61ST PRIMETIME EMMY® AWARDS

Plenty of surprises in award ceremony and shows on M-Net Channels scoop awards in major categories.

The 61st Primetime Emmy® Awards, hosted by How I Met Your Mother star Neil Patrick Harris, did not disappoint, as the American television fraternity were honoured for their contributions to making great television. This year, many of the awards in the major categories were nabbed by series well-known to viewers of the M-Net Channels.

For the first time, awards were divided into five categories, with Music and Variety being a brand new additional category. The Comedy category kicked off the awards, with Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy going to Toni Collette from United States of Tara, and the Best Supporting Actress to Kristin Chenoweth, who plays Olive Shook on M-Net Series' Pushing Daisies. The comedy series 30 Rock, a favourite on M-Net, also fared well, scooping the awards for Outstanding Comedy Series, Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (Alec Baldwin), as well as Outstanding Writing.

House of Saddam saw Shohreh Aghidasloo win Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Mini-Series. The mini-series is currently running on M-Net and M-Net Movies 1. American Idol and Saturday Night Live, big draw cards on M-Net Series, won awards in directing and writing categories in the new category, Variety.

The awards drew to a close with the highly contested drama category seeing Mad Men (starts on M-Net on October 4 after the movie) come out on top, winning the award for Outstanding Drama Series, and beating Big Love, Breaking Bad, Damages, Dexter, House and Lost. The series also received an Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series.

Glenn Close, who won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, received the same award this year. The second season of Damages is currently on M-Net on Tuesdays at 21:30.

Other winners within the category were: Supporting Actor in a Drama (Michael Emerson - Lost); Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Cherry Jones - 24); Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Brian Cranston - Breaking Bad).

Presenters on the evening included 30 Rock's Tina Fey & Tracy Morgan, Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Saturday Night Live's Amy Poehler, Rob Lowe (Brothers & Sisters), Kate Walsh (Private Practice), The Mentalist's Simon Baker and Kiefer Sutherland (24).