56th Primetime Emmy Awards

Infobox Emmy Awards
name = 56th
type = P


imagesize =
caption =
date = September 19, 2004
site = Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, California
creative_arts = September 12, 2004
host = Garry Shandling
network = ABC
producer =
last = 55th Primetime
next = 57th Primetime

The 56th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were held Sunday, September 19, 2004. The awards show was hosted by Garry Shandling and was broadcast on ABC. Nominees are listed below; winners are in bold.

Outstanding Drama Series

*"The Sopranos", HBO
** "24", Fox
** "", CBS
** "Joan of Arcadia", CBS
** "The West Wing", NBC

Outstanding Comedy Series

* "Arrested Development", FOX
** "Curb Your Enthusiasm", HBO
** "Everybody Loves Raymond", CBS
** "Sex and the City", HBO
** "Will & Grace", NBC

Outstanding Mini-Series

* "Angels in America", HBO
** "American Family", PBS
**"", A&E
** "Prime Suspect 6", PBS
** "Traffic", USA

Outstanding Made for Television Movie

* "Something the Lord Made", HBO
** "And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself", HBO
** "", A&E
** "The Lion in Winter", Showtime
** "The Reagans", Showtime

Outstanding Reality-Competition Program

* "The Amazing Race 4", CBS
** "American Idol", Fox
** "The Apprentice", NBC
** "Last Comic Standing", NBC
** "", CBS

Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series

* "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart", Comedy Central
** "Chappelle's Show", Comedy Central
** "Late Night with Conan O'Brien", NBC
** "The Late Show with David Letterman", CBS
** "Saturday Night Live", NBC

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

* James Spader for playing Alan Shore on "The Practice"
**James Gandolfini for playing Tony Soprano on "The Sopranos"
**Anthony LaPaglia for playing Jack Malone on "Without a Trace"
**Martin Sheen for playing President Josiah Bartlet on "The West Wing"
**Kiefer Sutherland for playing Jack Bauer on "24"

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

* Kelsey Grammer for playing Dr. Frasier Crane on "Frasier"
**Larry David for playing himself on "Curb Your Enthusiasm"
**Matt LeBlanc for playing Joey Tribianni on "Friends"
**John Ritter for playing Paul Hennessy on "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter"
**Tony Shalhoub for playing Adrian Monk on "Monk"

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie

* Al Pacino for playing Roy Cohn in "Angels in America"
**Antonio Banderas for playing Pancho Villa in "And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself"
**James Brolin for playing Ronald Reagan in "The Reagans"
**Mos Def for playing Vivien Thomas in "Something the Lord Made"
**Alan Rickman for playing Alfred Blalock in "Something the Lord Made"

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

* Allison Janney for playing C.J. Cregg on "The West Wing"
**Edie Falco for playing Carmela Soprano on "The Sopranos"
**Jennifer Garner for playing Sydney Bristow on "Alias"
**Mariska Hargitay for playing Detective Olivia Benson on ""
**Amber Tamblyn for playing Joan Girardi on "Joan of Arcadia"

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

* Sarah Jessica Parker for playing Carrie Bradshaw on "Sex and the City"
**Jennifer Aniston for playing Rachel Green on "Friends"
**Patricia Heaton for playing Debra Barone on "Everybody Loves Raymond"
**Bonnie Hunt for playing Bonnie Molloy on "Life with Bonnie"
**Jane Kaczmarek for playing Lois Wilkerson on "Malcolm in the Middle"

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie

* Meryl Streep for playing Hannah Pitt, The Rabbi, Ethel Rosenberg & Continental Principality in "Angels in America"
**Emma Thompson for playing Nurse Emily, Homeless Woman and Angel America in "Angels in America"
**Glenn Close for playing Eleanor in "The Lion in Winter"
**Helen Mirren for playing Jane Tennison in ""
**Judy Davis for playing Nancy Reagan in " The Reagans"

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

* Michael Imperioli for playing Christopher Moltisanti on "The Sopranos"
**Steve Buscemi for playing Tony Blundetto on "The Sopranos"
**Brad Dourif for playing Doc Cochran on "Deadwood"
**Victor Garber for playing Jack Bristow on "Alias"
**John Spencer for playing Leo McGarry on "The West Wing"

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

* David Hyde Pierce for playing Niles Crane on "Frasier"
**Peter Boyle for playing Frank Barone on "Everybody Loves Raymond"
**Brad Garrett for playing Robert Barone on "Everybody Loves Raymond"
**Sean Hayes for playing Jack McFarland on "Will & Grace"
**Jeffrey Tambor for playing George Bluth Sr. on "Arrested Development"

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie

* Jeffrey Wright for playing Belize, Mr. Lies & Continental Principality in "Angels in America"
**Patrick Wilson for playing Joe Pitt in "Angels in America"
**Justin Kirk for playing Prior Walter and The Man in the Park in "Angels in America"
**Ben Shenkman for playing Louis Ironson & Continental Principality in "Angels in America"
**William H. Macy for playing John Irwin in "Stealing Sinatra"

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

* Drea de Matteo for playing Adriana La Cerva on "The Sopranos"
**Stockard Channing for playing Abbey Bartlet on "The West Wing"
**Tyne Daly for playing Maxine Gray on "Judging Amy"
**Janel Moloney for playing Donna Moss on"The West Wing"
**Robin Weigert for playing Calamity Jane on "Deadwood"

