is Us”

SEE THE FULL LIST OF 2017 EMMY WINNERS HERE>>

Kate McKinnon with her Emmy.

(Mark Ralston / AFP/Getty Images)

On a night when the Primetime Emmys and the stars in attendance relentlessly skewered President Trump and his administration, Kate McKinnon, who nabbed the Emmy for supporting actress in a comedy series for her work on “Saturday Night Live,” was notably subdued in the press room after her win.

She never spoke more than a sentence or two at a time and shied away from saying anything overtly political, other than repeating the fact that she was a fan of Hillary Clinton, whom she famously portrayed during the run-up to the 2016 presidential election.

What did she think of Sean Spicer appearing onstage that night?

“I enjoyed seeing him again,” she said, not tipping her hand.

Did she have a favorite skit or episode from this season?

“I can’t pick a favorite. Every week had this special electricity running through it,” she said. “It was a banner year to be part of the show. I was so proud to be a fly on the wall for this particular season.”

What are her feelings about Clinton?

“I’m certainly a great admirer of hers, and I hope that it’s mutual. I think that it is.”

How does she feel about playing the former first lady, and the first ever woman to be the frontrunner for president?

“It’s just been the greatest honor of my life, and the greatest role I’ve gotten to play. Again, I’m just a huge admirer of hers.”

What was it like having dinner with Clinton?

“It was very surreal and wonderful, and she was warm and gracious as always, and I ate too much.”

Why does humor matter so much in this day and age?

“I could write a book. Satire is so important whenever there is anything floating around in the national consciousness, and the salience of our show this year just proves that.”

Was it a nonstop battle to keep up with the constantly shifting political landscape when it came to writing the show each week?

“There were a few times when we had to rewrite some major stuff the night before. It was kind of like a sport sometimes, racing to the finish line. It was wild, I loved it.”

The president has tweeted his displeasure with McKinnon’s “SNL” co-star, Alec Baldwin. Has McKinnon heard anything from Trump?

“I have not heard from the president.”

If he were to write to her, what does she think he would say?

“I do not know.”

Pause, pause. And then she left the stage, leaving her interlocutors wishing for a joke.

SEE THE FULL LIST OF 2017 EMMY WINNERS HERE>>

Don Roy King of “Saturday Night Live” won the Emmy for directing a variety series.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Don Roy King took a single, salient question in the press room after winning the Emmy for directing in a variety series for his work on “Saturday Night Live,” his seventh win since 2010.

Why is comedy so important in the current fraught political climate? (This, by the way, is perhaps the single most-asked question of the entire night at the Emmys thus far.)

In response, King said, “I have been proud of the show … which I think is designed to make people laugh. But this year it felt different, more important, like we were holding people accountable, doing some healing.

“It felt like we were soothing some frayed nerves, and for that reason it felt even more important … more cutting-edge and valuable.”

SEE THE FULL LIST OF 2017 EMMY WINNERS HERE>>

“Big Little Lies” wins the Emmy Award for limited series.

The other nominees were:

“Fargo”

“Feud: Bette and Joan”

“Genius”

“The Night Of”

SEE THE FULL LIST OF 2017 EMMY WINNERS HERE>>

“Black Mirror: San Junipero” wins the Emmy Award for TV movie.

The other nominees were:

“Dolly Parton’s Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love”

“The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks”

“Sherlock: The Lying Detective”

“The Wizard of Lies”

SEE THE FULL LIST OF 2017 EMMY WINNERS HERE>>

Black is safe. Black is classy. And the black tuxedo for men is more than a century old. Yet some fashion-forward men gave the look a welcome update.

Emmy host Stephen Colbert wore a midnight blue two-button shawl collar wool and cashmere tuxedo as well as a classic black tux from Giorgio Armani, while nominees such as Bob Odenkirk and Geoffrey Rush wore midnight blue tuxedoes also from Giorgio Armani.

