2012 Emmy Awards Wrap Up

The 64th Primetime Emmy Awards are now in the books! Though not a particularly suspenseful ceremony it was fun to watch, with Jimmy Kimmel gamely handling hosting duties (loved the shout out to Philo Farnsworth). Scroll down for a list of winners (denoted in bold lettering) in select categories. (For the full list of winners, visit the Emmy Award website.)

We begin, of course, with the fashion!

One of the big trends on the red carpet this year was the uneven hemline, specifically high, cocktail length in the front and low, floor length or longer in the back, as Modern Family's Ariel Winter (in Katherine Kidd) and Mad Men's Elisabeth Moss (in Dolce and Gabbana) show off, above. Another trend: cute couples! Check out Judd Apatow + Leslie Mann (in John Varvatos and Naomi Claude (I think...I didn't catch the designer's name)) and Jon Hamm and Jennifer Westfeldt (Hamm is wearing Armani, Westfeldt is in J. Mendel), below.

And now, some not so good choices. Above, Glenn Close and Zosia Mamet show off age inappropriate dresses. They should switch dresses and then they'd be golden. Close's gown has too many cut outs and is way too busy for a - achem - mature woman. It looks ripped up and a bit trashy, rather than looking fun and edgy. And Mamet's frock is almost great, but the bodice is too heavy and wide for the young, on-the-rise Girls actress.

Below, my picks for worst dressed of the night. On the right, we have Kristen Wiig looking terribly casual; she looks ready to go to (or perhaps she's coming from) the beach - not to a glitzy award ceremony. I know she's a comedienne and Joan Rivers usually cuts them slack, but Wiig is trying to make it as a movie star these days and she needs to step up her game. And though it pains me to say it, Julianna Margulies is one of my worst dressed. She usually looks so good but in this get up, she looks like she's wearing a couch. Definitely a miss.

My best dressed, though, are Christina Hendricks and Tina Fey, above. In Christian Siriano, Hendricks looks stunning. The dress hugs and shows off her curves in just the right way, with a belt cinching in at her waist. Plus, the pale silver color manages to complement her skin rather than wash it out. And Tina Fey (in Vivienne Westwood) outdid herself. This is definitely her best red carpet look to date.

And now, on to the awards!

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COMEDY

Outstanding Comedy Series

• The Big Bang Theory
• Curb Your Enthusiasm
• Girls
• Modern Family
• 30 Rock
• Veep

The reign continues, and rightly so.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

• Lena Dunham, Girls
• Melissa McCarthy, Mike and Molly
• Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
• Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
• Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation
• Tina Fey, 30 Rock
• Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep

I had been rooting for Amy Poehler but Veep is ridiculously funny and Julia Louis-Dreyfus is a big reason why. Plus, her speech "mishap" with Poehler was fun.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

• Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
• Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm
• Don Cheadle, House of Lies
• Louis C. K., Louie
• Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
• Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men

"Something has clearly gone terribly wrong," Cryer said upon accepting his award. Yes, I agree! Seriously, who watches this show and who thinks Jon Cryer is funny?

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

• Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory
• Kathryn Joosten, Desperate Housewives
• Julie Bowen, Modern Family
• Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
• Merritt Wever, Nurse Jackie
• Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live

Yay! This is Bowen's second consecutive win, and her description of her job - falling down, making faces while wearing lipstick and nipple covers - was terrific.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

• Ed O'Neill, Modern Family
• Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family
• Ty Burrell, Modern Family
• Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family
• Max Greenfield, New Girl
• Bill Hader, Saturday Night Live

Eric Stonestreet is now a two-time Emmy winner. And what a lovely speech, in which he gently advocated for gay rights, and gave a shout out to struggling actors everywhere.

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series

• Dot-Marie Jones, Glee
• Maya Rudolph, Saturday Night Live
• Melissa McCarthy, Saturday Night Live
• Elizabeth Banks, 30 Rock
• Margaret Cho, 30 Rock
• Kathy Bates, Two and a Half Men

Kathy Bates's is the one performance I hadn't seen. She's a reliably good actress so no hating, though I was pulling for one of the funniest and most versatile ladies in town, Maya Rudolph.

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

• Michael J. Fox, Curb Your Enthusiasm
• Greg Kinnear, Modern Family
• Bobby Cannavale, Nurse Jackie
• Jimmy Fallon, Saturday Night Live
• Will Arnett, 30 Rock
• Jon Hamm, 30 Rock

Though I was pulling for stage veteran Bobby Cannavale (who is set to appear in not one but two shows in the 2012-2013 Broadway season), Jimmy Fallon is one funny guy. (Also, Nurse Jackie, though humorous at times, is really more a drama with some funny moments, not a comedy. I suppose it's categorized as a comedy because it's half an hour rather than an hour.)

Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series

• Robert B. Weide, Curb Your Enthusiasm, "Palestinian Chicken"
• Lena Dunham, Girls, "She Did"
• Louis C.K., Louie, "Duckling"
• Jason Winer, Modern Family, "Virgin Territory"
• Steven Levitan, Modern Family, "Baby on Board"
• Jake Kasdan, New Girl, "Pilot"

As Modern Family is one of the funniest shows on TV, this is well deserved. And Levitan's speech was funny, so it added some fun to the night. I especially liked, however, the nominees presentation, in which the directors were asked to answer the question, "What makes a good comedy director?" and Lena Dunham answered, "a Jewish man?" Hilarious, Dunham.

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series

• Chris McKenna, Community, "Remedial Chaos Theory" 
• Lena Dunham, Girls, "Pilot"
• Louis C.K., Louie, "Pregnant"
• Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation, "The Debate"
• Michael Schur, Parks and Recreation, "Win, Lose or Draw"

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DRAMA

Outstanding Drama Series

• Boardwalk Empire
• Breaking Bad
• Downton Abbey
• Game of Thrones
• Homeland
• Mad Men

Looks like there's a new favorite in town. Mad Men had won this award four years in a row but newcomer Homeland took home the prize, making it, as noted in the acceptance speech, the first Best Series award Showtime has ever won. Congratulations to the smart, provocative and expertly executed show, which returns for its second season on Sunday, September 30.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

• Glenn Close, Damages
• Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey
• Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
• Kathy Bates, Harry's Law
• Claire Danes, Homeland
• Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men

Angela Chase won another Emmy! I'm only a few episodes in to Homeland and I can say I fully support this choice. Plus, who else says, "Mandy Patinkin. Holla." And she called her hubby, Hugh Dancy (Venus in Fur), her "baby daddy." I think I have a girl crush on Claire Danes now.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

• Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
• Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
• Michael C. Hall, Dexter
• Hugh Bonneville, Downton Abbey
• Damian Lewis, Homeland
• Jon Hamm, Mad Men

So a lot of people were thinking and hoping that Jon Hamm would win (I'm not a fan of Mad Men so I wasn't one of those people) but as a new Homeland convert, I'll say kudos to the Emmy voters on this choice.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

• Anna Gunn, Breaking Bad
• Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
• Joanne Froggatt, Downton Abbey
• Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife
• Christine Baranski, The Good Wife
• Christina Hendricks, Mad Men

Dame Maggie Smith. The Dowager Countess. Excellent choice.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

• Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad
• Giancarlo Esposito, Breaking Bad
• Brendan Coyle, Downton Abbey
• Jim Carter, Downton Abbey
• Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
• Jared Harris, Mad Men

I love me some Downton Abbey, but as a new fan of Breaking Bad, I'm pleased with this.

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series

• Martha Plimpton, The Good Wife
• Loretta Devine, Grey's Anatomy
• Jean Smart, Harry's Law
• Julia Ormond, Mad Men
• Joan Cusack, Shameless
• Uma Thurman, Smash

Martha Plimpton is kind of awesome, isn't she?

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series

• Mark Margolis, Breaking Bad
• Dylan Baker, The Good Wife
• Michael J. Fox, The Good Wife
• Jeremy Davies, Justified
• Ben Feldman, Mad Men
• Jason Ritter, Parenthood

Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series

• Tim Van Patten, Boardwalk Empire, "To the Lost"
• Vince Gilligan, Breaking Bad, "Face Off"
• Brian Percival, Downton Abbey, "Episode 7"
• Michael Cuesta, Homeland, "Pilot"
• Phil Abraham, Mad Men, "The Other Woman"

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series

• Julian Fellowes, Downton Abbey, "Episode 7"
• Alex Gansa, Howard Gordon and Gideon Raff, Homeland, "Pilot"
• Semi Chellas and Matthew Weiner, Mad Men, "The Other Woman"
• Andre Jacquemetton and Maria Jacquemetton, Mad Men, "Commissions and Fees"
• Erin Levy and Matthew Weiner, Mad Men, "Far Away Places"

I just started watching Homeland and it's enthralling. This is a well-deserved win. Catch up now on the first season before the second season premieres on September 30.

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Also, congratulations to The Daily Show for winning its tenth consecutive Emmy for Outstanding Variety Series:

All photos of winners are taken from E! Online's gallery.