HBO might have dominated the 67th Emmy awards, but that did not stop Viola Davis from making Emmy history Sunday night. Davis became the first black actress to win the Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series award at Sunday’s awards show.
For her starring role in ABC’s How to Get Away with Murder, Davis faced off against Empire star Taraji P. Henson, another black actress, but ultimately came out on top.
The nominations also made history, as 2015 is the first year two black actresses were nominated for category, Variety reports.
“The only thing that separates women of color from anyone else is opportunity,” said Davis as she accepted her accolade. “You cannot win Emmys with roles that are simply not there.”
Davis also quoted Harriet Tubman and acknowledged her fellow blacks actresses, including Kerry Washington and Halle Berry.
“Thank you for taking us over that line,” she said.
When speaking to reporters backstage, Davis announced she is pleased with the overall progression of opportunities for black actors, but is ready for the conversation to stop.
“Not just stop saying it, but also stop writing it,” she said.
HBO was the night’s biggest winner with Game of Thrones, Veep, and Olive Kitteridge taking home awards for best drama series, best comedy series, and best limited series.
Game of Thrones actor Peter Dinklage, Veep’s Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Tony Hale, and Olive Kitteridge’s Frances McDormand, Richard Jenkins and Bill Murray all won acting awards.
Game of Thrones set a record this year with 12 wins, and led the field with 24 nominations.
Check out the full list of winners below:
Outstanding Drama Series
“Better Call Saul” (AMC)
“Downton Abbey” (PBS)
“Game Of Thrones” (HBO) *WINNER
“Homeland” (Showtime)
“House Of Cards” (Netflix)
“Mad Men” (AMC)
“Orange Is The New Black” (Netflix)
Outstanding Comedy Series
“Louie” (FX)
“Modern Family” (ABC)
“Parks And Recreation” (NBC)
“Silicon Valley” (HBO)
“Transparent” (Amazon)
“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” (Netflix)
“Veep” (HBO) *WINNER
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Kyle Chandler, “Bloodline”
Jeff Daniels, “The Newsroom”
Jon Hamm, “Mad Men” *WINNER
Bob Odenkirk, “Better Call Saul”
Liev Schreiber, “Ray Donovan”
Kevin Spacey, “House of Cards”
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Claire Danes, “Homeland”
Viola Davis, “How to Get Away With Murder” *WINNER
Taraji P. Henson, “Empire”
Tatiana Maslany, “Orphan Black”
Elisabeth Moss, “Mad Men”
Robin Wright, “House of Cards”
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Anderson, “black-ish”
Louis C.K., “Louie”
Don Cheadle, “House of Lies”
Will Forte, “Last Man on Earth”
Matt LeBlanc, “Episodes”
William H. Macy, “Shameless”
Jeffrey Tambor, “Transparent” *WINNER
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Edie Falco, “Nurse Jackie”
Lisa Kudrow, “The Comeback”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep” *WINNER
Amy Poehler, “Parks and Recreation”
Amy Schumer, “Inside Amy Schumer”
Lily Tomlin, “Grace and Frankie”
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Jonathan Banks, “Better Call Saul”
Ben Mendelsohn, “Bloodline”
Jim Carter, “Downton Abbey”
Peter Dinklage, “Game of Thrones” *WINNER
Michael Kelly, “House of Cards”
Alan Cumming, “The Good Wife”
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Joanne Froggatt, “Downton Abbey”
Lena Headey, “Game of Thrones”
Emilia Clarke, “Game of Thrones”
Christina Hendricks, “Mad Men”
Uzo Aduba, “Orange Is the New Black” *WINNER
Christine Baranski, “The Good Wife”
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Niecy Nash, “Getting On”
Julie Bowen, “Modern Family”