Chris Sullivan of “This Is Us” stepped out in a top hat and blue plaid dinner jacket from Brooks Brothers. Donald Glover made his amethyst jacket and trousers look like a modern classic.

In a shimmering, lemonade-yellow dinner jacket Tituss Burgess of “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” borrowed the signature color from the series’ title character -- and perhaps gave a nod to Beyoncé.

Emmy host Stephen Colbert, from left, kept it classic, while Donald Glover and Bob Odenkirk wore color.

(Chris Pizzello / Invision / Associated Press, left and center, and Richard Shotwell / Invision / Associated Press )

Full gallery of 2017 Emmy red carpet fashion here. >>

(Allen Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Nicole Kidman of “Big Little Lies” wins the Emmy Award for lead actress in a limited series or TV movie.

The other nominees were:

Carrie Coon, “Fargo”

Felicity Huffman, “American Crime”

Jessica Lange, “Feud: Bette and Joan”

Susan Sarandon, “Feud: Bette and Joan”

Reese Witherspoon, “Big Little Lies”

SEE THE FULL LIST OF 2017 EMMY WINNERS HERE>>

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Riz Ahmed of “The Night Of” wins the Emmy Award for lead actor in a limited series or TV movie.

The other nominees were:

Benedict Cumberbatch, “Sherlock: The Lying Detective”

Robert De Niro, “The Wizard of Lies”

Ewan McGregor, “Fargo”

Geoffrey Rush, “Genius”

John Turturro, “The Night Of”

SEE THE FULL LIST OF 2017 EMMY WINNERS HERE>>

Ryan Murphy’s deliciously catty FX series “Feud: Bette and Joan” earned 15 nominations and two wins at the Creative Arts Emmys.

However, the limited series, which chronicles the storied rivalry between actresses Joan Crawford (portrayed by Jessica Lange) and Bette Davis (Susan Sarandon), has embroiled Murphy and FX in a legal battle with two-time Oscar winner Olivia de Havilland, the still-living actress played by Catherine Zeta-Jones in the anthology series.

In June, a day before her 101st birthday, De Havilland sued Murphy and FX, alleging that her depiction in the eight-episode drama was unauthorized. The “Gone With the Wind” star makes four major legal claims in her lawsuit, saying the series violated her common law and statutory rights of publicity, her right to privacy and unjust enrichment. She took particular issue with Zeta-Jones’ gossipy narrative in the episode about the 1963 Oscars.

The trial has been expedited due to De Havilland’s unusually advanced age and will begin on Nov. 29, assuming FX and Murphy’s anti-SLAPP motion to strike the lawsuit in its entirety is denied at a Sept. 29 hearing.

On Friday, De Havilland filed an opposition to the defendants’ motion to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that FX and Murphy’s production company Pacific 2.1 “knowingly violated standards in the industry in producing ‘Feud’” without her consent.

Read MoreSEE THE FULL LIST OF 2017 EMMY WINNERS HERE>>

(Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

You had to look hard to find a single necklace on the Emmy red carpet, with one dazzling exception.

Ever the rebel, Jane Fonda wore a necklace, but draped it down her back, making it a glittering, $1.75 million counterpoint to her swingy ponytail.

According to jeweler Gismondi, the bold piece was made of more than 152 carats of emeralds and diamonds, and paired with a coordinating 10-carat emerald ring and chandelier earrings containing 40-plus carats of diamonds and emeralds.

Full gallery of the hits and misses from the 2017 Emmy Awards’ red carpet >>

SEE THE FULL LIST OF 2017 EMMY WINNERS HERE>>

“Veep” wins the Emmy Award for comedy series.

The other nominees were:

“Atlanta”

“black-ish”

“Master of None”

“Modern Family”

“Silicon Valley”

“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”

SEE THE FULL LIST OF 2017 EMMY WINNERS HERE>>

(Frederic J. Brown / AFP / Getty Images)

Accepting his Emmy on Sunday night, Alec Baldwin was no less amusing than he has been on “Saturday Night Live” skewering President Trump.

