Daniels noted that he'd also received an age 50-plus acting honor from AARP, which represents the interests of older Americans.  "With all due respect to the AARP, this is even better," Daniels said.  Danes, who captured her second trophy for the terrorism drama, paid tribute to one of the series' writers, Henry Bromell, who died last March and who received a writing Emmy posthumously Sunday.  Danes' win ended the hope that "Scandal" star Kerry Washington would become the first African-American actress to win in the category. The ceremony often struck a melancholy note with extended tributes to stars and other industry members who died in the past year.  "Well, this may be the saddest Emmys of all time but we could not be happier," said "Modern Family" executive producer Steve Levitan, in accepting his award. The show also included upsets, defying the conventional wisdom in several categories, including acting categories. "This just in. Nobody in America is winning their Emmy office pool. Surprises galore," quipped host Neil Patrick Harris.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus claimed her second consecutive best comedy actress Emmy for her role on "Veep," while Jim Parsons won the top comedy actor trophy for "The Big Bang Theory."  "This is so much good fortune it's almost too much to bear," said Louis-Dreyfus. "I'm very grateful to have the opportunity to make people laugh. It's a joyful way to make a living."

Parsons got emotional while accepting his third Emmy, saying, "My heart, oh my heart. I want you to know I'm very aware of how exceedingly fortunate I am."

Emmys 2013: Michael Douglas thanks "wife Catherine"

Michael Douglas was honored as best actor for his portrayal of Liberace in the HBO biopic "Behind the Candelabra," besting his co-star Matt Damon. The film also captured a top trophy as best movie or miniseries. "This is a two-hander and Matt, you're only as good as your other hand," Douglas said, then got really racy: "You want the bottom or the top?" Bobby Cannavale, from "Boardwalk Empire," won as best supporting actor in a drama, and Anna Gunn from "Breaking Bad" won the best actress award in the same category.  Derek Hough of "Dancing with the Stars" won the trophy for best choreography, which offered an opportunity to include an upbeat dance number late in the show.  In the variety show category, "The Colbert Report" broke a 10-year winning streak held by "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart." It also won for best writing for a variety show.  Merritt Wever of "Nurse Jackie" won the night's first award, for best supporting actress in a comedy series, kicking off the ceremony on a surprising note and with a remarkably brief acceptance speech.  "Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Um, I gotta go, bye," Wever told the audience after besting a field that included two-time winner Julie Bowen of "Modern Family."  "Merritt Wever, best speech ever," Harris said.  Backstage, she offered an explanation: "I'm sorry I didn't thank anyone. I was going to cry."  Tony Hale of "Veep" claimed the trophy for best supporting actor in a comedy, a category that has been the property in recent years of the men of "Modern Family."

"Oh, man... This is mindblowing, mindblowing," Hale said.  Laura Linney was named best actress in a miniseries or movie for "The Big C: Hereafter," while James Cromwell of "American Horror Story: Asylum" and Ellen Burstyn of "Political Animals" won supporting honors. "The Voice" won best reality-competition program, "The Colbert Report" was crowned best variety show and Tina Fey won for writing "30 Rock."    The ceremony's first hour was relatively somber, with memorial tributes and a doleful song by Elton John in honor of the late musical star Liberace, the subject of the nominated biopic "Behind the Candelabra."  Robin Williams offered the first of five memorial tributes that were added to the traditional "In memoriam" group tribute. He paid tribute to actor-comedian Jonathan Winters, while actor-director Rob Reiner honoring the late actress Jean Stapleton, his co-star in the landmark 1970s series "All in the Family," and Michael J. Fox spoke in memory of "Family Ties" creator Gary David Goldberg.

Emmys 2013: Jane Lynch remembers Cory Monteith

"Glee" star Jane Lynch spoke in memory of her co-star Cory Monteith, who died of a drug overdose in July. "Cory was a beautiful soul. He was not perfect, which many of us here tonight can relate to," Lynch said. "His death is a tragic reminder of the rapacious, senseless destruction that is brought on by addiction. Tonight, we remember Cory for all he was, and mourn the loss for all he could have been."  Edie Falco also memorialized her late "The Sopranos" co-star, James Gandolfini, saluting him for his "fierce loyalty" to his friends and family and his work with military veterans.

"You all knew James Gandolfini the actor. I was lucky enough to know Jim, the man," she said in a tearful tribute.

