Australia lost its first chance for an Emmy with Cate Blanchett missing out on the Emmy for Best Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for her acclaimed Miss America.

The award was won by Regina King, star of the most-nominated series of the night, Watchmen.

King, wearing a Breonna Taylor shirt said, "This is so freaking weird. I truly love being a thespian." She also took the chance to get political, noting "Gotta vote, I would be remiss not to mention that being part of a show as prescient as Watchmen."

She finished stating "Be a good human, rest in power RBG (Ruth Bader Ginsburg)."

Blanchett was not on screen, one of the few actors not to be available on Zoom if they won.

'IT'S A BIG NIGHT FOR ME'

The "Pand-Emmys" got off to their virtual start, with the show's host Jimmy Kimmel joking "the world may be terrible but TV has never been better".

Presenting to an empty Staples Center in Los Angeles, the TV academy awards linked to 130 locations, with nominees video calling in from their homes or offsite venues.

To add atmosphere to Kimmel's opening monologue, producers cut to film from previous years, before the vacant theatre was show, with only cardboard cutouts and a real Jason Bateman sitting frozen in the front row.

Bateman, who is nominated for his lead role in drama Ozark, refused to leave when Kimmel pointed him out, telling him: "Mind your business, Kimmel, it's a big night for me."

When the host told him his condition of staying was that he had to laugh at all of Kimmel's jokes, Bateman got up and ordered himself a car ride home.

Jennifer Aniston was on hand to present the first award IRL, which she was nominated for as best supporting actress in a comedy series.

Aniston engaged in some social distancing banter with Kimmel, cleaning, sanitising and burning the winner's envelope on stage with a fire extinguisher.

Former friends star Aniston asked Kimmel, "Why are you standing so far away from me?"

Kimmel responded: "Dr [Anthony] Fauci said sixty feet, so …"

Pretending not to hear him clearly, Aniston responded: "Sixty feet? No he said six feet.".

Kimmel quipped: "Oh thank you, you also have sexy feet".

SCHITT'S SHOW

Presenter Jason Sudekis had an on-screen COVID test before awarding hit comedy Schitt's Creek with the Emmy for Best Comedy Series, continuing the shows's incredible and well-deserved clean sweep so far and won.

It beat Curb Your Enthusiasm, Dead To Me, The Good Place, Insecure, The Kominsky Method, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel and What We Do In the Shadows.

Daniel Levy, wearing a kilt, said "Our show at its core is about the transformational effects of love and acceptance, that is something we need now more than ever." Levy then called for people to vote in the upcoming US elections - "I'm so sorry for making this political but I had to."

Eugene Levy praised the show for its "inclusivity" and "castigation of homophobia."

Elton John said he loved the show because "I found out Daniel Levy was named after one of my songs."

Earlier, the Emmys for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series went to Catherine O'Hara for Schitt's Creek, beating Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini for Dead to Me, Rachel Brosnahan for The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, Issa Rae for Insecure and Tracee Ellis Ross for Black-ish.

O'Hara said: "I will forever be grateful to Eugene and Daniel Levy for the bestowing upon me playing a woman of a certain age, my age, who gets to be her ridiculous self."

She also gave shout outs to her wardrobe, make up and hair staff - with her character Moira Rose infamous for constant wig change.

The outstanding lead actor in a comedy series award also went to Schitt's Creek, via actor Eugene Levy. He accepted the trophy and quipped: "You see, I told you I was good."

Levy thanked his wife Deb, daughter Sarah and especially son, Daniel who he paid tribute for taking "our show and brilliantly guided it to this Emmy party tonight, so thank you son."

The award for Best Writing for a Comedy Series continued the early blitz by Schitt's Creek, the comedy which just wound up with an acclaimed final series. Writer and star Dan Levy noted, "Writers don't get awards" and thanked his fellow writers for sharing their "traumatising, embarrassing, deeply triggering things so the Rose family could be who they are" and said working on the hit show has been the "most cathartic experience of his life".

The Emmy for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series was won by Daniel Levy of Schitt's Creek. "The internet's about to turn on me," Levy joked.

He praised the "six year master class" of his dad Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara who "led by example, without ego and with excitement."

"To play David Rose has been the greatest experience of my life. This is a night to remember. This is completely overwhelming."

POLITICAL FLAVOUR

The first overtly political joke saw Kimmel receive "ballots" from a Russian-speaking mailman called "Derek 'Magic' Johnson who said he got his job at the US Postal Service, "just before election, 2016."

Later, Kimmel suggested "Trump should have built his wall up north" after the Canadian show Schitt's Creek swept the Emmys field.

David Letterman presented the variety/talk show gong to The Last Week Tonight With John Oliver.

Oliver received his award from a remote-controlled box, which opened to a shower of glitter.

"The academy has basically sent a small bomb to my home and given this year, I wouldn't have been surprised if it exploded and set off a small wildfire here in New York."

NOMINEES AND WINNERS

DRAMA SERIES

Better Call Saul

The Crown

The Handmaid's Tale

Killing Eve

The Mandalorian

Ozark

Stranger Things

Succession

COMEDY SERIES

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Dead to Me

The Good Place

Insecure

The Kominsky Method

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Schitt's Creek - WINNER

What We Do in the Shadows

LEAD ACTRESS, DRAMA

Jennifer Aniston, The Morning Show

Olivia Colman, The Crown

Jodie Comer, Killing Eve

Laura Linney, Ozark

Sandra Oh, Killing Eve

Zendaya, Euphoria

LEAD ACTOR, DRAMA

Jason Bateman, Ozark

Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us

Steve Carell, The Morning Show

Brian Cox, Succession

Billy Porter, Pose

Jeremy Strong, Succession

SUPPORTING ACTOR, DRAMA

Nicholas Braun, Succession

Billy Crudup, The Morning Show

Kieran Culkin, Succession

Mark Duplass, The Morning Show

Giancarlo Esposito, Better Call Saul

Matthew Macfadyen, Succession

Bradley Whitford, The Handmaid's Tale

Jeffrey Wright, Westworld

SUPPORTING ACTRESS, DRAMA

Helena Bonham Carter, The Crown

Laura Dern, Big Little Lies

Julia Garner, Ozark

Thandie Newton, Westworld

Fiona Shaw, Killing Eve

Sarah Snook, Succession

Meryl Streep, Big Little Lies

Samira Wiley, The Handmaid's Tale

LEAD ACTRESS, COMEDY

Christina Applegate, Dead to Me

Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Linda Cardellini, Dead to Me

Catherine O'Hara, Schitt's Creek - WINNER

Issa Rae, Insecure

Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish

LEAD ACTOR, COMEDY

Anthony Anderson, Black-ish

Don Cheadle, Black Monday

Ted Danson, The Good Place

Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method

Eugene Levy, Schitt's Creek - WINNER

Ramy Youssef, Ramy

SUPPORTING ACTOR, COMEDY

Mahershala Ali, Ramy

Alan Arkin, The Kominsky Method

Andre Braugher, Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Sterling K. Brown, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

William Jackson Harper, The Good Place

Daniel Levy, Schitt's Creek - WINNER

Tony Shalhoub, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Kenan Thompson, Saturday Night Live

SUPPORTING ACTRESS, COMEDY

Alex Borstein, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

D'Arcy Carden, The Good Place

Betty Gilpin, GLOW

Marin Hinkle, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live

Annie Murphy, Schitt's Creek - WINNER

Yvonne Orji, Insecure

Cecily Strong, Saturday Night Live

LIMITED SERIES

Little Fires Everywhere

Mrs. America

Unbelievable

Unorthodox

Watchmen

TV MOVIE

American Son

Bad Education

Dolly Parton's Heartstrings: These Old Bones

El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend

LEAD ACTRESS, TV MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES

Cate Blanchett, Mrs. America

Shira Haas, Unorthodox

Regina King, Watchmen - WINNER

Octavia Spencer, Self Made

Kerry Washington, Little Fires Everywhere

LEAD ACTOR, TV MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES

Jeremy Irons, Watchmen

Hugh Jackman, Bad Education

Paul Mescal, Normal People

Jeremy Pope, Hollywood

Mark Ruffalo, I Know This Much Is True - WINNER

SUPPORTING ACTRESS, TV MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES

Uzo Aduba, Mrs. America

Toni Collette, Unbelievable

Margo Martindale, Mrs. America

Jean Smart, Watchmen

Holland Taylor, Hollywood

Tracey Ullman, Mrs. America

SUPPORTING ACTOR, TV MOVIE OR LIMITED SERIES

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Watchmen

Jovan Adepo, Watchmen

Tituss Burgess, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend

Louis Gossett Jr., Watchmen

Dylan McDermott, Hollywood

Jim Parsons, Hollywood

VARIETY TALK SERIES

The Daily Show With Trevor Noah

Full Frontal With Samantha Bee

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver - WINNER

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert

HOST FOR A REALITY OR COMPETITION PROGRAM

Bobby Berk, Karamo Brown, Tan France, Antoni Porowski, and Jonathan Van Ness, Queer Eye

Nicole Byer, Nailed It

Barbara Corcoran, Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner, Daymond John, Robert Herjavec, and Kevin O'Leary, Shark Tank

RuPaul, RuPaul's Drag Race

Padma Lakshmi and Tom Colicchio, Top Chef

Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman, Making It

Originally published as Hugh, Cate miss out as Jen's Emmys stunt stuns