“At long last Mr. President, here is your Emmy,” he joked onstage. After remarking that he and his wife hadn’t had a baby this year, he said of his “SNL” costume, “You put on that orange wig, it’s birth control.”

But backstage after his win, Baldwin was far more subdued, even as he was applauded by the press as he took the stage.

When asked how enjoyable his “SNL” role was — and whether he felt he was performing an important societal role in executing it — he said: “I wouldn’t go as far as to say ‘important in society,’ but I do think people are overwhelmed [with the current political situation].”

“I find myself a conduit for them,” he added.

About Sean Spicer’s appearance at the Emmys, Baldwin said, “I think people in the business are grateful for him to have a sense of humor.”

The actor noted one similarity between him and the former press secretary.

“I’ve done some jobs you shouldn’t respect or admire me for — he and I have that in common,” Baldwin said.

And then he sauntered off, Emmy in hand.

SEE THE FULL LIST OF 2017 EMMY WINNERS HERE>>

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Julia Louis-Dreyfus of “Veep” wins the Emmy Award for lead actress in a comedy.

The other nominees were:

Pamela Adlon, “Better Things”

Allison Janney, “Mom”

Jane Fonda, “Grace and Frankie”

Ellie Kemper, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”

Tracee Ellis Ross, “black-ish”

Lily Tomlin, “Grace and Frankie”

SEE THE FULL LIST OF 2017 EMMY WINNERS HERE>>

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

For Laura Dern, the sixth time was the charm. Dern has been nominated for an Emmy five times previously; on Sunday, she finally won for her role as Renata Klein in “Big Little Lies,” HBO’s murder mystery and social satire set among the rich mamas of Monterey, Calif.

Taking the stage, Dern was all smiles. And all about female empowerment.

On Hollywood becoming more gender balanced, she said: “Thank God we’re seeing more and more women. When I started, even my makeup artist was a man. It’s changing dramatically.”

“It’s a beautiful time to be female and to be raising a 12-year-old girl,” she added.

Does she have any words of wisdom for young women? For this, she nodded to the creators of “Big Little Lies.”

The show was “delicious to watch,” she said, but also, “it spoke to [having a] voice and standing up for yourself. I feel very proud [being part of] of a group of women getting to tell that story right now.”

SEE THE FULL LIST OF 2017 EMMY WINNERS HERE>>

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Donald Glover of “Atlanta” wins the Emmy Award for lead actor in a comedy.

The other nominees were:

Anthony Anderson, “black-ish”

Aziz Ansari, “Master of None”

Zach Galifianakis, “Baskets”

William H. Macy, “Shameless”

Jeffrey Tambor, “Transparent”

SEE THE FULL LIST OF 2017 EMMY WINNERS HERE>>

Lena Waithe, right, with girlfriend Alana Mayo at the 2017 Emmy Awards.

(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Lena Waithe and Aziz Ansari won the writing for a comedy series Emmy for their work on the “Thanksgiving” episode of “Master of None.”

An intensely personal episode inspired by her own coming out story, among those Waithe thanked in her speech were her mother, her girlfriend, her chosen family and the LGBTQ community.

SEE THE FULL LIST OF 2017 EMMY WINNERS HERE>>

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

“Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” wins the Emmy Award for variety talk series.

The other nominees were:

“Full Frontal With Samantha Bee”

“Jimmy Kimmel Live!”

“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert”

“The Late Late Show With James Corden”

“Real Time With Bill Maher”

SEE THE FULL LIST OF 2017 EMMY WINNERS HERE>>

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Don Roy King of “Saturday Night Live” wins the Emmy Award for directing a variety series.

