The 71st Primetime Emmy Awards honored the best in American prime time television programming from June 1, 2018, until May 31, 2019, as chosen by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. The ceremony was held on September 22, 2019, at the Microsoft Theater in Downtown Los Angeles, California, and was broadcast in the United States by Fox; it was preceded by the 71st Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards on September 14 and 15. The show did not have a host for the fourth time in its history, following the telecasts in 2003 (when the ceremony also aired on Fox), 1998 (on NBC), and 1975 (on CBS).
At the main ceremony, Fleabag led all programs with four wins and won the award for Outstanding Comedy Series. Game of Thrones won two awards, including its record-tying fourth win for Outstanding Drama Series. Chernobyl received the award for Outstanding Limited Series among its three wins. Other overall program awards went to Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, RuPaul's Drag Race, and Saturday Night Live, while The Act, Barry, Fosse/Verdon, Killing Eve, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Ozark, Pose, Succession, A Very English Scandal, and When They See Us each received at least one award. Including Creative Arts Emmys, Game of Thrones won 12 awards from 32 nominations – tying and breaking the single-season records, respectively – and helped HBO to 34 total wins, the most of any network. Watched by 6.9 million viewers in the United States, it was the lowest-rated Emmy broadcast in history, amounting to a 32% drop from the 2018 ceremony.
Winners and nominees
The nominations were announced by D'Arcy Carden and Ken Jeong alongside Academy chairman and CEO Frank Scherma on July 16, 2019. Including its nominations at the 71st Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, Game of Thrones established a new record for the most Emmy nominations received in a single year by any comedy or drama series with 32 nominations, breaking the record of 26 nominations set by NYPD Blue in 1994. Game of Thrones also extended its own record for most total nominations for a scripted series, ending with 161 nods across its eight-season run, and it finished tied for the second-most nominations for Outstanding Drama Series, its eight nominations trailing only Law & Orders 11. HBO returned to its status as the most-nominated network after being surpassed the previous year by Netflix, earning a record-setting 137 nominations to beat its own record from 2015. Pop TV received its first ever Emmy nominations, earning four nominations with Schitt's Creek.
The main ceremony was held on September 22. Fleabag led all shows with four wins, with Phoebe Waller-Bridge winning three of those for producing, writing, and acting on the show. Fleabags win for Outstanding Comedy Series gave Prime Video its second straight win in the category. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel also performed well for Prime Video, tying its record of eight wins from the previous year between the main and Creative Arts ceremonies. British television shows such as Fleabag and Chernobyl had strong showings; according to Deadline Hollywood, 13 of 27 awards went to shows produced or co-produced by British individuals.
Game of Thrones broke or tied several records with its wins. Its fourth win for Outstanding Drama Series tied it with Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, The West Wing, and Mad Men for most wins in the category. When including its Creative Arts wins, the show tied its own record for most Emmys won by a series in a single season with 12 awards, a feat it previously achieved in 2015 and 2016. It ended its run with 59 total Emmys, extending its record for most wins for a scripted series. Cast member Peter Dinklage established a new record for most wins for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series with his fourth win and eighth nomination for the series.
For his role on Pose, Billy Porter made history as the first openly gay man to win Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. Jharrel Jerome became the first Afro-Latino to receive an Emmy for acting, winning Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for playing Korey Wise on When They See Us; he also became the youngest actor to win the category, at 21 years old. In the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series category, Jodie Comer became the youngest winner at 26 years old for her performance on Killing Eve.
Winners are listed first, highlighted in boldface, and indicated with a double dagger (‡). For simplicity, producers who received nominations for program awards, as well as nominated writers for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series, have been omitted.