Allison Janney, “Mom” *WINNER
Kate McKinnon, “Saturday Night Live”
Mayim Bialik, “The Big Bang Theory”
Gaby Hoffmann, “Transparent”
Jane Krakowski, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”
Anna Chlumsky, “Veep”
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Andre Braugher, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”
Adam Driver, “Girls”
Keegan-Michael Key, “Key & Peele”
Ty Burrell, “Modern Family”
Tituss Burgess, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”
Tony Hale, “Veep” *WINNER
Outstanding Miniseries
“American Crime” (ABC)
“American Horror Story: Freak Show” (FX)
“The Honorable Woman” (Sundance)
“Olive Kitteridge” (HBO) *WINNER
“Wolf Hall” (PBS)
Outstanding Television Movie
“Agatha Christie’s Poirot: Curtain, Poirot’s Last Case” (Acorn TV)
“Bessie” (HBO) *WINNER
“Grace Of Monaco” (Lifetime)
“Hello Ladies: The Movie” (HBO)
“Killing Jesus” (National Geographic)
“Nightingale” (HBO)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie
Timothy Hutton, “American Crime”
Ricky Gervais, “Derek Special”
Adrien Brody, “Houdini”
David Oyelowo, “Nightingale”
Richard Jenkins, “Olive Kitteridge” *WINNER
Mark Rylance, “Wolf Hall”
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
Felicity Huffman, “American Crime”
Jessica Lange, “American Horror Story: Freak Show”
Queen Latifah, “Bessie”
Maggie Gyllenhaal, “The Honorable Woman”
Frances McDormand, “Olive Kitteridge” *WINNER
Emma Thompson, “Sweeney Todd”
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie
Richard Cabral, “American Crime”
Denis O’Hare, “American Horror Story: Freak Show”
Finn Wittrock, “American Horror Story: Freak Show”
Michael Kenneth Williams, “Bessie”
Bill Murray, “Olive Kitteridge” *WINNER
Damian Lewis, “Wolf Hall”
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
Regina King, “American Crime” *WINNER
Sarah Paulson, “American Horror Story: Freak Show”
Angela Bassett, “American Horror Story: Freak Show”
Kathy Bates, “American Horror Story: Freak Show”
Mo’Nique, “Bessie”
Zoe Kazan, “Olive Kitteridge”
Outstanding Variety Talk Series
“The Colbert Report” (Comedy Central)
“The Daily Show” (Comedy Central) *WINNER
“Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC)
“Last Week Tonight” (HBO)
“Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS)
“The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC)
Outstanding Writing For A Variety Series
“The Colbert Report” (Comedy Central)
“The Daily Show” (Comedy Central) *WINNER
“Inside Amy Schumer” (Comedy Central)
“Last Week Tonight” (HBO)
“Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS)
Outstanding Directing For A Variety Series
“The Colbert Report” (Comedy Central)
“The Daily Show” (Comedy Central) *WINNER
“Inside Amy Schumer” (Comedy Central)
“Late Show With David Letterman” (CBS)
“The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC)
Outstanding Variety Sketch Series
“Drunk History” (Comedy Central)
“Inside Amy Schumer” (Comedy Central) *WINNER
“Key & Peele” (Comedy Central)
“Portlandia” (IFC)
“Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
Outstanding 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) *WINNER
Outstanding Structured Reality Program
“Antiques Roadshow” (PBS)
“Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” (Food)
“MythBusters” (Discovery)
“Property Brothers” (HGTV)
“Shark Tank” (ABC) *WINNER
“Undercover Boss” (CBS)
Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program
“Alaska: The Last Frontier” (Discovery)
“Deadliest Catch” (Discovery) *WINNER
“Intervention” (A&E)
“Million Dollar Listing New York” (Bravo)
“Naked and Afraid” (Discovery Channel)
“Wahlburgers” (A&E)
Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality-Competition Program
