The Handmaid rules the night

The 69th Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles saw big wins for many, even as US President Donald Trump remained a favourite subject during the ceremony where people of colour stood out.

"Saturday Night Live", which features Alec Baldwin doing an impression of Trump, won nine awards, while "Big Little Lies" and "The Handmaid's Tale" -- both of which tell engrossing tales on women won eight honours each at the gala on Sunday night at the Microsoft Theatre, which saw Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra as one of the presenters.

American comedian-actor Stephen Colbert, debuting as the Emmy Awards host, laced his opening monologue with swipes at Trump. When Baldwin won the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series trophy for "Saturday Night Live" for impersonating Trump, he quipped: "I suppose I should say, at long last, Mr President, here is your Emmy."

Donald Glover, who won two Emmys for his work on "Atlanta", said in his acceptance speech: "I want to thank Trump for making black people No. 1 on the most oppressed list. He's the reason I'm probably up."

Lena Waithe became the first African American woman to win an Emmy award for writing for a comedy series. She shared the award with Indian-American Aziz Ansari for co-writing the "Thanksgiving" episode of "Master of None".

"For everybody out there that showed so much love, thank you for embracing us, a little Indian boy from South Carolina and black girl in the southtown of Chicago. We appreciate it more than you could ever know," Waithe said.

Even Sterling K Brown made history as he emerged as the first African-American to win Best Actor in a Drama Series at the Emmys in 19 years. He was lauded for "This Is Us". Julia Louis-Dreyfus won for ‘Veep’ sixth time in a row.

‘Big Little Lies’ takes ‘limited series’ wins
David E Kelley's "Big Little Lies" strengthened women's power around the world as the show capped the TV's biggest night by scoring eight wins in the limited series section.

Oscar winner Nicole Kidman won her first ever Emmy Award as Outstanding Actress in a Limited Series, for her role in the show. Kidman thanked her husband Keith Urban and her daughters for supporting her career, and said she hoped the Emmy win can be a lesson for others in a way.

"Sometimes, when you're acting you get a chance to bring a bigger message... We shone a light on domestic abuse," she said. "It is a complicated, insidious disease. It exists far more than we allow ourselves to know. It is filled with shame and secrecy. And by you acknowledging me with this award, it shines a light on it even more," she said in gratitude to the Television Academy.

"Big Little Lies" was nominated for a total of 16 Emmys this year, and won eight, including Outstanding Limited Series. Reese Witherspoon, who acted in and served as an executive producer on "Big Little Lies", while accepting the Outstanding Limited Series honour, said: "It has been an incredible year for women, (to) bring women to the front of the stories."

Riz Ahmed first Asian man to win acting award
Riz Ahmed has become the first man of Asian descent to win an acting award at the Emmys. He is a British actor of Pakistani descent.

The two actors of Asian descent who have won at the Emmys earlier are British-Indian Archie Panjabi in 2010 for "The Good Wife" and Iranian-American actress Shohreh Aghdashloo in 2009 for "House of Saddam".

Riz won at the 69th Emmy Awards here on Sunday in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie category for his role in "The Night Of".

"I want to say it is always strange reaping the rewards of a story based on real world suffering," Ahmed said in his acceptance speech. "But if this show has shown a light on some of the prejudice in our societies, xenophobia, some of the injustice in our justice system, then maybe that is something."

Aziz Ansari, Lena Waithe win coming out story
Indian-American Aziz Ansari and African-American Lena Waithe added a shade of diversity to the winners as co-writers of a "Master of None" episode on a character coming out to her family as a lesbian.

They won for the "Thanksgiving" episode, in which Waithe's on screen character Denise discovers her sexuality and comes out to her friends and family over the course of five Thanksgivings spanning 22 years.

The duo received a standing ovation as they took the stage, where Ansari let Waithe gave the acceptance speech at the Microsoft Theater. "I love you more than life itself," Waithe said to her girlfriend, while also thanking her mother for inspiring the "Thanksgiving" episode.

Expressing gratitude to the LGBTQIA community, she said: "I see each and every one of you. The things that make us different, those are our superpowers.

"Every day when you walk out the door and put on your imaginary cape and go out there and conquer the world because the world would not be as beautiful as it is if we weren't in it."

Roll of honours

Drama Series: The Handmaid’s Tale
Comedy Series: Veep
Limited Series: Big Little Lies
Lead Actress in a Drama Series: Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid’s Tale
Lead Actor in a Drama Series: Sterling K Brown, This Is Us
Actress in a Limited Series or Movie: Nicole Kidman, Big Little Lies
Actor in a Limited Series or Movie: Riz Ahmed, The Night Of
Actress in a Comedy Series: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Actor in a Comedy Series: Donald Glover, Atlanta
Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: Alec Baldwin, Saturday Night Live
Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live
Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: John Lithgow, The Crown
Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Ann Dowd, The Handmaid’s Tale
Supporting Actor in a
Limited Series or a Movie: Alexander Skarsgard, Big Little Lies
Supporting Actress in a
Limited Series or a Movie: Laura Dern, Big Little Lies
Guest Actor in a Drama Series: Gerald McRaney, This Is Us
Guest Actress in a Drama Series: Alexis Bledel, The Handmaid’s Tale
Guest Actor in a Comedy Series: Dave Chappelle, Saturday Night Live
Guest Actress in a Comedy Series: Melissa McCarthy, Saturday Night Live
Variety Sketch Series: Saturday Night Live
Variety Talk Series: Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
Directing for a Comedy Series: Donald Glover, Atlanta
Writing for a Comedy Series: Aziz Ansari and Lena Waithe, Master of None, “Thanksgiving”
Directing for a Drama Series: Reed Morano, The Handmaid’s Tale
Writing for a Drama Series: Bruce Miller, The Handmaid’s Tale, “Offred”
Directing for a Limited Series: Jean-Marc Vallée, Big Little Lies
Writing for a Limited Series: Charlie Brooker, Black Mirror: San Junipero
Directing for a Variety Series: Don Roy King, Saturday Night Live