Finney scoops Emmy award

The five time Academy Award nominee won the award – the television equivalent of the Oscars – for his acclaimed performance as Sir Winston Churchill in The Gathering Storm.

The show depicted the leader during his years in the political wilderness before the outbreak of the Second World War.

British stars Kenneth Branagh, who starred as the legendary explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton in Shackleton, and Sir Michael Gambon, who played former US President Lyndon Johnson in Path to War, were also up for the award along with Americans James Franco and Beau Bridges.

And there was success at the prestigious awards for British rock star Sting who won the Emmy for best individual performance in a variety or music programme.

Sting’s award was for ‘A&E in Concert: Sting in Tuscany’ and he triumphed over fellow nominees Billy Joel, Jon Stewart, Wayne Brady and Ryan Stiles.

In the major award categories, hit NBC series, The West Wing, won the Emmy for best drama for the third year in a row while popular sitcom Friends was chosen as best comedy series.

Friends star Jennifer Aniston, who attended the ceremony with husband Brad Pitt, won best actress in a comedy series.

But her co-stars Matt Le Blanc and Matthew Perry were beaten by Ray Romano, star of popular US show Everybody Loves Raymond, in the best actor in a comedy category.

Michael Chiklis, who stars as a corrupt cop in The Shield, won best actor in a drama series while the best actress in that category went to Allison Janney for her role as press secretary CJ Cregg in The West Wing.

But there was disappointment for several British actors.

Oscar winner Jim Broadbent was in the running for best supporting actor in a mini series or made-for-TV movie for his role in The Gathering Storm but that award went to Michael Moriarty for his role in James Dean.

Broadbent’s co-star Vanessa Redgrave, who played the premier’s wife Clemmie in The Gathering Storm, was short-listed for best actress in the same category but the Emmy went to Laura Linney for Wild Iris.

Another British hopeful was Dame Diana Rigg who was nominated for best supporting actress in a TV movie for her role as Baroness Lehzen in costume drama Victoria and Albert. But that award went to Stockard Channing for her role in The Matthew Shepard Story.

Channing also won a best supporting actress in a drama award for her role as the first lady in The West Wing while her co-star John Spencer, who plays the president’s chief of staff in the White House drama, was honoured in the best supporting actor category.

Other awards went to Everybody Loves Raymond co-stars Brad Garrett (best supporting actor in a comedy series) and Doris Roberts (best supporting actress in a comedy series).