# 51st Primetime Emmy Awards

The 51st Primetime Emmy Awards were held on Sunday, September 12, 1999. The ceremony show was hosted by Jenna Elfman and David Hyde Pierce. It was broadcast on Fox.
The comedy-drama Ally McBeal won Outstanding Comedy Series, which not only dethroned five-time defending champion Frasier but also became the first time Fox won that award. In the drama field The Practice won Outstanding Drama Series for the second straight year, and led all shows with three major wins on the night.
Freshman series The Sopranos led all shows with 10 major nominations. From that show, Edie Falco not only became the first actress from a Cable network (HBO) to win Lead Actress, Drama series, she became the first person from any Cable TV show series to win a Major Acting award. (Though David Clennon did win for only a guest performance in HBO's Dream On in 1993).
The real winner of the night was television writer David E. Kelley. Kelley was the creator and head writer for both series champions, Ally McBeal and The Practice. This accomplishment has not been matched since.

## Winners and nominees
### Programs

| Outstanding Comedy Series Ally McBeal (Fox) Everybody Loves Raymond (CBS) Frasier (NBC) Friends (NBC) Sex and the City (HBO) | Outstanding Drama Series The Practice (ABC) ER (NBC) Law & Order (NBC) NYPD Blue (ABC) The Sopranos (HBO) |
| Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series Late Show with David Letterman (CBS) Dennis Miller Live (HBO) Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher (ABC) The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (NBC) Tracey Takes On... (HBO) | Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special The 52nd Annual Tony Awards (CBS) The 71st Annual Academy Awards (ABC) Freak (HBO) George Carlin: You Are All Diseased (HBO) Jerry Seinfeld: “I'm Telling You for the Last Time” (HBO) |
| Outstanding Made for Television Movie A Lesson Before Dying (HBO) The Baby Dance (Showtime) Dash and Lilly (A&E) Pirates of Silicon Valley (TNT) The Rat Pack (HBO) | Outstanding Miniseries Hornblower (A&E) The '60s (NBC) Great Expectations (PBS) Joan of Arc (CBS) The Temptations (NBC) |

### Acting
#### Lead performances

| Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series John Lithgow as Dr. Dick Solomon in 3rd Rock from the Sun (NBC) (Episode: "What's Love Got to Do, Got to Do with Dick?") Michael J. Fox as Mike Flaherty in Spin City (ABC) (Episode: "Gone with the Wind") Kelsey Grammer as Dr. Frasier Crane in Frasier (NBC) (Episode: "Merry Christmas, Mrs. Moskowitz") Paul Reiser as Paul Buchman in Mad About You (NBC) (Episode: "The Final Frontier") Ray Romano as Ray Barone in Everybody Loves Raymond (CBS) (Episode: "How They Met") | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Helen Hunt as Jamie Buchman in Mad About You (NBC) (Episode: "The Final Frontier") Jenna Elfman as Dharma Montgomery in Dharma & Greg (ABC) (Episode: "Are You Ready for Some Football?") Calista Flockhart as Ally McBeal in Ally McBeal (Fox) (Episode: "Sideshow") Patricia Heaton as Debra Barone in Everybody Loves Raymond (CBS) (Episode: "Be Nice") Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City (HBO) (Episode: "The Drought") |
| Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Dennis Franz as Andy Sipowicz in NYPD Blue (ABC) (Episode: "Safe Home") James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano in The Sopranos (HBO) (Episode: "The Sopranos") Dylan McDermott as Bobby Donnell in The Practice (ABC) (Episode: "Happily Ever After") Jimmy Smits as Bobby Simone in NYPD Blue (ABC) (Episode: "Hearts and Souls") Sam Waterston as Jack McCoy in Law & Order (NBC) (Episode: "Sideshow") | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Edie Falco as Carmela Soprano in The Sopranos (HBO) (Episode: "College") Gillian Anderson as Dr. Dana Scully in The X-Files (Fox) (Episode: "Milagro") Lorraine Bracco as Dr. Jennifer Melfi in The Sopranos (HBO) (Episode: "The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti") Christine Lahti as Dr. Kate Austin in Chicago Hope (CBS) (Episode: "Karmic Relief") Julianna Margulies as Carol Hathaway in ER (NBC) (Episode: "The Storm", Part 2) |
| Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie Stanley Tucci as Walter Winchell in Winchell (HBO) Don Cheadle as Grant Wiggins in A Lesson Before Dying (HBO) Ian Holm as King Lear in King Lear (PBS) Jack Lemmon as Henry Drummond in Inherit the Wind (Showtime) Sam Shepard as Dashiell Hammett in Dash and Lilly (A&E) | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie Helen Mirren as Ayn Rand in The Passion of Ayn Rand (Showtime) Ann-Margret as Pamela Harriman in Life of the Party: The Pamela Harriman Story (Lifetime) Stockard Channing as Rachel Luckman in The Baby Dance (Showtime) Judy Davis as Lillian Hellman in Dash and Lilly (A&E) Leelee Sobieski as Joan of Arc in Joan of Arc (CBS) |
| Outstanding Performance in a Variety or Music Program John Leguizamo in Freak (HBO) George Carlin in George Carlin: You Are All Diseased (HBO) Dennis Miller in Dennis Miller Live (HBO) Chris Rock in The Chris Rock Show (HBO) Tracey Ullman in Tracey Takes On... (HBO) ||

