Cary Joji Fukunaga won an Emmy for Outstanding Director for a Drama Series for HBO’s “True Detective” during the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony held Monday at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles.
Fukunaga, who was honored for an episode titled “Who Goes There,” was competing with Tim Van Patten (“Boardwalk Empire”), Vince Gilligan (“Breaking Bad”), David Evans (“Downton Abbey”), Neil Marshall (“Game of Thrones”), and Carl Franklin (“House of Cards”).
“I should have written something,” Fukunaga said as he accepted the Emmy from actors Debra Messing and Jim Parsons. “This is awesome … I’m at a loss for words.”
Joking that “You’re going to need a broom to sweep up all the names I’m about to drop,” he thanked the crew of “True Detective” as well his family and friends in New York.
“True Detective” stars Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey — both of whom were nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series but lost to Bryan Cranston of “Breaking Bad” — as Louisana State Police detectives who are brought in to revisit a homicide case they worked in 1995.
As executive producers of “True Detective,” Fukunaga, McConaughey, Harrelson and five others were nominated for Outstanding Drama Series, but the Emmy went to “Breaking Bad.” Also nominated were “Downton Abbey,” “Game of Thrones,” “House of Cards,” and “Mad Men.”
The show received 12 nominations and won in five categories, including Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-prosthetic), Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series, and Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series.
Fukunaga, 37, is also known for the feature films “Sin Nombre” (2009) and “Jane Eyre” (2011). His first job in L.A. was working as a camera production assistant for the music video for Destiny’s Child’s “Survivor.” Despite the success of “True Detective,” he will not be back for Season 2, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Other Asian American winners and nominees included the following:
Elaine Ko, a supervising producer of ABC’s “Modern Family,” was one of 15 producers who won an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series. She was a producer when the show won last year. Also nominated this year were “Louie,” “Orange Is the New Black,” “Silicon Valley,” “The Big Bang Theory,” and “Veep.”
Sam Kim was one of 19 writers of Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report” who won for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series. Also nominated were “Inside Amy Schumer,” “Key & Peele,” “Portlandia,” “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” and “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”
Joel Kuwahara, an animation executive producer for Fox’s “Bob’s Burgers,” was part of a 16-member team that won for Outstanding Animated Program. The other nominees were “Archer,” “Futurama,” “South Park” (Jack Shih and Jenny Yu, directors of animation) and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” (Michael Chang and Alan Wan, directors).
Junko Tsunashima, supervising producer for PBS’ “American Masters,” was part of a four-member team that won for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series. Also nominated: “Cosmos,” “Pioneers of Television,” “The World Wars,” “Years of Living Dangerously.”
Ai Nakata, a hair stylist for AMC’s “Mad Men,” was part of a four-member team nominated for Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series. The Emmy went to “Downton Abbey.” Also nominated: “Boardwalk Empire” and “Game of Thrones.”
Jasmin Lai, background painter for Cartoon Network’s “The Powerpuff Girls,” was honored for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation along with animators from “Adventure Time,” “Disney Gravity Falls,” “Disney Mickey Mouse,” “Long Live the Royals,” “Robot Chicken,” “The Simpsons,” “Uncle Grandpa.”
“True Detective” won for Outstanding Main Title Design. Also nominated were “Black Sails” (Karin Fong, designer/director), “Cosmos,” “Masters of Sex” (Yi-Jen Liu, designer), and “Silicon Valley” (Garson Yu, creative director).
James Wong, co-executive producer of FX’s “American Horror Story: Coven,” was part of a 12-member team nominated for Outstanding Miniseries. The award went to “Fargo.” Also nominated: “Bonnie & Clyde,” “Luther,” “The White Queen,” “Treme.”
CBS’ “The Amazing Race” won for Outstanding Reality Competition Program. Also nominated: “Dancing with the Stars,” “Project Runway” (Jane Cha, executive producer), “The Voice,” “Top Chef” (Padma Lakshmi, executive producer).
The Emmy for Outstanding Short-Format Animated Program went to “Disney Mickey Mouse.” Also nominated: “Adventure Time” (Helen Roh, sheet timing; Bonghui Han, overseas director), “Disney Phineas and Ferb,” “Regular Show” (Calvin Wong, writer; Hwang Gi-Ho, overseas director), “Robot Chicken.”
Foley editor Joseph Tsai and his colleagues were nominated for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Miniseries for TNT’s “Mob City” (the Emmy went to PBS’ “Sherlock: His Last Vow”) and for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series for AMC’s “The Walking Dead” (the Emmy went to Starz’s “Black Sails”).
Tim Hatayama, music mix recordist for NBC’s “The Voice,” was part of a 12-member team nominated for Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Variety Series or Special. The Emmy went to “The 56th Grammy Awards.” Also nominated: “The Beatles: The Night That Changed America,” “The Kennedy Center Honors,” “The Oscars.”
Hiro Koda, stunt coordinator for HBO’s “True Blood,” was nominated for Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Drama Series, Miniseries or Movie. The award went to “The Blacklist.” Also nominated: “Game of Thrones,” “Grimm,” “Hawaii Five-0,” “Revolution.”
The Emmy for Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork and Video Control for a Miniseries, Movie or Special went to NBC’s “The Sound Music Live.” Also nominated: “67th Annual Tony Awards” (Ernie Jew, camera; Ka-Lai Wong, video control), “Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games” (Ken Woo, camera), “The Oscars” (Easter Xua, camera; Terrance Ho, video control).
Xua was also part of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars’” 12-member camera team, which won for Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork and Video Control for a Series, and Ho worked on “The Voice,” which was nominated along with “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” “Saturday Night Live,” “The Big Bang Theory,” and “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.”
Producer Kate Ryu of ABC’s “Shark Tank” was part of a 13-member team that won for Outstanding Structured Reality Program. Also nominated: “Antiques Roadshow,” “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives,” “MythBusters” (Dennis Kwon, producer), “Undercover Boss,” “Who Do You Think You Are?”
Ray Yamagata, production designer, Chikako Suzuki, art director, and Tim Stepeck, set decorator, of Showtime’s “House of Lies” won for Outstanding Art Direction for a Contemporary Program (Half-hour or Less). Also nominated: “The Big Bang Theory,” “Modern Family,” “Silicon Valley,” “Veep.”
The Emmy for Outstanding Art Direction for Variety, Nonfiction, Reality or Reality-Competition Program went to “The Oscars.” Also nominated: “Saturday Night Live” (Akira Yoshimura, production designer), “Portlandia,” “Cosmos,” “Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games Opening Ceremony,” “The Voice.”
“Game of Thrones” won for Outstanding Special Visual Effects. Also nominated: “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” (Tracy Takahashi, visual effects producer; Jonathan Tanimoto, digital effects supervisor), “Almost Human,” “Cosmos,” “The 100.”
“Black Sails” won for Outstanding Special and Visual Effects in a Supporting Role. Also nominated: “Hawaii Five-0” (for the episode “Ho’onani Makuakane”), “Da Vinci’s Demons,” “Mob City,” “Vikings,” “The Walking Dead.”