The other nominees were:

Derek Waters & Jeremy Konner, “Drunk History”

Andy Fisher, “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”

Paul Pennolino, “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”

Jim Hoskinson, “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”

SEE THE FULL LIST OF 2017 EMMY WINNERS HERE>>

ZoĂŤ Kravitz at the 69th Primetime Emmys.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

While solid-color gowns in standard shades of black, red and metallics dominated the Emmy red carpet, “Big Little Lies” star Zoë Kravitz wore every color from sunrise to sunset.

Topped with a black bodice, her feathered Dior gown’s full-length skirt blazed in a mélange that flowed from red, yellow and orange to daytime hues of yellow, green and blue. That’s the Hollywood definition of day-to-night dressing.

Full gallery of 2017 Emmy red carpet fashion here. >>

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Charlie Brooker of “Black Mirror: San Junipero” wins the Emmy Award for writing for a limited series movie or dramatic special.

The other nominees were:

David E. Kelley, “Big Little Lies”

Noah Hawley, “Fargo”

Ryan Murphy, “Feud: Bette and Joan”

Jaffe Cohen, Michael Zam & Ryan Murphy, “Feud: Bette and Joan”

Richard Price & Steven Zaillian, “The Night Of”

SEE THE FULL LIST OF 2017 EMMY WINNERS HERE>>

Shailene Woodley arriving at the 69th Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Picture the single most out-of-sync anecdote a person could drop on the red carpet for television’s biggest night. Got it?

You don’t. What Shailene Woodley said was worse.

The nominee for supporting actress in a limited series stumbled into an epic faux pas when taking part of E’s “Live From the Red Carpet,” when she admitted she really doesn’t have time to watch television.

Sure. I mean, you’re literally at an event celebrating the medium, but it’s cool you don’t really bother keeping up with.

Moreover, Woodley clarified, she doesn’t even own a television.

“I actually haven’t had a TV since I moved out of my parents’ house at 18,” Woodley said.

Well. Bully for you, Shailene.

SEE THE FULL LIST OF 2017 EMMY WINNERS HERE>>

Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” garnered critical praise and cultural relevance with its April debut and was roundly recognized by the Emmy Awards with 13 nominations for its efforts.

The series nabbed a handful of nominations for its sterling performances as well as Hulu’s first nomination for drama series, but the bulk of the show’s accolades came for work done behind the scenes.

At last week’s Creative Arts Emmys, “The Handmaid’s Tale” took home awards for cinematography and production design, while the show has also earned nominations for costumes, writing and direction.

Learn more about the team behind the scenes of one of this year’s Emmy darlings below.

Read MoreSEE THE FULL LIST OF 2017 EMMY WINNERS HERE>>

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Reed Morano of “The Handmaid’s Tale” wins the Emmy Award for directing a drama series.

The other nominees were:

Vince Gilligan, “Better Call Saul”

Stephen Daldry, “The Crown”

Kate Dennis, “The Handmaid’s Tale”

Lesli Linka Glatter, “Homeland”

The Duffer Brothers, “Stranger Things”

Jonathan Nolan, “Westworld”

SEE THE FULL LIST OF 2017 EMMY WINNERS HERE>>

It was a moment Lena Waithe had little interest in sharing. Sure, as a writer, Waithe wanted to tell queer narratives. But a “coming out” story? Well, she wasn’t eager to revisit that chapter of her life. And she also felt like it had become a trope for every LGBTQ character.

But then she had a meeting with “Master of None” co-creators Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang as they were beginning to think about Season 2 of the Netflix comedy, in which she plays Denise, a friend of Ansari’s character, Dev. A discussion about her current relationship led to questions about how Waithe had come out to her family.

“It became clear we had a lot of material for an episode,” Ansari recalls in an email. “It was all interesting, hilarious and not quite like anything I’d seen on TV/film before.”

The result is the Emmy-winning “Thanksgiving” episode, which tells the story of Denise discovering her sexuality and revealing it to her friends and family over the course of five Thanksgivings spread over 22 years. Veteran actress Angela Bassett guest starred as Denise’s conservative single mother.