#### Supporting performances

| Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series David Hyde Pierce as Dr. Niles Crane in Frasier (NBC) (Episodes: "Merry Christmas, Mrs. Moskowitz" + "Three Valentines") Peter Boyle as Frank Barone in Everybody Loves Raymond (CBS) (Episodes: "Driving Frank" + "Ping Pong") Peter MacNicol as John Cage in Ally McBeal (Fox) John Mahoney as Martin Crane in Frasier (NBC) (Episodes: "Merry Christmas, Mrs. Moskowitz" + "Our Parents, Ourselves") David Spade as Dennis Finch in Just Shoot Me! (NBC) (Episodes: "Two Girls for Every Boy" + "Slow Donnie") | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Kristen Johnston as Sally Solomon in 3rd Rock from the Sun (NBC) (Episodes: "Two-Faced Dick" + "Dick the Mouth Solomon") Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay in Friends (NBC) (Episodes: "The One Hundredth" + "The One Where Everybody Finds Out") Lucy Liu as Ling Woo in Ally McBeal (Fox) (Episodes: "Angels and Blimps" + "Sex, Lies, and Politics") Wendie Malick as Nina van Horn in Just Shoot Me! (NBC) (Episodes: "Two Girls for Every Boy" + "Slow Donnie") Doris Roberts as Marie Barone in Everybody Loves Raymond (CBS) (Episodes: "The Toaster" + "Frank's Tribute") |
| Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Michael Badalucco as Jimmy Berluti in The Practice (ABC) Benjamin Bratt as Reynaldo Curtis in Law & Order (NBC) Steve Harris as Eugene Young in The Practice (ABC) Steven Hill as Adam Schiff in Law & Order (NBC) Noah Wyle as Dr. John Carter in ER (NBC) | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Holland Taylor as Roberta Kittleson in The Practice (Episode: "End Games") (ABC) Lara Flynn Boyle as Helen Gamble in The Practice (ABC) Kim Delaney as Diane Russell in NYPD Blue (ABC) Camryn Manheim as Ellenor Frutt in The Practice (ABC) Nancy Marchand as Livia Soprano in The Sopranos (Episodes: "The Sopranos" + "46 Long") (HBO) |
| Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie Peter O'Toole as Bishop Cauchon in Joan of Arc (CBS) Beau Bridges as E. K. Hornbeck in Inherit the Wind (Showtime) Don Cheadle as Sammy Davis Jr. in The Rat Pack (HBO) Peter Fonda as Frank O'Connor in The Passion of Ayn Rand (Showtime) Joe Mantegna as Dean Martin in The Rat Pack (HBO) | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie Anne Bancroft as Geraldine Eileen Cummins in Deep in My Heart (CBS) Jacqueline Bisset as Isabelle D'Arc in Joan of Arc (CBS) Olympia Dukakis as Mother Babette in Joan of Arc (CBS) Bebe Neuwirth as Dorothy Parker in Dash and Lilly (A&E) Cicely Tyson as Tante Lou in A Lesson Before Dying (HBO) Dianne Wiest as Sarah McClellan in The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn (CBS) |

### Directing

| Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series Sports Night (ABC): "Pilot" – Thomas Schlamme Ally McBeal (Fox): "Those Lips, That Hand" – Arlene Sanford Everybody Loves Raymond (CBS): "Robert's Date" – Will Mackenzie Friends (NBC): "The One Where Everybody Finds Out" – Michael Lembeck Will & Grace (NBC): "Pilot" – James Burrows | Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series NYPD Blue (ABC): "Hearts and Souls" – Paris Barclay Law & Order (NBC): "Empire" – Matthew Penn Law & Order/Homicide: Life on the Street (NBC): "Sideshow" – Edwin Sherin The Sopranos (HBO): "The Sopranos" – David Chase |
| Outstanding Directing for a Variety or Music Program The 52nd Annual Tony Awards (CBS) – Paul Miller 41st Annual Grammy Awards (CBS) – Walter C. Miller The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts (CBS) – Louis J. Horvitz Saturday Night Live (NBC): "Host: Jennifer Love Hewitt" – Beth McCarthy-Miller The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (NBC) – Ellen Brown | Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries or Movie The Temptations (NBC) – Allan Arkush The Baby Dance (Showtime) – Jane Anderson Dash and Lilly (A&E) – Kathy Bates Joan of Arc (A&E) – Christian Duguay A Lesson Before Dying (HBO) – Joseph Sargent |

