The 56th Primetime Emmy Awards were held on Sunday, September 19, 2004. The ceremony was hosted by Garry Shandling and was broadcast on ABC. 27 awards were presented.
The HBO miniseries Angels in America had the most successful night. It became the first program to sweep every major category, going 7/7, in Emmy history, until 2020 when Schitt’s Creek repeated the feat. Along with Schitt’s Creek, Caesar's Hour in 1957 and The Crown in 2021, it is one of only four programs to win all four main acting categories.
Upstart comedy series Arrested Development won Outstanding Comedy Series (being the second time Fox won that specific award) and two other major awards overall. Its pilot became the twelfth episode to accomplish the directing/writing double.
After years of winning everything but the top prize, The Sopranos finally took home the crown for Outstanding Drama Series, not only knocking off four-time defending champion The West Wing but by being the first cable show, HBO, ever to beat any of the Big Four television networks for that award. It led all dramas with twelve major nominations and four major wins. One of those wins was for Drea de Matteo for Drama Supporting Actress and, too, was the first time that award went to a cable network. Furthermore, the cable network also won for the first times in the Comedy Lead Actress and Comedy Supporting Actress categories (Sarah Jessica Parker and Cynthia Nixon respectively for Sex and the City).
Entering its final ceremony, five-time series champion Frasier needed five major wins to tie The Mary Tyler Moore Shows record of 27 major wins. Because it was only nominated in three major categories, breaking the record was not possible. Though it did not tie the record, Frasier finished its Emmy career on a high note, winning two major awards, the most it had won since 1998. Its 25 major wins put it at second of all time. When adding its wins in technical categories, its total rises to 37, the most for any comedy series.
Winners and nominees Winners are listed first and highlighted in bold:Emmys.com list of 2004 Nominees & Winners
Programs
+ Arrested Development (Fox) Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO) Everybody Loves Raymond (CBS) Sex and the City (HBO) Will & Grace (NBC) The Sopranos (HBO) 24 (Fox) CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (CBS) Joan of Arcadia (CBS) The West Wing (NBC) Something the Lord Made (HBO) And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself (HBO) Ike: Countdown to D-Day (A&E) The Lion in Winter (Showtime) The Reagans (Showtime) Angels in America (HBO) American Family (PBS) Hornblower (A&E) Prime Suspect VI: The Last Witness (PBS) Traffic (USA) The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central) Chappelle's Show (Comedy Central) Late Night with Conan O'Brien (NBC) Late Show with David Letterman (CBS) Saturday Night Live (NBC) The Amazing Race (CBS) American Idol (Fox) The Apprentice (NBC) Last Comic Standing (NBC) Survivor (CBS)
Acting
Lead performances + Kelsey Grammer – Frasier as Dr. Frasier Crane (NBC) Larry David – Curb Your Enthusiasm as himself (HBO) Matt LeBlanc – Friends as Joey Tribbiani (NBC) John Ritter – 8 Simple Rules as Paul Hennessy (ABC) (posthumous) Episode: “(Premiere”) Tony Shalhoub – Monk as Adrian Monk (USA) Sarah Jessica Parker – Sex and the City as Carrie Bradshaw (HBO) Jennifer Aniston – Friends as Rachel Green (NBC) Patricia Heaton – Everybody Loves Raymond as Debra Barone (CBS) Episode: (“Fun With Debra”) Bonnie Hunt – Life with Bonnie as Bonnie Molloy (ABC) Jane Kaczmarek – Malcolm in the Middle as Lois (Fox) Episode: (“Block Party”) James Spader – The Practice as Alan Shore (ABC) James Gandolfini – The Sopranos as Tony Soprano (HBO) Anthony LaPaglia – Without a Trace as Jack Malone (CBS) Martin Sheen – The