Full Recap: "The 61st Annual 2009 Primetime Emmy Awards"

The 61st annual, 2009 Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony was held at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, California on September 20, 2009, and was hosted by an energetic Neil Patrick Harris, and featured many celebrity award presenters.

Neil Patrick Harris opened the 2009 Emmy Awards ceremony with a musical number called "Put Down The Remote" that was cute, at best. After NPH finished up his solo performance, he joked that he hoped Kanye liked the show "30 Rock" (the NBC hit comedy was up for 22 nominations.), to a warm audience reaction.

The first awards category presented during the 2009 Primetime Emmy's was Comedy. Tina Fey of "30 Rock" and John Hamm of "Mad Men" presented the first award of the night for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series to actress Kristin Chenoweth of "Pushing Daises". The award for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series went to Matt Hubbard, who picked up one of those 22 nods "30 Rock" received.

Julia Louis Dreyfus worse a stunning, teal green gown as she presented the award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series with "Saturday Night Live" comic Amy Poehler, who looked equally luminous in a black strapless frock. The 2009 Emmy Award winner in this category was the hysterical Jon Cryer, who got the nod for his role alongside Charlie Sheen in the comedy series "Two and a Half Men".

The next presenter for the 2009 Primetime Emmy Awards was none other than pop superstar turned "Saturday Night Live" sweetheart Justin Timberlake, who gave away the Emmy for best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series to "United States of Tara" star Toni Collette. Collette accepted the Emmy, and thanked her crew and family, in a beautiful, coral-red gown with a full ruffled skirt.

Leighton Meester and Blake Lively presented the next 2009 Emmy awards in the comedy category, which were for Outstanding Guest Actor and Actress, as well as Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series. Tina Fey and Justin Timberlake got mention for last week's Creative Award Emmy for their guest appearances, and Jeffrey Blitz won for his direction of "The Office".

Blake Lively owned the stage during this presentation, adorned in a breath-taking candy apple red Versace gown with an alluring, plunging neckline. Leighton fizzled, drowning in the fabric of an awkward, white Grecian frock, which featured two giant knots of fabric weighing on her tiny shoulders.

Rob Lowe presented and Alec Baldwin took home the Emmy for Best Lead actor in a comedy Series. Both men wore simple, classic tuxedos, with Rob Lowe rocking a bow tie and Alec Baldwin looking sharp with wide lapels and a silver neck tie.

A special "Family Guy" Emmy skit rounded out the Comedy category, with a spoof of a spoof of "Goodfellas". Stewie essentially beat the holy hell out of Brian in an effort to get him to vote for "Family Guy" instead of Neil Patrick Harris in "How I Met Your Mother", asking him menacingly, "Where's my Emmy? I want my Emmy, Brian", to the approval of the Emmy crowd.

The Reality category followed, with 2009 Emmy award-winner Jon Cryer presenting "Survivor" host Jeff Probst the Emmy for Best Host Of A Reality Series. Tracy Morgan presented the 2009 Emmy award for Best Reality Competition Show to "The Amazing Race", which beat out nominees "Dancing With The Stars", "Project Runway" and "American Idol".

A major highlight of the 2009 Primetime Emmy Awards show was an energetic, well-choreographed dance number by "Dancing With The Stars" dancers and former fiancés, Karina Smirnoff and Maksim Chmerkovskiy.

Next, in the Mini-Series and TV Movie category, Best Supporting Actress went to Iranian-born actress Shohreh Aghdashloo for her role in "House of Saddam", a mini-series that explores Saddam Hussein's inner sanctum and closest family members. The 2009 Primetime Emmy for Best Supporting Actor in the Mini-Series category went to Ken Howard for his role in "Grey Gardens".

Kate Walsh and Chondra Wilson presented the 2009 Emmy award for Lead Actor in a Mini-Series to Brendan Gleason for "Into The Storm". Jennifer Love Hewitt and Patricia Arquette gave away the Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Mini-Series to Andrew Davies for the BBC adaptation of Charles Dickens, "Little Dorrit". The Best Directing in a Mini-Series Emmy went to Dearbhla Walsh, who wore an ill-fitting red gown, also for "Little Dorrit".

Alec Baldwin next presented the Emmy award for Best Lead Actress in A Mini-Series or TV Movie to "Grey Gardens" star Jessica Lange. Lange, 60, looked sexy and age-appropriate in an emerald-green, floor length gown completed with a single diamond bracelet and natural make-up.

Television star Kiefer Sutherland presented the 2009 Emmy award for Outstanding Made-for-TV Movie to "Grey Gardens". "Gardens" director Michael Sucsy accepted the award, and an audience reaction shot showed an exuberant Drew Barrymore, who starred in the film.

The awards in the Variety category were up next. This category covers talk shows, late night comedy and musical television acts. Comedy Central's hit news satire offering, "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" took home two awards: one for Outstanding Writing and one for Outstanding Variety Show. Jimmy Fallon presented Best Musical Variety Act to those responsible for "Hugh Jackman's Opening Music" at the 81st Annual Academy Awards earlier in the year.

Another highlight of the evening came in the form of a tribute to lost talent during the past year. Talented and note-worthy people in entertainment such as Bea Arthur, Walter Cronkite, Dom Deluise, Michael Crichton, Paul Newman, Karl Maldon, Natasha Richardson, Ron Silver Michael Jackson, Ed McMahon and Patrick Swayze were honored by singer/songwriter Sarah McLachlan as she sang "I Will Remember You".

The Drama category followed variety, and LL Cool J awarded an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor to "Lost"s Michael Emerson. The Supporting Actress Emmy went to Cherry Jones of the Fox hit "24". "Grey's Anatomy" actress Sandra Oh was also up for the award, but looked genuinely thrilled for Jones as the camera panned to her for a reaction shot.

Matthew Weiner accepted the 2009 Emmy award for "Mad Men", which won Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series. Glenn Close beat out Kyra Sedgwick and Mariska Hargitay to win Best Lead Actress in a Drama, which she was awarded for her role in "Damages". Close sparkled with large, diamond earrings and an off-the-shoulder, long-sleeved black gown. She thanked the show's writer, and her fellow Emmy nominees.

Dana Delaney, of Desperate Housewives fame, wore a glittering purple gown with a corset bodice and full, flowing skirt as she presented the Emmy award for Best Lead Actor in a Drama to "Breaking Bad" star Bryan Cranston.

Saving the best literally for last, Bob Newhart presented "30 Rock" with the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series, while Sigourney Weaver gave Outstanding Drama Series to "Mad Men", which had a total of sixteen Emmy nominations. This is the same number of nominations the critically-acclaimed show received last year.

Another incident worth noting: during E! network's pre-Emmy Red Carpet coverage, "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane dropped the F-bomb! Read more on that here!

Also, for a full 2009 Emmy Awards Fashion Recap, click here!