Sunday’s 57th Emmy awards received its highest Nielsen rating ever, drawing in 18.6 million viewers.
Louisiana native Ellen DeGeneres hosted the event.
“New Orleans is my hometown,” said DeGeneres during the show. “Our hearts and prayers go out to everyone affected.”
Many in attendance wore pins shaped like white magnolias-the state flowers for Louisiana and Mississippi.
Besides the tributes to Tow Brokaw, Dan Rather, Johnny Carson, Peter Jennings and the Katrina victims, critics said the awards show was not only boring but overdone.
The now obsolete CBS comedy “Everybody Loves Raymond ” won the coveted Outstanding Comedy Series.
ABC’s freshman drama took home the honor of being named Outstanding Drama Series.
Comedy Central self-described “fake news” series “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” won Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program.
The winner of the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie went to HBO’s “Lackawanna Blues” S. Epatha Merkerson, who also plays a police chief on NBC’s “Law and Order.” She played the role as Nanny.
“I wrote something, and I put it in my thing (bra) and it went down and I can’t get it,” said the excited actress. “It’s probably stuck to me,” said Merkerson of her lost acceptance speech.
Felicity Huffman who plays stressed mother of three Lynette Scavo won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. Director Charles McDougall also won an award for his directing skills on the television show.
HBO was the biggest winner of the night with 27 awards, followed by ABC with 16 and CBS with 11.