Tom Bergeron, “Dancing With The Stars”
Jane Lynch, “Hollywood Game Night” *WINNER
Heidi Klum & Tim Gunn, “Project Runway”
Cat Deeley, “So You Think You Can Dance”
Anthony Bourdain, “The Taste”
Outstanding Variety Special
“Bill Maher: Live From D.C.” (HBO)
“The Kennedy Center Honors” (CBS)
“Louis C.K.: Live At The Comedy Store” (LouisCK.net)
“Mel Brooks Live At The Geffen” (HBO)
“The Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special” (NBC) *WINNER
“Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga: Cheek To Cheek LIVE!” (PBS)
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Alan Alda, “The Blacklist”
Michael J. Fox, “The Good Wife”
F. Murray Abraham, “Homeland”
Reg E. Cathey, “House of Cards” *WINNER
Beau Bridges, “Masters Of Sex”
Pablo Schreiber, “Orange Is The New Black”
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Margo Martindale, “The Americans” *WINNER
Diana Rigg, “Game of Thrones”
Rachel Brosnahan, “House Of Cards”
Cicely Tyson, “How To Get Away With Murder”
Allison Janney, “Masters Of Sex”
Khandi Alexander, “Scandal”
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Mel Brooks, “The Comedians”
Paul Giamatti, “Inside Amy Schumer”
Bill Hader, “Saturday Night Live”
Louis C.K., “Saturday Night Live”
Bradley Whitford, “Transparent” *WINNER
Jon Hamm, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Christine Baranski, “The Big Bang Theory”
Gaby Hoffmann, “Girls”
Pamela Adlon, “Louie”
Elizabeth Banks, “Modern Family”
Joan Cusack, “Shameless” *WINNER
Tina Fey, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
“The Americans” — “Do Mail Robots Dream Of Electric Sheep?” (Joshua Brand)
“Better Call Saul” — “Five-O” (Gordon Smith)
“Game Of Thrones” — “Mother’s Mercy” (David Benioff and D.B. Weiss) *WINNER
“Mad Men” — “Lost Horizon” (Semi Chellas and Matthew Weiner)
“Mad Men” — “Person To Person” (Matthew Weiner)
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
“Episodes” — “Episode 409” (David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik)
“The Last Man On Earth” — “Alive In Tucson (Pilot)” (Will Forte)
“Louie” — “Bobby’s House” (Louis C.K.)
“Silicon Valley” — “Two Days Of The Condor” (Alec Berg)
“Transparent” — “Pilot” (Jill Soloway)
“Veep” — “Election Night” (Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci and Tony Roche) *WINNER
Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
“Boardwalk Empire” — “Eldorado” (Tim Van Patten)
“Game Of Thrones” — “Mother’s Mercy” (David Nutter) *WINNER
“Game Of Thrones” — “Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken” (Jeremy Podeswa)
“Homeland” — “From A To B And Back Again” (Lesli Linka Glatter)
“The Knick” — “Method And Madness” (Steven Soderbergh)
Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
“The Last Man On Earth” — “Alive In Tucson (Pilot)” (Phil Lord and Christopher Miller)
“Louie” — “Sleepover” (Louis C.K.)
“Silicon Valley” — “Sand Hill Shuffle” (Mike Judge)
“Transparent” — “Best New Girl” (Jill Soloway) *WINNER
“Veep” — “Testimony” (Armando Iannucci)
Outstanding Writing For A Limited Series, Movie Or A Dramatic Special
“American Crime” – “Episode One” (John Ridley)
“Bessie” (Dee Rees, Christopher Cleveland, Bettina Gilois, Horton Foote)
“Hello Ladies: The Movie” (Stephen Merchant, Gene Stupnitsky, Lee Eisenberg)
“Olive Kitteridge” (Jane Anderson) *WINNER
“The Honorable Woman” (Hugo Blick)
“Wolf Hall” (Peter Straughan)
Outstanding Directing For A Limited Series, Movie Or A Dramatic Special
“Olive Kitteridge” (Lisa Cholodenko) *WINNER
“Wolf Hall” (Peter Kosminsky)
“Houdini” (Uli Edel)
“Bessie” (Dee Rees)
“American Horror Story: Freak Show” (Ryan Murphy)
“The Honorable Woman” (Hugo Blick)