Emmys 2013: the winners and losers

Anna Gunn accepts the award for outstanding supporting actress in a drama series for her role on Breaking Bad at the Emmy Awards Sunday in Los Angeles. (Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

Last night's Emmy telecast had its share of predictable winners (Modern Family, Breaking Bad) and losers (Jon Hamm, Kerry Washington) but there were some surprises in the oddly lumpy and long awards show. Here are some of the highlights and lowlights.

• Emmys triumph for Breaking Bad
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WINNER - ANNA GUN

Take that, haters. The actor that has been the target of so much abuse she penned a New York Times article about it had sweet Emmy revenge when her performance as Skyler White in Breaking Bad led to her first best supporting actress in a drama win.

LOSER - KEVIN SPACEY

Put the Netflix revolution on pause. House of Cards is a fine show but other than momentarily stealing the spotlight from the limp Emmy broadcast with on-camera aside during the opening, Kevin Spacey will have to content himself with playing one of the most delicious antiheroes in the business.

WINNER - MERRIT WEAVER

"I gotta go, bye." Nuff said.

LOSER - KERRY WASHINGTON

Scandal star Kerry Washington failed to break through and take home the first Emmy award as an African American actress in a drama and lost to Homeland's Claire Danes, but she did she have a lovely moment basking in the praise of Diahann Carroll (the first African American Emmy nominee) on stage.

WINNER - TINA FEY AND AMY POEHLER

For saving us from the extend battle of the Emmy show hosts. Now that Neil Patrick Harris has jazz handed his way into America's hearts, can't we give the hosting duties back to these gal pals?

Host Neil Patrick Harris, centre, performs the obligatory musical number about obligatory musical numbers. (Mike Blake/Reuters)

LOSER - BREAKING BAD FANS

If you tuned in to watch Heisenberg claim what was his, namely an Emmy trophy, you wasted your time. Who would have thought Jeff Daniels a.k.a. Newsnight Anchor Will McAvoy would win? Luckily for us Daniels wasn't in character so we didn't have to listen to a lecture on the history of Emmys' miscarriage of justice. Instead a humble and humorous Jeff Daniels joked he hadn't won anything since the award from the AARP. Plus Breaking Bad did land the Emmy for best drama. I'm still waiting for Badger to get a nomination for best Star Trek spec script.

WINNER - EDIE FALCO

While spacing the 5 separate eulogies throughout the Emmys may have made for some pacing problems, Edie Falco's memories of Jim, the man the rest of us know as James Gandolfini, ached with hurt and kindness. Falco spoke of the humble actor she knew and gave us a rare glimpse of her friend and on-screen husband.

LOSER - NEIL PATRICK HARRIS

The toast of the Tonys deserved bettter than this. He's a consummate pro but the material transformed his strengths into a cliché (He's naughty! He likes Broadway!) Only the Emmys could make NPH actually seem boring. The lowlight was the Excessive Hosting Disorder bit. Jokes about the hosts being funny aren't as funny as actual jokes. Next time less meta, more mirth.

Actor Jim Parsons, left, acknowledges presenter Bob Newhart's winning of an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series for The Big Bang Theory. (Mike Blake/Reuters)

WINNER - BOB NEWHART

That Bob Newhart had to wait decades to finally get his Emmy is just plain wrong. Last week the comedy legend did receive an Emmy for best guest actor in a comedy series during a separate ceremony. But last night he was able to bask in the roar as the crowd jumped to their feet in an extended standing ovation as he appeared on stage with The Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons.

LOSER - STUDIOS THAT PASSED ON BEHIND THE CANDELABRA

Hollywood studio execs said the biopic on the life of Liberace was too hot and too gay for the mainstream movie crowd, so director Steven Soderbergh took the project to HBO. Last night he went home with 2 Emmys (director and best TV movie) and shared one with Michael Douglas who is on a heck of a comeback streak. Too much of a good thing indeed.