West Wing as President Jed Bartlet (NBC) Kiefer Sutherland – 24 as Jack Bauer (Fox) Allison Janney – The West Wing as C. J. Cregg (NBC) Edie Falco – The Sopranos as Carmela Soprano (HBO) Jennifer Garner – Alias as Sydney Bristow (ABC) Mariska Hargitay – Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Olivia Benson (NBC) Amber Tamblyn – Joan of Arcadia as Joan Girardi (CBS) Al Pacino – Angels in America as Roy Cohn (HBO) Antonio Banderas – And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself as Pancho Villa (HBO) James Brolin – The Reagans as President Ronald Reagan (Showtime) Mos Def – Something the Lord Made as Vivien Thomas (HBO) Alan Rickman – Something the Lord Made as Alfred Blalock (HBO) Meryl Streep – Angels in America as Hannah Pitt / Ethel Rosenberg / the Rabbi / the Angel Australia (HBO) Glenn Close – The Lion in Winter as Eleanor of Aquitaine (Showtime) Judy Davis – The Reagans as First Lady Nancy Reagan (Showtime) Helen Mirren – Prime Suspect VI: The Last Witness as DCI Jane Tennison (PBS) Emma Thompson – Angels in America as Nurse Emily / Homeless Woman / the Angel America (HBO) Elaine Stritch – Elaine Stritch: At Liberty (HBO) Billy Crystal – 76th Annual Academy Awards (ABC) Ellen DeGeneres – Ellen DeGeneres: Here and Now (HBO) Bill Maher – Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO) Tracey Ullman – Tracey Ullman in The Trailer Tales (HBO)
Supporting performances + David Hyde Pierce – Frasier as Dr. Niles Crane (NBC) Peter Boyle – Everybody Loves Raymond as Frank Barone (CBS) Episodes: (“Jazz Records” and “The Mentor”) Brad Garrett – Everybody Loves Raymond as Robert Barone (CBS) Episodes: (“The Model” and “Golf for it” Sean Hayes – Will & Grace as Jack McFarland (NBC) Jeffrey Tambor – Arrested Development as George Bluth Sr. (Fox) Cynthia Nixon – Sex and the City as Miranda Hobbes (HBO) Kim Cattrall – Sex and the City as Samantha Jones (HBO) Kristin Davis – Sex and the City as Charlotte York Goldenblatt (HBO) Megan Mullally – Will & Grace as Karen Walker (NBC) Doris Roberts – Everybody Loves Raymond as Marie Barone (CBS) Episodes: (“Thank you notes” and “Liars”) Michael Imperioli – The Sopranos as Christopher Moltisanti (HBO) Steve Buscemi – The Sopranos as Tony Blundetto (HBO) Brad Dourif – Deadwood as Doc Cochran (HBO) Victor Garber – Alias as Jack Bristow (ABC) John Spencer – The West Wing as Leo McGarry (NBC) Drea de Matteo – The Sopranos as Adriana La Cerva (HBO) Stockard Channing – The West Wing as First Lady Abbey Bartlet (NBC) Tyne Daly – Judging Amy as Maxine Gray (CBS) Janel Moloney – The West Wing as Donna Moss (NBC) Robin Weigert – Deadwood as Calamity Jane (HBO) Jeffrey Wright – Angels in America as Mr. Lies / Norman "Belize" Ariaga / Homeless Man / the Angel Europa (HBO) Justin Kirk – Angels in America as Prior Walter / Leatherman in Park (HBO) William H. Macy – Stealing Sinatra as John Irwin (Showtime) Ben Shenkman – Angels in America as Louis Ironson / the Angel Oceania (HBO) Patrick Wilson – Angels in America as Joe Pitt / the Antarctic Eskimo / Mormon Father (HBO) Mary-Louise Parker – Angels in America as Harper Pitt (HBO) Julie Andrews – Eloise at Christmastime as Nanny (ABC) Anne Heche – Gracie's Choice as Rowena Larson (Lifetime) Anjelica Huston – Iron Jawed Angels as Carrie Chapman Catt (HBO) Angela Lansbury – The Blackwater Lightship as Dora (CBS)
