Welsh star Matthew Rhys has made Emmy history in scooping two best lead actor awards at the same ceremony.
Picking up his second prize of the night at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles, the 51-year-old paid tribute to “the great and good people of Wales”, which he hailed as “a small but mighty nation”.
Earlier, he won best lead actor in a limited series for his role in the Netflix psychological thriller The Beast in Me.
He later went on to net the best lead comedy actor award for Apple TV’s Widow’s Bay.
Taken together with his 2018 drama win for The Americans, he is the first male performer to win in all three lead acting categories.
In his acceptance speech at the 78th annual Emmy Awards ceremony, Rhys thanked his parents and his sister for her “sage words and patient, patient listening”.
He added: “Finally, to the great and good people of Wales, who were as much a nurturer as anyone else. We are a small but mighty nation. This is incredible.”
He concluded the speech with: “Diolch yn fawr iawn”, meaning “thank you very much” in Welsh.
Speaking backstage holding both Emmys, Rhys said: “The celebrations will be long, varied, and I hope at times wild.”
Speaking from the stage, O’Flynn said: “This is the role of a lifetime. This is for all the Patricias out there.”
The show, created by Katie Dippold about a New England island community dealing with a centuries-old curse, broke the record for a comedy show by receiving a total of 14 awards, including best comedy series.
Sir Gary Oldman missed out for the third year running on the award for lead actor in a drama for his starring role as veteran MI5 agent Jackson Lamb in hit Apple TV series Slow Horses.
The prize went to The Pitt actor Noah Wyle, who paid a heartfelt tribute to Oldman and his body of work.
He said: “I just I have to acknowledge the work of my fellow nominees. Your work is inspirational. I watch you. I learn from you.
“In particular, Mr Oldman. I have to tell you, I don’t know there’s an actor my age that didn’t look at Prick Up Your Ears and Sid and Nancy and think that’s the benchmark that I want to hit one day in my career.”
The medical drama, set in a Pittsburgh emergency department, won best drama for the second year running.
Jean Smart won her fifth best actress award for a comedy series in an unprecedented sweep for the fifth and final season of Hacks. No actor had previously won an Emmy every year for a series that lasted more than three runs.
Rhea Seehorn won best actress in a drama for playing the lone central character on Apple TV’s Pluribus.
The Emmy for best variety series went to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, which went off air earlier this year amid controversy over claims its axing was politically motivated because of his criticism of the Trump administration.
The US version of hit TV show The Traitors won the reality competition category.
The Emmy Awards, which are America’s most coveted TV honours, were hosted by Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star Mariska Hargitay.
In her presenting role, she was not above lampooning herself by playing a clip from her film-acting debut in the 1985 horror-comedy film Ghoulies, where a small demon emerges from a toilet.
Hargitay also appeared in a pre-recorded Law & Order-based sketch with her long-time friend and singer Taylor Swift, investigating whether the star would be attending the award ceremony.
In reality, Swift was at an American football match watching her new husband and Travis Kelce and his Kansas City Chiefs beat the Denver Broncos.
Among the stars who did attend the Emmys were newly married Hollywood couple Tom Holland and Zendaya with their wedding rings on show.
Award-winning actor and Parkinson’s advocate Michael J Fox, who suffers from the disease, was honoured at the event for his tireless campaigning by being presented with the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award.
During the show there were tributes to the late singer Dolly Parton and the Schitt’s Creek star Catherine O’Hara, who died at the start of the year.
Also remembered was Rob Reiner, who was previously announced as a winner at the Creative Arts Emmys earlier this month, and received the award for outstanding guest actor in a comedy for his role in an episode of The Bear.
The award comes almost a year after the Spinal Tap director, 78, and his wife Michele Singer Reiner, 70, were found dead from apparent stab wounds in their home in Los Angeles.
Their son Nick, 33, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder.
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