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

* Kim Cattrall for playing Samantha Jones on "Sex and the City"
* Kristin Davis for playing Charlotte York on "Sex and the City"
* Megan Mullally for playing Karen Walker on "Will & Grace"
* Cynthia Nixon for playing Miranda Hobbes on "Sex and the City"
* Doris Roberts for playing Marie Barone on "Everybody Loves Raymond"

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie

* Mary-Louise Parker for playing Harper Pitt in "Angels in America"
* Julie Andrews for playing Nanny in "Eloise at Christmastime"
* Angela Lansbury for playing Dora in "The Blackwater Lightship (Hallmark Hall Of Fame Presentation)"
* Anne Heche for playing Rowena Larson in "Gracie’s Choice"
* Anjelica Huston for playing Carrie Chapman Catt in "Iron Jawed Angels"

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series

*James Earl Jones for playing Will Cleveland on "Everwood"
*Martin Landau for playing Frank Malone on "Without a Trace"
*Bob Newhart for playing Ben Hollander on "ER"
*Matthew Perry for playing Joe Quincy on "The West Wing"
*William Shatner for playing Denny Crane on "The Practice"

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series

*Louise Fletcher for playing Miss Eva Garrison on "Joan of Arcadia"
*Marlee Matlin for playing Dr. Amy Solwey on ""
*Sharon Stone for playing Sheila Carlisle on "The Practice"
*Betty White for playing Catherine Piper on "The Practice"
*Mare Winningham for playing "Sandra Blaine" on ""

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

*John Cleese for playing Lyle Finster on "Will & Grace"
*Danny DeVito for playing Roy on "Friends"
*Anthony LaPaglia for playing Simon Moon on "Frasier"
*John Turturro for playing "Ambrose Monk" on "Monk"
*Fred Willard for playing Hank MacDougal on "Everybody Loves Raymond"

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series

*Christina Applegate for playing Amy on "Friends"
*Eileen Brennan for playing Zandra on "Will & Grace"
*Georgia Engel for playing Pat MacDougal on "Everybody Loves Raymond"
*Cloris Leachman for playing Ida on "Malcolm in the Middle"
*Laura Linney for playing Charlotte on "Frasier"

Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program

* Billy Crystal—"The 76th Annual Academy Awards"
* Elaine Stritch—""
* Ellen DeGeneres—""
* Bill Maher—"Real Time With Bill Maher"
* Tracey Ullman—"Tracey Ullman in the Trailer Tales"

Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series

* Walter Hill—"Deadwood"
* Christopher Chulack—" ER"
* Ryan Murphy—"Nip/Tuck"
* Allen Coulter—"The Sopranos"
* Tim Van Patten—"The Sopranos"

Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series

* Joe Russo & Anthony Russo—"Arrested Development"
* Bryan Gordon—"Curb Your Enthusiasm"
* Robert B. Weide—"Curb Your Enthusiasm"
* Larry Charles—"Curb Your Enthusiasm"
* Tim Van Patten—"Sex And The City"

Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special

* Mike Nichols—"Angels in America"
* Robert Harmon—""
* Andrei Konchalovsky—"The Lion In Winter"
* Tom Hooper—""
* Joseph Sargent—"Something The Lord Made"

Outstanding Directing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program

* Louis J. Horvitz—"The 76th Annual Academy Awards"
* John Moffitt—""
* Chuck O'Neil—"The Daily Show with Jon Stewart"
* Andy Picheta, Nick Doob, Chris Hegedus and DA Pennebaker—""
* Neal Brennan, Andre Allen and Scott Vincent—""
* Jerry Foley—"The Late Show with David Letterman"

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series

* David Milch—"Deadwood" (episode: "Pilot")
* Michael Caleo—"The Sopranos" (episode: "Where's Johnny?")
* Terence Winter—"The Sopranos" (episode: "Long Term Parking")
* Terence Winter & Matthew Weiner—"The Sopranos" (episode: "Unidentified Black Males")
* Robin Green & Mitchell Burgess—"The Sopranos" (episode: "Irregular Around the Margins")

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series

* Mitchell Hurwitz—"Arrested Development" (episode: "Pilot")
* Garrett Donovan & Neil Goldman—"Scrubs" (episode: "My Screw Up")
* Christopher Lloyd & Joe Keenan—"Frasier" (episode: "Goodnight, Seattle")
* Julie Rottenberg & Elisa Zuritsky—"Sex and the City" (episode: "The Ick Factor")
* Michael Patrick King—"Sex and the City" (episode: " An American Girl in Park, Part Deux")

Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special

* Larry Gelbart—"And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself"
* Sally Robinson, Eugenia Bostwick-Singer, Raymond Singer & Jennifer Friedes—"Iron Jawed Angels"
* Jane Marchwood, Tom Rickman & Elizabeth Egloff—"The Reagans"
* Peter Silverman & Robert Caswell—"Something The Lord Made"
* Tony Kushner—"Angels in America"

Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program

* "Chappelle’s Show"
* "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart"
* ""
* "Late Night With Conan O’Brien"
* "Late Show With David Letterman"