11th Primetime Emmy Awards

11th Primetime Emmy Awards
DateMay 6, 1959
LocationMoulin Rouge Nightclub, Hollywood, California
Presented byAcademy of Television Arts and Sciences
Hosted byRaymond Burr
Highlights
Most awardsAn Evening with Fred Astaire (5)
Most nominationsPlayhouse 90 (14)
Best Comedy SeriesThe Jack Benny Show
Best Dramatic Series - Less Than One HourAlcoa-Goodyear Theatre
Best Dramatic Series - One Hour or LongerPlayhouse 90
Best Musical or Variety SeriesThe Dinah Shore Chevy Show
Best Special Dramatic Program - One Hour or MoreHallmark Hall of Fame: "Little Moon of Alban"
Television/radio coverage
NetworkNBC
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The 11th Emmy Awards, later referred to as the 11th Primetime Emmy Awards, were held on May 6, 1959, to honor the best in television of the year. The ceremony was held at the Moulin Rouge Nightclub in Hollywood, California. It was hosted by Raymond Burr. All nominations are listed, with winners in bold and series' networks are in parentheses.

For the first time in Emmy history, all major categories were split into genre-specific fields, this would become standard for later ceremonies. The top show of the night was the NBC special, An Evening with Fred Astaire, it tied the record of five major wins. Father Knows Best also set a milestone, becoming the first show to be nominated in every major category (series, writing, directing, and the four major acting categories).

Winners and nominees

Winners are listed first, highlighted in boldface, and indicated with a double dagger (‡).[1]

Programs

Programs
Best Public Service Program or Series
Best Western Series
Best Panel, Quiz or Audience Participation Series
Best Special Dramatic Program - One Hour or More

Acting

Lead performances

Lead performances

Supporting performances

Supporting performances

Single performances

Single performances
Best Single Performance by an Actor
Best Single Performance by an Actress

Directing

Directing
Best Direction of a Single Musical or Variety Program

Writing

Writing

Most major nominations

Networks with multiple major nominations[note 1]
Network Number of
Nominations
CBS 69
NBC 57
ABC 16
Programs with multiple major nominations
Program Category Network Number of
Nominations
Playhouse 90 Drama CBS 14
Father Knows Best Comedy CBS/NBC 7
Peter Gunn Drama NBC
Little Moon of Alban 6
Alcoa-Goodyear Theatre 5
The Bob Cummings Show Comedy
An Evening with Fred Astaire Musical/Variety
The Phil Silvers Show Comedy CBS
The Real McCoys ABC
General Electric Theater Drama CBS 4
Gunsmoke Western
The Jack Benny Show Comedy
The Perry Como Show Musical/Variety NBC
The Steve Allen Show
Alfred Hitchcock Presents Drama CBS 3
The Danny Thomas Show Comedy
December Bride
Perry Mason Drama
Art Carney Meets Peter and the Wolf Musical/Variety ABC 2
The Bridge of San Luis Rey Drama CBS
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show Musical/Variety NBC
Have Gun – Will Travel Western CBS
The Loretta Young Show Drama NBC
Maverick Western ABC
Mr. Adams and Eve Comedy CBS
The Rifleman Western ABC
The United States Steel Hour Drama CBS

Most major awards

Networks with multiple major awards[note 1]
Network Number of
Awards
NBC 19
CBS 10
Programs with multiple major awards
Program Category Network Number of
Awards
An Evening with Fred Astaire Musical/Variety NBC 5
Little Moon of Alban Drama 4
Alcoa-Goodyear Theatre 3
The Jack Benny Show Comedy CBS
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show Musical/Variety NBC 2
Father Knows Best Comedy CBS
Perry Mason Drama
Notes
  1. ^ a b "Major" constitutes the categories listed above: Program, Acting, Directing, and Writing. Does not include the technical categories.

References

  1. ^ "Emmys.com list of 1959 Nominees & Winners". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.