Programs + Fleabag (Prime Video) Barry (HBO) The Good Place (NBC) The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Prime Video) Russian Doll (Netflix) Schitt's Creek (Pop TV) Veep (HBO) Game of Thrones (HBO) Better Call Saul (AMC) Bodyguard (Netflix) Killing Eve (BBC America) Ozark (Netflix) Pose (FX) Succession (HBO) This Is Us (NBC) Chernobyl (HBO) Escape at Dannemora (Showtime) Fosse/Verdon (FX) Sharp Objects (HBO) When They See Us (Netflix) Bandersnatch (Black Mirror) (Netflix) Brexit (HBO) Deadwood: The Movie (HBO) King Lear (Prime Video) My Dinner with Hervé (HBO) Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central) Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (TBS) Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC) The Late Late Show with James Corden (CBS) The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS) Saturday Night Live (NBC) At Home with Amy Sedaris (truTV) Documentary Now! (IFC) Drunk History (Comedy Central) I Love You, America with Sarah Silverman (Hulu) Who Is America? (Showtime) RuPaul's Drag Race (VH1) The Amazing Race (CBS) American Ninja Warrior (NBC) Nailed It! (Netflix) Top Chef (Bravo) The Voice (NBC)
Acting
Lead performances + Bill Hader – Barry as Barry (HBO) Anthony Anderson – Black-ish as Andre "Dre" Johnson (ABC) Don Cheadle – Black Monday as Maurice "Mo" Monroe (Showtime) Ted Danson – The Good Place as Michael (NBC) Michael Douglas – The Kominsky Method as Sandy Kominsky (Netflix) Eugene Levy – Schitt's Creek as Johnny Rose (Pop TV) Phoebe Waller-Bridge – Fleabag as Fleabag (Prime Video) Christina Applegate – Dead to Me as Jen (Netflix) Rachel Brosnahan – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel as Miriam "Midge" Maisel (Prime Video) Julia Louis-Dreyfus – Veep as Selina Meyer (HBO) Natasha Lyonne – Russian Doll as Nadia (Netflix) Catherine O'Hara – Schitt's Creek as Moira Rose (Pop TV) Billy Porter – Pose as Pray Tell (FX) Jason Bateman – Ozark as Martin "Marty" Byrde (Netflix) Sterling K. Brown – This Is Us as Randall Pearson (NBC) Kit Harington – Game of Thrones as Jon Snow (HBO) Bob Odenkirk – Better Call Saul as Jimmy McGill (AMC) Milo Ventimiglia – This Is Us as Jack Pearson (NBC) Jodie Comer – Killing Eve as Villanelle (BBC America) Emilia Clarke – Game of Thrones as Daenerys Targaryen (HBO) Viola Davis – How to Get Away with Murder as Annalise Keating (ABC) Laura Linney – Ozark as Wendy Byrde (Netflix) Mandy Moore – This Is Us as Rebecca Pearson (NBC) Sandra Oh – Killing Eve as Eve Polastri (BBC America) Robin Wright – House of Cards as Claire Underwood (Netflix) Jharrel Jerome – When They See Us as Korey Wise (Netflix) Mahershala Ali – True Detective as Wayne Hays (HBO) Benicio del Toro – Escape at Dannemora as Richard Matt (Showtime) Hugh Grant – A Very English Scandal as Jeremy Thorpe (Prime Video) Jared Harris – Chernobyl as Valery Legasov (HBO) Sam Rockwell – Fosse/Verdon as Bob Fosse (FX) Michelle Williams – Fosse/Verdon as Gwen Verdon (FX) Amy Adams – Sharp Objects as Camille Preaker (HBO) Patricia Arquette – Escape at Dannemora as Joyce "Tilly" Mitchell (Showtime) Aunjanue Ellis – When They See Us as Sharon Salaam (Netflix) Joey King – The Act as Gypsy Rose Blanchard (Hulu) Niecy Nash – When They See Us as Delores Wise (Netflix)