### Writing

| Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series Frasier (NBC): "Merry Christmas, Mrs. Moskowitz" – Jay Kogen Ally McBeal (Fox): "Sideshow" – David E. Kelley Friends (NBC): "The One Where Everybody Finds Out" – Alexa Junge Just Shoot Me! (NBC): "Slow Donnie" – Steven Levitan Sports Night (ABC): "The Apology" – Aaron Sorkin | Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series The Sopranos (HBO): "College" – James Manos Jr. and David Chase NYPD Blue (ABC): "Hearts and Souls" – Story by : Steven Bochco, David Milch and Bill Clark Teleplay by : Nicholas Wootton The Sopranos (HBO): "Isabella" – Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess The Sopranos (HBO): "Nobody Knows Anything" – Frank Renzulli The Sopranos (HBO): "The Sopranos" – David Chase |
| Outstanding Writing for a Variety or Music Program The Chris Rock Show (HBO) Dennis Miller Live (HBO) Late Night with Conan O'Brien (NBC) Late Show with David Letterman (CBS) Mr. Show with Bob and David (HBO) | Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries or Movie A Lesson Before Dying (HBO) – Ann Peacock The Baby Dance (Showtime) – Jane Anderson Dash and Lilly (A&E) – Jerrold L. Ludwig Pirates of Silicon Valley (TNT) – Martyn Burke The Rat Pack (HBO) – Kario Salem |

## Most major nominations

Networks with multiple major nominations :
| Network | No. of Nominations |
| NBC | 42 |
| HBO | 32 |
| CBS | 23 |
| ABC | 22 |
| Fox | 10 |
Programs with multiple major nominations :
| Program | Category | Network | No. of Nominations |
| The Sopranos | Drama | HBO | 10 |
| The Practice | Drama | ABC | 7 |
| Ally McBeal | Comedy | Fox | 6 |
| Dash and Lilly | Movie | A&E | 6 |
| Everybody Loves Raymond | Comedy | CBS | 6 |
| Joan of Arc | Miniseries | CBS | 6 |
| Law & Order | Drama | NBC | 6 |
| NYPD Blue | Drama | ABC | 6 |
| Frasier | Comedy | NBC | 5 |
| A Lesson Before Dying | Movie | HBO | 5 |
| The Baby Dance | Movie | Showtime | 4 |
| Friends | Comedy | NBC | 4 |
| The Rat Pack | Movie | HBO | 4 |
| Dennis Miller Live | Variety | HBO | 3 |
| ER | Drama | NBC | 3 |
| Just Shoot Me! | Comedy | NBC | 3 |
| 3rd Rock from the Sun | Comedy | NBC | 2 |
| The 52nd Annual Tony Awards | Variety | CBS | 2 |
| The Chris Rock Show | Variety | HBO | 2 |
| Freak | Variety | HBO | 2 |
| George Carlin: You Are All Diseased | Variety | HBO | 2 |
| Inherit the Wind | Movie | Showtime | 2 |
| Late Show with David Letterman | Variety | CBS | 2 |
| Mad About You | Comedy | NBC | 2 |
| The Passion of Ayn Rand | Movie | Showtime | 2 |
| Pirates of Silicon Valley | Movie | TNT | 2 |
| Sex and the City | Comedy | HBO | 2 |
| Sports Night | Comedy | ABC | 2 |
| The Temptations | Miniseries | NBC | 2 |
| The Tonight Show with Jay Leno | Variety | NBC | 2 |
| Tracey Takes On... | Variety | HBO | 2 |

## Most major awards

Networks with multiple major awards :
| Network | No. of Awards |
| HBO | 7 |
| ABC | 6 |
| NBC | 6 |
| CBS | 5 |
Programs with multiple major awards :
| Program | Category | Network | No. of Awards |
| The Practice | Drama | ABC | 3 |
| 3rd Rock from the Sun | Comedy | NBC | 2 |
| The 52nd Annual Tony Awards | Variety | CBS | 2 |
| Frasier | Comedy | NBC | 2 |
| A Lesson Before Dying | Movie | HBO | 2 |
| NYPD Blue | Drama | ABC | 2 |
| The Sopranos | Drama | HBO | 2 |

### Notes

* 1 2 "Major" constitutes the categories listed above: Program, Acting, Directing, and Writing. Does not include the technical categories.

## In Memoriam

* Ellen Corby
* Richard Denning
* Gary Morton
* Mary Frann
* Anthony Newley
* Mark Warren
* Norman Fell
* Dana Plato
* Noam Pitlik
* Dick O'Neill
* Sylvia Sidney
* David Strickland
* Peggy Cass
* Virginia Graham
* Dane Clark
* Ed Herlihy
* Mel Tormé
* Mario Puzo
* Bill Wendell
* John Holliman
* Rory Calhoun
* Susan Strasberg
* Allen Funt
* Joseph Cates
* Esther Rolle
* Roddy McDowall
* Gene Siskel
* Flip Wilson
* DeForest Kelley
* Gene Autry