The telecast also paid tribute to milestone television moments of the 1960s, including the coverage of President John F. Kennedy's assassination and the Beatles' performance on "The Ed Sullivan Show," in a segment narrated by Don Cheadle and with a performance by Carrie Underwood. The ceremony, airing live on CBS from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, began with an opener showing Harris in a room full of TVs, binge-watching all the night's nominated shows. (There was also a cameo from CBS Corp. chairman Les Moonves, as a security guard greeting the host as he arrived for the Emmys.) On stage, Harris got some help -- and harassment -- from past emcees including Jimmy Kimmel, Jane Lynch, Jimmy Fallon and Conan O'Brien. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler shouted that the host should take off his pants and twerk, while Kevin Spacey channeled his scheming "House of Cards" character with a nefarious aside from the audience. Heading into the Emmys, all eyes were on Netflix's "House of Cards." The political thriller, the first online program to compete for the top trophy, is part of a video universe explosion that's added streaming services including Netflix and websites like YouTube to broadcast, cable and satellite TV delivery. Spacey, his co-star Robin Wright and Jason Bateman of Netflix's comedy "Arrested Development" were the first to snare lead online series bids.  There have been Internet nominees before, such as last year's "Web Therapy" and "30 Rock: The Webisodes" in a short-format category, but not in the premier fields of acting and best series.  At last weekend's creative arts Emmys for technical and other achievements, "Behind the Candelabra" received a leading eight awards. Overall network leaders included HBO with 20 awards, followed by CBS with 15 and NBC with eight.

The Winners Are:

LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES:

• Hugh Bonneville, Downton Abbey, PBS
• Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad, AMC
• Jeff Daniels, The Newsroom, HBO
• Jon Hamm, Mad Men, AMC
• Damian Lewis, Homeland, Showtime
• Kevin Spacey, House of Cards, Netflix

LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES:

• Connie Britton, Nashville, ABC
• Claire Danes, Homeland, Showtime
• Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey, PBS
• Vera Farmiga, Bates Motel, A&E
• Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men, AMC
• Kerry Washington, Scandal, ABC
• Robin Wright, House of Cards, Netflix

COMEDY SERIES:

• The Big Bang Theory, CBS
• Girls, HBO
• Louie, FX
• Modern Family, ABC
• 30 Rock, NBC
• Veep, HBO

LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES:

• Jason Bateman, Arrested Development, Netflix
• Louis C.K., Louie, FX
• Don Cheadle, House of Lies, Showtime
• Matt LeBlanc, Episodes, Showtime
• Jim Parsons, Big Bang Theory, CBS
• Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock, NBC

LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES:

• Lena Dunham, Girls, HBO
• Laura Dern, Enlightened, HBO
• Tiny Fey, 30 Rock, NBC
• Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation, NBC
• Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep, HBO
• Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie, Showtime

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES:

• Adam Driver, Girls, HBO
• Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family, ABC
• Ed O'Neill, Modern Family, ABC
• Ty Burrell, Modern Family, ABC
• Bill Hader, Saturday Night Live, NBC
• Tony Hale, Veep, HBO

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES:

• Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory, CBS
• Jane Lynch, Glee, Fox
• Sofia Vergara, Modern Family, ABC
• Julie Bowen, Modern Family, ABC
• Merritt Wever, Nurse Jackie, Showtime
• Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock, NBC
• Anna Chlumsky, Veep, HBO

DRAMA SERIES:

• Breaking Bad, AMC
• Downton Abbey, PBS
• Homeland, Showtime
• Game of Thrones, HBO
• House of Cards, Netflix
• Mad Men, AMC

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES:

• Bobby Cannavale, Boardwalk Empire, HBO
• Jonathan Banks, Breaking Bad, AMC
• Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad, AMC
• Jim Carter, Downton Abbey, PBS
• Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones, HBO
• Mandy Patinkin, Homeland, Showtime

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES:

• Anna Gunn, Breaking Bad, AMC
• Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey, PBS
• Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones, HBO
• Christine Baranski, The Good Wife, CBS
• Morena Baccarin, Homeland, Showtime
• Christina Hendricks, Mad Men, AMC

LEAD ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE:

• Michael Douglas, Behind The Candelabra, HBO
• Matt Damon, Behind The Candelabra, HBO
• Toby Jones, The Girl, HBO
• Benedict Cumberbatch, Parade's End, HBO
• Al Pacino, Phil Spector, HBO

LEAD ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR MOVIE:

• Jessica Lange, American Horror Story, FX
• Laura Linney, The Big C: Hereafter, Showtime
• Helen Mirren, Phil Spector, HBO
• Sigourney Weaver, Political Animals, USA
• Elisabeth Moss, Top of the Lake, Sundance Channel

MINISERIES OR MOVIE:

• American Horror Story: Asylum, FX
• Behind the Candelabra, HBO
• Phil Spector, HBO
• Political Animals, USA
• The Bible, History
• Top of the Lake, Sundance Channel

HOST FOR A REALITY OR REALITY-COMPETITION PROGRAM:

• Ryan Seacrest, American Idol, Fox
• Betty White, Betty White's Off Their Rockers, NBC
• Tom Bergeron, Dancing With the Stars, ABC
• Heidi Klum, Tim Gunn, Project Runway, Bravo
• Cat Deeley, So You Think You Can Dance, Fox
• Anthony Bourdain, The Taste, ABC

REALITY-COMPETITION PROGRAM:

• The Amazing Race, CBS
• Dancing With the Stars, ABC
• Project Runway, Lifetime
• So You Think You Can Dance, Fox
• Top Chef, Bravo
• The Voice, NBC

VARIETY SERIES:

• The Colbert Report, Comedy Central
• The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, Comedy Central
• Jimmy Kimmel Live, ABC
• Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, NBC
• Real Time With Bill Maher, HBO
• Saturday Night Live, NBC

WRITING FOR A VARIETY SERIES:

• The Colbert Report, Comedy Central
• The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, Comedy Central
• Jimmy Kimmel Live, ABC
• Portlandia, IFC
• Real Time With Bill Maher, HBO
• Saturday Night Live, NBC

GUEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES:

• Margo Martindale, The Americans, FX
• Diana Rigg, Game of Thrones, HBO
• Carrie Preston, The Good Wife, CBS
• Linda Cardellini, Mad Men, AMC
• Jane Fonda, The Newsroom, HBO
• Joan Cusack, Shameless, Showtime

GUEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES:

• Nathan Lane, The Good Wife, CBS
• Michael J. Fox, The Good Wife, CBS
• Rupert Friend, Homeland, Showtime
• Robert Morse, Mad Men, AMC
• Harry Hamlin, Mad Men, AMC
• Dan Bucatinsky, Scandal, ABC

WRITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES:

• Breaking Bad ("Dead Freight"), AMC
• Breaking Bad ("Say My Name"), AMC
• Downton Abbey, PBS
• Game of Thrones, HBO
• Homeland, Showtime

DIRECTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES:

• Boardwalk Empire, HBO
• Breaking Bad, AMC
• Downton Abbey, PBS
• Homeland, Showtime
• House of Cards, Netflix

GUEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES:

• Bob Newhart, The Big Bang Theory, CBS
• Nathan Lane, Modern Family, ABC
• Bobby Cannavale, Nurse Jackie, Showtime
• Louis C.K., Saturday Night Live, NBC
• Justin Timberlake, Saturday Night Live, NBC
• Will Forte, 30 Rock, NBC

GUEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES:

• Molly Shannon, Enlightened, HBO
• Dot-Marie Jones, Glee, Fox
• Melissa Leo, Louie, FX
• Melissa McCarthy, Saturday Night Live, NBC
• Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live, NBC
• Elaine Stritch, 30 Rock, NBC

WRITING FOR COMEDY SERIES:

• Episodes, Showtime
• Louie, FX
• The Office, NBC
• 30 Rock ("Hogcock!"), NBC
• 30 Rock ("Last Lunch"), NBC

DIRECTING FOR COMEDY SERIES:

• Girls, HBO
• Glee, Fox
• Louie, FX
• Modern Family, ABC
• 30 Rock, NBC

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN MINISERIES OR MOVIE:

• James Cromwell, American Horror Story: Asylum, FX
• Zachary Quinto, American Horror Story: Asylum, FX
• Scott Bakula, Behind The Candelabra, HBO
• John Benjamin Hickey, The Big C: Hereafter, Showtime
• Peter Mullan, Top of the Lake, Sundance Channel

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN MINISERIES OR MOVIE:

• Sarah Paulson, American Horror Story: Asylum, FX
• Imelda Staunton, The Girl, HBO
• Charlotte Rampling, Restless, Sundance Channel
• Alfre Woodard, Steel Magnolias, Lifetime
• Ellen Burstein, "Political Animals" USA

OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A MINISERIES OR MOVIE:

Steven Sodemberg,Behind the Candelabra, HBO

Ring of Fire, Lifetime

The Girl, HBO

Phil Spector, HBO

On Top of the Lake, Sundance Channel

OUTSTANDING VARIETY SPECIAL:

• The Kennedy Center Honors, CBS
• Louis C.K.: Oh My God, HBO
• Mel Brooks Strikes Back! With Mel Brooks And Alan Yentob, HBO
• Saturday Night Live: Weekend Update Thursday (Part One), NBC