Supporting performances + Tony Shalhoub – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel as Abe Weissman (Prime Video) Alan Arkin – The Kominsky Method as Norman Newlander (Netflix) Anthony Carrigan – Barry as NoHo Hank (HBO) Tony Hale – Veep as Gary Walsh (HBO) Stephen Root – Barry as Monroe Fuches (HBO) Henry Winkler – Barry as Gene Cousineau (HBO) Alex Borstein – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel as Susie Myerson (Prime Video) Anna Chlumsky – Veep as Amy Brookheimer (HBO) Sian Clifford – Fleabag as Claire (Prime Video) Olivia Colman – Fleabag as Godmother (Prime Video) Betty Gilpin – GLOW as Debbie Eagan (Netflix) Sarah Goldberg – Barry as Sally Reed (HBO) Marin Hinkle – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel as Rose Weissman (Prime Video) Kate McKinnon – Saturday Night Live as various characters (NBC) Peter Dinklage – Game of Thrones as Tyrion Lannister (HBO) Alfie Allen – Game of Thrones as Theon Greyjoy (HBO) Jonathan Banks – Better Call Saul as Mike Ehrmantraut (AMC) Nikolaj Coster-Waldau – Game of Thrones as Jaime Lannister (HBO) Giancarlo Esposito – Better Call Saul as Gus Fring (AMC) Michael Kelly – House of Cards as Doug Stamper (Netflix) Chris Sullivan – This Is Us as Toby Damon (NBC) Julia Garner – Ozark as Ruth Langmore (Netflix) Gwendoline Christie – Game of Thrones as Brienne of Tarth (HBO) Lena Headey – Game of Thrones as Cersei Lannister (HBO) Fiona Shaw – Killing Eve as Carolyn Martens (BBC America) Sophie Turner – Game of Thrones as Sansa Stark (HBO) Maisie Williams – Game of Thrones as Arya Stark (HBO) Ben Whishaw – A Very English Scandal as Norman (Prime Video) Asante Blackk – When They See Us as Kevin Richardson (Netflix) Paul Dano – Escape at Dannemora as David Sweat (Showtime) John Leguizamo – When They See Us as Raymond Santana Sr. (Netflix) Stellan Skarsgård – Chernobyl as Boris Shcherbina (HBO) Michael K. Williams – When They See Us as Bobby McCray (Netflix) Patricia Arquette – The Act as Dee Dee Blanchard (Hulu) Marsha Stephanie Blake – When They See Us as Linda McCray (Netflix) Patricia Clarkson – Sharp Objects as Adora Crellin (HBO) Vera Farmiga – When They See Us as Elizabeth Lederer (Netflix) Margaret Qualley – Fosse/Verdon as Ann Reinking (FX) Emily Watson – Chernobyl as Ulana Khomyuk (HBO)
Directing + Fleabag: "Episode 1" – Harry Bradbeer (Prime Video) Barry: "The Audition" – Alec Berg (HBO) Barry: "ronny/lily" – Bill Hader (HBO) The Big Bang Theory: "The Stockholm Syndrome" – Mark Cendrowski (CBS) The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: "All Alone" – Amy Sherman-Palladino (Prime Video) The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: "We're Going to the Catskills!" – Daniel Palladino (Prime Video) Ozark: "Reparations" – Jason Bateman (Netflix) Game of Thrones: "The Iron Throne" – David Benioff and D. B. Weiss (HBO) Game of Thrones: "The Last of the Starks" – David Nutter (HBO) Game of Thrones: "The Long Night" – Miguel Sapochnik (HBO) The Handmaid's Tale: "Holly" – Daina Reid (Hulu) Killing Eve: "Desperate Times" – Lisa Brühlmann (BBC America) Succession: "Celebration" – Adam McKay (HBO) Chernobyl – Johan Renck (HBO) Escape at Dannemora – Ben Stiller (Showtime) Fosse/Verdon: "Glory" – Jessica Yu (FX) Fosse/Verdon: "Who's Got the Pain" – Thomas Kail (FX) A Very English Scandal – Stephen Frears (Prime Video) When They See Us – Ava DuVernay (Netflix) Saturday Night Live: "Host: Adam Sandler" – Don Roy King (NBC) Documentary Now!: "Waiting for the Artist" – Alex Buono and Rhys Thomas (IFC) Drunk History: "Are You Afraid of the Drunk?" – Derek Waters (Comedy Central) Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: "Psychics" – Paul Pennolino (HBO) The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: "Live Midterm Election Show" – Jim Hoskinson (CBS) Who Is America?: "Episode 102" – Sacha Baron Cohen, Nathan Fielder, Daniel Gray Longino, and Dan Mazer (Showtime)
Writing + Fleabag: "Episode 1" – Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Prime Video) Barry: "ronny/lily" – Alec Berg and Bill Hader (HBO) The Good Place: "Janet(s)" – Josh Siegal and Dylan Morgan (NBC)