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Bruce Miller, who won the Emmy for writing for a drama series with “The Handmaid’s Tale.”

(Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

Bruce Miller, writer and showrunner for Hulu’s apocalyptic drama “The Handmaid’s Tale,” took home the Emmy for writer in a drama series.

Backstage in the press room, he faced the inevitable barrage of questions about the show’s current resonance, which he both embraced and played down in equal measures.

“I think it all comes from the book, which had the same following,” he said of Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel. “The same fascination holds. The story has been magnetic. Nowadays, people worry they are living in a society where big things are happening and you look at a character like Offred [played by Elisabeth Moss] living under such horrible oppression who still finds ways to rebel, and to live.”

As to whether or not he and the other writers used today’s fraught political climate as fodder for the show, Miller gave another slightly oblique answer: “As an influence, it’s on an unconscious level. We don’t look at the politics of the day and try to bend the story, but we’re a very plugged-in group of writers. I don’t think you can help having it affect you,” he said, adding, “when Margaret wrote the novel, everything that happens in that world, has happened somewhere against women.”

That was the reason that the show was set in the present, despite that the novel was written based on events from more than three decades ago.

“It didn’t make sense to have a show like that take place as period piece,” Miller said. “Anything real and tangible just makes it scarier, and that comes from it being as relatable as possible.”

Lena Waithe on the red carpet for the 2017 Emmy Awards.

(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

“Master of None’s” Lena Waithe made history at the 69th Emmy Awards on Sunday, becoming the first black woman ever to win in the category of writing for a comedy series.

Waithe, who plays Denise in the Netflix series, co-wrote the “Thanksgiving” episode with “Master of None” co-creator Aziz Ansari. Her nomination also marked the first time a black woman was nominated for a comedy writing Emmy.

In fact, the only other woman of color ever nominated in the category is Mindy Kaling. Kaling was nominated in 2010 along with co-writer Greg Daniels for their work on “The Office” episode “Niagara” (and the award that year went to the writers of the “Modern Family” pilot).

The Emmy-winning “Thanksgiving” episode follows Denise as she discovers her sexuality and comes out to her friends and family over the course of five Thanksgivings spanning 22 years. While Waithe was hesitant about telling a “coming-out story” in 2017, Ansari and Alan Yang convinced her it was a story best told by her.

“It’s very black. It’s very female. It’s really gay,” said Waithe of the story at a GLAAD panel in August. “[And] the cool thing about that is so many people loved it.”

“When a straight, white guy is, like, ‘ ‘Thanksgiving’ was my favorite episode,’ that’s when art is doing its job, when he can look at my character and go, ‘I can see myself in her,’” said Waithe.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

“The Voice” wins the Emmy Award for reality competition program.

The other nominees were:

“RuPaul’s Drag Race”

“The Amazing Race”

“Top Chef”

“American Ninja Warrior”

“Project Runway”

LIST: Emmy Award winners and nominees

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Aziz Ansari and Lena Waithe of “Master of None” win the Emmy Award for writing for a comedy series.

The other nominees were:

Donald Glover, “Atlanta”

Stephen Glover, “Atlanta”

Alec Berg, “Silicon Valley”

Billy Kimball, “Veep”

David Mandel, “Veep”

LIST: Emmy Award winners and nominees

Lesli Linka Glatter is a seven-time Emmy nominee. Five of those nods have been for directing.

(Jennifer S. Altman / For The Times)

With separate categories for actors and actresses, male and female performers are equally represented among 2017’s Emmy nominees, but take a short hop over to the directing and writing categories and the awards are primarily a boys club.

Among the 114 writers nominated this year for drama series, comedy series, variety series and limited series, movie or dramatic special, only 21 are women. That’s a hair over 18%.

