51st Primetime Emmy Awards

51st Primetime Emmy Awards
Date
  • September 12, 1999
    (Ceremony)
  • August 28, 1999
    (Creative Arts Awards)
LocationShrine Auditorium,
Los Angeles, California
Presented byAcademy of Television Arts and Sciences
Hosted byJenna Elfman
David Hyde Pierce
Highlights
Most awardsThe Practice (3)
Most nominationsThe Sopranos (10)
Outstanding Comedy SeriesAlly McBeal
Outstanding Drama SeriesThe Practice
Outstanding MiniseriesHornblower
Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy SeriesLate Show with David Letterman
Television/radio coverage
NetworkFox
← 50th · Primetime Emmy Awards · 52nd →

The 51st Primetime Emmy Awards were held on Sunday, September 12, 1999. The ceremony show was hosted by Jenna Elfman and David Hyde Pierce. It was broadcast on Fox.

The comedy-drama Ally McBeal won Outstanding Comedy Series, which not only dethroned five-time defending champion Frasier but also became the first time Fox won that award. In the drama field The Practice won Outstanding Drama Series for the second straight year, and led all shows with three major wins on the night.

Freshman series The Sopranos led all shows with 10 major nominations. From that show, Edie Falco not only became the first actress from a Cable network (HBO) to win Lead Actress, Drama series, she became the first person from any Cable TV show series to win a Major Acting award. (Though David Clennon did win for only a guest performance in HBO's Dream On in 1993).

The real winner of the night was television writer David E. Kelley. Kelley was the creator and head writer for both series champions, Ally McBeal and The Practice. This accomplishment has not been matched since.

Winners and nominees

[1]

Programs

Acting

Lead performances

Supporting performances

Directing

Writing

Most major nominations

Networks with multiple major nominations[note 1]
Network No. of
Nominations
NBC 42
HBO 32
CBS 23
ABC 22
Fox 10
Programs with multiple major nominations
Program Category Network No. of
Nominations
The Sopranos Drama HBO 10
The Practice ABC 7
Ally McBeal Comedy Fox 6
Dash and Lilly Movie A&E
Everybody Loves Raymond Comedy CBS
Joan of Arc Miniseries
Law & Order Drama NBC
NYPD Blue ABC
Frasier Comedy NBC 5
A Lesson Before Dying Movie HBO
The Baby Dance Showtime 4
Friends Comedy NBC
The Rat Pack Movie HBO
Dennis Miller Live Variety 3
ER Drama NBC
Just Shoot Me! Comedy
3rd Rock from the Sun 2
The 52nd Annual Tony Awards Variety CBS
The Chris Rock Show HBO
Freak
George Carlin: You Are All Diseased
Inherit the Wind Movie Showtime
Late Show with David Letterman Variety CBS
Mad About You Comedy NBC
The Passion of Ayn Rand Movie Showtime
Pirates of Silicon Valley TNT
Sex and the City Comedy HBO
Sports Night ABC
The Temptations Miniseries NBC
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Variety
Tracey Takes On... HBO

Most major awards

Networks with multiple major awards[note 1]
Network No. of
Awards
HBO 7
ABC 6
NBC
CBS 5
Programs with multiple major awards
Program Category Network No. of
Awards
The Practice Drama ABC 3
3rd Rock from the Sun Comedy NBC 2
The 52nd Annual Tony Awards Variety CBS
Frasier Comedy NBC
A Lesson Before Dying Movie HBO
NYPD Blue Drama ABC
The Sopranos HBO
Notes
  1. ^ a b "Major" constitutes the categories listed above: Program, Acting, Directing, and Writing. Does not include the technical categories.

In Memoriam

References