Directing + Arrested Development: "Pilot" – Anthony Russo and Joe Russo (Fox) Curb Your Enthusiasm: "The Car Pool Lane" – Robert B. Weide (HBO) Curb Your Enthusiasm: "The 5 Wood" – Bryan Gordon (HBO) Curb Your Enthusiasm: "The Survivor" – Larry Charles (HBO) Sex and the City: "An American Girl in Paris: Part Deux" – Tim Van Patten (HBO) Deadwood: "Deadwood" – Walter Hill (HBO) ER: "The Lost" – Christopher Chulack (NBC) Nip/Tuck: "Pilot" – Ryan Murphy (FX) The Sopranos: "Irregular Around the Margins" – Allen Coulter (HBO) The Sopranos: "Long Term Parking" – Tim Van Patten (HBO) 76th Annual Academy Awards – Louis J. Horvitz (ABC) Bill Maher: Victory Begins at Home – John Moffitt (HBO) Chappelle's Show – Neal Brennan, Andre Allen, and Scott Vincent (Comedy Central) The Daily Show with Jon Stewart – Chuck O'Neil (Comedy Central) Elaine Stritch: At Liberty – Andy Picheta, Nick Doob, Chris Hegedus, and D. A. Pennebaker (HBO) Late Show with David Letterman – Jerry Foley (CBS) Angels in America – Mike Nichols (HBO) Ike: Countdown to D-Day – Robert Harmon (A&E) The Lion in Winter – Andrey Konchalovskiy (Showtime) Prime Suspect VI: The Last Witness – Tom Hooper (PBS) Something the Lord Made – Joseph Sargent (HBO)
Writing + Arrested Development: "Pilot" – Mitchell Hurwitz (Fox) Frasier: "Goodnight, Seattle" – Christopher Lloyd and Joe Keenan (NBC) Sex and the City: "An American Girl in Paris: Part Deux" – Michael Patrick King (HBO) Sex and the City: "The Ick Factor" – Julie Rottenberg and Elisa Zuritsky (HBO) Scrubs: "My Screw Up" – Neil Goldman and Garrett Donovan (NBC) The Sopranos: "Long Term Parking" – Terence Winter (HBO) Deadwood: "Deadwood" – David Milch (HBO) The Sopranos: "Irregular Around the Margins" – Robin Green and Mitchell Burgess (HBO) The Sopranos: "Unidentified Black Males" – Matthew Weiner and Terence Winter (HBO) The Sopranos: "Where's Johnny?" – Michael Caleo (HBO) The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central) Chappelle's Show (Comedy Central) Chris Rock: Never Scared (HBO) Late Night with Conan O'Brien (NBC) Late Show with David Letterman (CBS) Angels in America – Tony Kushner (HBO) And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself – Larry Gelbart (HBO) Iron Jawed Angels – Sally Robinson, Eugenia Bostwick-Singer, Raymond Singer, and Jennifer Friedes (HBO) The Reagans – Jane Marchwood, Thomas Rickman, and Elizabeth Egloff (Showtime) Something the Lord Made – Peter Silverman and Robert Caswell (HBO)
Most major nominations +Networks with multiple major nominations"Major" constitutes the categories listed above: Program, Acting, Directing, and Writing. Does not include the technical categories. Networks No. ofNominations HBO 56 NBC 33 CBS 19 ABC 12
+Programs with multiple major nominations Program Category Network No. ofNominations The Sopranos DramaHBO 12 Angels in America Miniseries 11 Sex and the City Comedy 8 The West Wing Drama NBC 6 Curb Your EnthusiasmComedy HBO5 Everybody Loves Raymond CBS Something the Lord Made Movie HBO Arrested Development Comedy Fox4 Deadwood Drama HBO The ReagansMovie Showtime And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself HBO3 Chappelle's ShowVarietyComedy Central The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Frasier Comedy NBC Late Show with David Letterman Variety CBS The Lion in Winter Movie Showtime Prime Suspect VI: The Last Witness Miniseries PBS Will & Grace Comedy NBC 24 Drama Fox2 The 76th Annual Academy Awards VarietyABC Alias Drama Elaine Stritch: At Liberty Variety HBO Friends Comedy NBC Ike: Countdown to D-DayMovie A&E Iron Jawed Angels HBO Joan of Arcadia Drama CBS Late Night with Conan O'Brien Variety NBC
Most major awards +Networks with multiple major awards"Major" constitutes the categories listed above: Program, Acting, Directing, and Writing. Does not include the technical categories. Network No. ofAwards HBO 16 Fox3 NBC ABC2 Comedy Central
+Programs with multiple major awards Program Category Network No. ofAwards Angels in America MiniseriesHBO 7 The Sopranos Drama 4 Arrested Development Comedy Fox 3 The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Variety Comedy Central2 FrasierComedy NBC Sex and the City HBO
Notes
Presenters The awards were presented by the following people: