HBO leads the line

LOS ANGELES (AP):

The Emmys keep buying what Mad Men is selling. The 1960s Madison Avenue saga won its fourth consecutive Best Drama Series award Sunday, while big-hearted romp Modern Family claimed its second-best comedy trophy.

While Mad Men gained the top drama award, it couldn't pull individual honours for stars Jon Hamm or Elisabeth Moss.

A new category, which combines the previously separate best miniseries and made-for-TV movie nominees, included the miniseries Mildred Pierce.

Winslet, an Oscar winner, captured the trophy for lead actress, while her co-star Guy Pearce won the award for Best Supporting Actor.

Dame Maggie Smith won supporting actress honours for the miniseries Downtown Abbey, which also won best in its category for British director Brian Percival. Julian Fellowes won for Best Writing in that category.

First four Emmys

Modern Family won the first four Emmys, capturing best supporting comedy actress, best supporting comedy actor, best writing for a comedy and best direction for a comedy series.

Julie Bowen and Ty Burrell, who play husband and wife on the series, won best supporting actor honours for a comedy series.

Julianna Margulies won top drama acting honours for The Good Wife.

Melissa McCarthy of Mike & Molly was honoured as best lead actress in a comedy series, while Jim Parsons of The Big Bang Theory earned his second trophy in the best actor category.

Kyle Chandler's name was called for his performance as a Texas high school football coach in the final season of Friday Night Lights.

The first awards in the drama category went to Jason Katims of Friday Night Lights for outstanding writing, and Margo Martindale, named best supporting actress for the show Justified.

Peter Dinklage, the winning actor in the category for sci-fi fantasy Game of Thrones, was awed by another winner, filmmaker Martin Scorsese, who received a directing trophy for Boardwalk Empire.

Barry Pepper, who played Robert F. Kennedy in the controversial miniseries The Kennedys, won the Lead Actor award.

In the reality-competition category, perennial winner The Amazing Race returned to triumph Sunday after losing last year to Top Chef. HBO had a leading 19 awards, including trophies given Sunday and at last week's creative arts awards for technical and other achievements.