Kathy Griffin and Planet Earth win Emmys

Kathy Griffin has won an Emmy. Specifically, her Bravo series Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List, was named the most outstanding reality program. The Discovery Channel’s groundbreaking nature documentary Planet Earth was named the best nonfiction series; overall, it won in five of the seven categories for which it was nominated.

Because the Academy still hasn’t figured out reality show categories, Kathy beat shows that are nothing like hers, from Extreme Makeover: Home Edition to Antiques Roadshow (what fogies are still nominating that show?). Accepting her award, Kathy said, “Can you believe this shit? I guess hell froze over.” TV Week reports that Kathy later “said Jesus had nothing to do with her award win,” and said, “So, all I can say is ‘Suck it, Jesus.’ This award is my god now.” (After she lost last year, Kathy screamed obscenities and later discussed the D-list nature of the other nominees in her act.)

While American Idol was honored with the Governor’s Award for Idol Gives Back, it won in only one of the five categories it was nominated in: Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Special category for Idol Gives Back.

The Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch was nominated four times but lost in all four categories. Similarly, Dancing with the Stars was nominated seven times, but lost in every category. Most embarrassingly, American Idol 6 and Dancing with the Stars both lost Outstanding Multi-camera Picture Editing For A Series to CBS’ sitcom Two and a Half Men.

All of the winners of the major nonfiction categories, plus relevant nominees, are identified below; the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has the full list:

• Outstanding Reality Program: Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List. Also nominated: Antiques Roadshow, Dog Whisperer, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, and Penn & Teller: Bullshit.
• Outstanding Nonfiction Series: Planet Earth. Also nominated: Deadliest Catch.
• Outstanding Cinematography For Nonfiction Programming: Planet Earth. Also nominated: Deadliest Catch, Meerkat Manor, This American Life, and When The Levees Broke: A Requiem In Four Acts
• Outstanding Cinematography For Reality Programming: The Amazing Race 10. Also nominated: Dirty Jobs, Intervention, Project Runway, and Top Chef 2
• Outstanding Picture Editing For Reality Programming: The Amazing Race 10. Also nominated: American Idol 6, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Project Runway 3, and Survivor Fiji
• Outstanding Choreography: So You Think You Can Dance (two awards, one for Wade Robson’s Ramalama (Bang Bang) and one for Mia Michael’s “Calling You”) Also nominated: Dancing with the Stars