The 2010 Emmy Awards: Recap

The 62^nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards took place in Los Angeles this past Sunday, August 29^th, and the stars were in rare form—all glitzed up, glammed out,and gunning for those little golden trophies. While some celebrities left the ceremony touting a few extra pounds of metal along for the ride, others were empty-handed—and just who those “others” were might surprise you. So whether you missed the fashion and the frenzy or you just want a little refresher, the San Diego Entertainer has you covered.

Funnyman and Late Night host Jimmy Fallon kicked the festivities off with a hilarious musical sketch featuring Tina Fey, the talented cast of Glee, Jon Hamm, Joel McHale, Jorge Garcia, Nina Dobrev, and—get this—Kate Gosselin. Complete with fist-pumping dance numbers, a cameo from Betty White, and a “guitar solo” a la Fallon, the opening number was a huge crowd pleaser and set a playful, energetic tone for the remainder of the night.

But while Glee undoubtedly played a large part in the actual ceremony, the musical dramedy didn’t fare well as far as awards go—of its 19 nominations, the show only snagged two: Jane Lynch for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series and Ryan Murphy for Directing a Comedy Series. Rather, it was fellow breakout hit Modern Family that dominated the comedy category, snagging awards left and right for a grand total of six trophies (including the Emmy for Best Comedy Series) and unseating Tina Fey’s 30 Rock for the first time in three years.

Another surprising and long-anticipated upset occurred in the category for Best Reality Competition Program, when the 7-year reigning champ, The Amazing Race, was toppled by another series—and not by reality powerhouses American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, or Project Runway. Instead, a more, shall we say flavorful, show snagged the trophy: Bravo’s Top Chef.

And while many were hoping that the jilted Conan O’Brien would take the win for the Variety category (giving NBC a nice kick in the gut in the process), The Daily Show with Jon Stewart continued its winning streak with its 8^th consecutive Emmy.

Other surprises included a musical ditty performed by Kim Kardashian, a moving humanitarian speech from George Clooney, and Temple Grandin’s (extremely well-deserved) seven Emmy wins.

For a full list of winners, visit the official site of the Annual Primetime Emmy Awards at www.emmys.tv.

Photo from Deanna via flickr