Women are best represented when they’re writing for a variety series: Of the 90 people named from the staffs of “Full Frontal With Samantha Bee,” “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver,” “Late Night With Seth Meyers,” “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” and “Saturday Night Live,” 21 writers — 23.3% — are female.

The four directing categories to be honored Sunday night are even less encouraging for women: There are only three women among the 25 directors nominated for drama series, comedy series, variety series, and limited series, movie, or dramatic special

Adding to that, all three female directors — five-time nominee Leslie Linka Glatter (“Homeland”) and Emmy newbies Kate Dennis and Reed Morano (both up for “The Handmaid’s Tale”) — are competing in the same category, directing for a drama series.

Morano was the lone woman nominated for cinematography for a single-camera series (half-hour), for “Divorce”; that award went to David Miller for “Veep.”

(Chris Pizzello / Associated Press)

Ann Dowd of “The Handmaid’s Tale” wins the Emmy Award for supporting actress in a drama series.

The other nominees were:

Uzo Aduba, “Orange Is the New Black”

Millie Bobby Brown, “Stranger Things”

Chrissy Metz, “This Is Us”

Thandie Newton, “Westworld”

Samira Wiley, “The Handmaid’s Tale”

LIST: Emmy Award winners and nominees

Sean Spicer at the 2017 Emmy Awards.

(Chris Pizzello / Invision/AP)

Sean Spicer made a surprise appearance during Stephen Colbert’s opening monologue at the 2017 Emmy Awards much to the disbelief of those in attendance at the ceremony.

As the camera cut to various celebrities’ shocked faces, as the former White House press secretary took the stage, perhaps the most surprised person in the room was Melissa McCarthy.

McCarthy, who won the Emmy for guest actress in a comedy series, made a lasting mark this year for her Spicer impersonation on “Saturday Night Live.”

Spicer’s appearance flies in the face of McCarthy’s insistence that the former White House press secretary does not get to be a part of the jokes.

In a previous interview McCarthy told The Times that she did not appreciate Spicer referencing her “SNL” sketches by using a moving podium during actual press conferences.

“That’s the part I didn’t like,” McCarthy said. “I was like, ‘No! It’s not us’ [gesturing to two people] making that joke, it’s we’re making that joke.

“I had a moment of fear about that when he was like, ‘Don’t make me move the podium.’ I thought, ‘No, that’s not your joke to make,’” she explained.

Read the full interview here >>

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

“Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” wins the Emmy Award for writing for a variety series.

The other nominees were:

“Full Frontal With Samantha Bee”

“Late Night With Seth Meyers”

“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert”

“Saturday Night Live”

LIST: Emmy Award winners and nominees

(Yvonne Villarreal / Los Angeles Times)

It’s the kind of sight that would please Olivia Pope of “Scandal”: Stars munching on popcorn and sipping wine.

When the Emmys broadcast cuts to a commercial break, the concession area inside the Microsoft Theater is overrun with people — like “The Crown’s” Matt Smith — buying popcorn, pretzels, hot dogs and a variety of libations.

The politically active Chicago MC made a surprise appearance during Stephen Colbert’s opening number, dropping a verse about how he hopes television can be more than a “pleasant distraction.”

But how did one of music’s biggest young stars end up on TV’s biggest night? Because he was a nominee.

Chance was up for the Emmy for original music and lyrics for “Last Christmas,” from a “Saturday Night Live” sketch paying tribute to Run-DMC’s holiday classic “Christmas in Hollis.” (The award went to Common’s song “Letter to the Free,” from Ava DuVernay’s “13th.”)

(Kevin Winter / Getty Images)

Alexander Skarsgård of “Big Little Lies” wins the Emmy Award for supporting actor in a limited series or movie.

The other nominees were:

David Thewlis, “Fargo”

Alfred Molina, “Feud: Bette and Joan”

Stanley Tucci,”Feud: Bette and Joan”

Bill Camp, “The Night Of”

Michael Kenneth Williams, “The Night Of”

LIST: Emmy Award winners and nominees

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Jean-Marc Vallée of “Big Little Lies” wins the Emmy Award for directing a limited series, movie or dramatic special.

