Last night at the Beverly Hilton, the Television Critics Association (TCA) announced the winners of the 2015 TCA Awards in a ceremony hosted by James Corden (The Late Late Show), and including starpower like Jon Hamm. The results were determined from votes cast by the TCA’s membership, comprised of more than 220 professional TV critics and journalists from the United States and Canada, including those of us here at Channel Guide.
“It’s the fuckin’ big one!” Corden joked about the awards during his opening remarks, most of which took shots at the awards and the ceremony themselves.
Amy Schumer continued her hot streak by earning two TCA Awards (her Comedy Central show, Inside Amy Schumer, was awarded Outstanding Achievement in Comedy, while Schumer herself nabbed Individual Achievement in Comedy).
While Schumer couldn’t be at the ceremony (due to being treated for “overexposure,” according to a wry Inside Amy Schumer writer accepting on Schumer’s behalf), Jon Hamm was on hand to receive his second Individual Achievement in Drama Award from the TCA for his stunning sendoff of Don Draper in Mad Men.
The TCA Awards also acknowledged TV history by bestowing the Heritage Award on Late Show/Late Night With David Letterman, and giving the Career Achievement Award to legendary producer/writer James L. Brooks (The Simpsons, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Taxi), who accepted with a moving speech (and who was honored in video tribute of sorts from Homer Simpson).
FOX’s enormously popular Empire was unsurprisingly named Program of the Year at the ceremony, with producers Lee Daniels and Brian Grazer on hand to accept.
For the second consecutive year, ABC Family’s The Fosters was awarded for Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming. HBO’s stunning documentary series The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst, which had audiences gasping in that final episode, took home Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials.
“This was truly a monumental year for television,” said Scott D. Pierce, TCA President and TV critic for The Salt Lake Tribune. “We said goodbye to some old favorites, with the final seasons of ‘Mad Men’ and ‘Late Show with David Letterman,’ and we were treated to strong new additions like Fox’s ‘Empire’ and HBO’s ‘Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.’ There were a lot of difficult choices to be made, but there’s no doubt that the nominees and winners all deserve their accolades. I’m excited to see what the next year of television has in store.”
2015 TCA Awards Winners
Individual Achievement in Drama: Jon Hamm (“Mad Men,” AMC)
Individual Achievement in Comedy: Amy Schumer (“Inside Amy Schumer,” Comedy Central)
Outstanding Achievement in News and Information: “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” (HBO)
Outstanding Achievement in Reality Programming: “The Chair” (Starz)
Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming: “The Fosters” (ABC Family) – second consecutive year
Outstanding New Program: “Better Call Saul” (AMC)
Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials: “The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst” (HBO)
Outstanding Achievement in Drama: “The Americans” (FX)
Outstanding Achievement in Comedy: “Inside Amy Schumer” (Comedy Central)
Career Achievement Award:James L. Brooks
Heritage Award: “Late Show/Late Night with David Letterman” (CBS/NBC)
Program of the Year: “Empire” (Fox)