The other nominees were:

Noah Hawley, “Fargo”

Ryan Murphy, “Feud: Bette & Joan”

Ron Howard, “Genius”

James Marsh, “The Night Of”

Steve Zaillian, “The Night Of”

LIST: Emmy Award winners and nominees

Jermaine Fowler on Sunday.

(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Jermaine Fowler of CBS’ “Superior Donuts” is grabbing some of the Emmys spotlight with his announcing. His voice-over is more improvisational than awards show viewers usually hear.

Deadline reported Saturday that that was part of the plan: “It was Fowler’s extensive experience performing in front of a live audience as a standup comedian (in addition to being one of CBS’ leading men) that made him the network’s choice for the job.”

On Twitter, reviews were mixed.

Fowler plays Franco Wicks on “Superior Donuts,” whose second season begins next month. He has also worked on “Bojack Horseman,” “Family Guy” and “Robot Chicken.”

Emmys host Stephen Colbert sang and danced his way through his opening number at Sunday’s ceremony..

(Frederic J. Brown /AFP/Getty Images; Chris Pizzello / Invision/Associated Press)

Stephen Colbert kicked off the 69th Primetime Emmys with a Billy Crystal-esque opening number paying homage to some of the top nominees — singing and dancing with casts from “This Is Us” and “The Americans” — and then followed up with a politically charged monologue that could only have come from the host of “The Late Show.”

On Donald Trump’s much-stated desire to win an Emmy:

“But he never did. Unlike the presidency, Emmys go to the winner of the popular vote.” (And as a follow-up: “Where do I find the courage to tell that joke in this room?”)

Responding to Sean Spicer’s surprise appearance to assure him about the size of the crowd:

Spicer told Colbert that this was the “largest audience to view the Emmys in person and around the world.”

“I can see why you would want one of these guys around,” said Colbert. “Melissa McCarthy, everybody. Give it up!”

On the diversity of the awards:

After listing many of the African American nominees, Colbert added, “And, of course, Bill Maher. I assume he’s black since he’s so comfortable using the N-word.”

On the infiltration of streaming services:

“Everyone loves streaming video, just ask Ted Cruz.... But knock first, you don’t want to walk in.”

On the relevance of certain nominated shows:

In the opening song, surrounded by women dressed in costumes from “The Handmaid’s Tale”: “Look on the bright side, handmaids; at least your healthcare’s free.”

(Kevin Winter / Getty Images)

Alec Baldwin of “Saturday Night Live” wins the Emmy Award for supporting actor in a comedy.

The other nominees were:

Louie Anderson, “Baskets”

Ty Burrell, “Modern Family”

Tituss Burgess, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”

Tony Hale, “Veep”

Matt Walsh, “Veep”

LIST: Emmy Award winners and nominees

Donald Glover is also the first director to win for a show he acted in since Alan Alda won for “MASH” in 1977. Glover is also up for three other Emmys tonight -- lead actor in a comedy, comedy writing and as a producer of “Atlanta.”

(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Bruce Miller of “The Handmaid’s Tale” wins the Emmy Award for writing for a drama series.

The other nominees were:

Joe Weisberg & Joel Fields, “The Americans”

Gordon Smith, “Better Call Saul”

Peter Morgan, “The Crown”

The Duffer Brothers, “Stranger Things”

Lisa Joy & Jonathan Nolan, “Westworld”

LIST: Emmy Award winners and nominees

President Trump joined “Will & Grace’s” Megan Mullally at the 2006 Emmy Awards to sing the “Green Acres” theme. For those unaware of the CBS sitcom that ran from 1965 to 1971, the series starred Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor as a wealthy to-do couple who moved from New York City to the country looking for a new life.

So.. that happened!