Game Of Thrones has set a new record, winning 12 prizes at the 67th Emmy Awards.

Actor Peter Dinklage won outstanding supporting actor in a drama series and the show also picked up the prestigious outstanding drama series award.

Dinklage embraced co-star Lena Headey and told the packed crowd: “I was chewing gum, I wasn’t prepared because the other actors in my category awe me with their performances.”

The show also won outstanding directing for a drama series and outstanding writing for a drama series.

It was an otherwise disappointing night for British TV talent, as shows like Downton Abbey walked away empty-handed.

Actress Viola Davis holds the award for Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series for her role in ABC's How To Get Away With Murder. Photo: Mike Blake/Reuters

Success was also sweet for How To Get Away With Murder’s Viola Davis and Mad Men star Jon Hamm. Davis made Emmy history by becoming the first black actress to win the outstanding lead actress in a drama series award. Hamm finally scored the Emmy for outstanding lead actor in a drama series after seven previous nominations for the hit show and tripped over on his way up to the stage.

Composing himself and collecting his Emmy from Tina Fey, he said: “It’s incredible and impossible for me personally to be standing here so I want to thank the people I owe an incredible debt, families who have chosen for some reason to take me in and be nice to me”.

British writers Armando Iannucci, Simon Blackwell and Tony Roche were awarded outstanding writing for a comedy series for their script for the election night episode of the political comedy, Veep.

Collecting the gong, creator Iannucci said: “If Veep is about one thing it’s about hope, hope that anyone in America, no matter their background, their race, their creed, can just miss out on getting the top job.”

Amy Schumer told the assembled press it was a roller-coaster moment when her win for best variety sketch series was announced.

“When I won I just thought, I can’t wait to hug my sister, and that was the first thing I did and I was sitting in a separate spot from the writers because I’m newly famous and so it was so exciting to see them all on stage and just be like, wow you’re such a group of dirtbags. It’s really fun to work here. And just being so proud of everybody. And I’m going to black out.”

I want to thank the people I owe an incredible debt, families who have chosen for some reason to take me in and be nice to me

Referring to his acceptance speech, Hamm said: “I felt like saying a lot of things, I was honestly very surprised and I don’t remember anything I said.

“Over the many years we have been here, this is the culmination of this wonderful feeling.”

Hamm said people still stop him in the street to discuss Don Draper with him.

“Our show was concurrent with the rise of TV blog culture and TV recaps and it’s been an amazing thing to watch people put time into appreciating the show.”

Hamm was nominated seven times without success but he said he held no resentment for the times he lost.

“There are so many incredible people and incredible performances that have been honoured over my own. I can’t hold a grudge at all, it’s not like they gave it to some guy on the street.”

Davis said she would be celebrating her historic win with some indulgences: “Eating bread and dessert. You know if you eat bread in Hollywood, you’re subversive? And drinking one, two, three, four drinks.”

Asked about making history at the ceremony, she said: “I just feel like there is so much work that needs to be done in so many areas in the business with actors of colour, so many narratives that need to be seen by people, so many stories that need to be seen and felt, that I hope that it doesn’t end here.”

She added: “If it’s been 67 years since an actress of colour has won an Emmy, then there’s certainly been a line and it needs to be acknowledged just like the emperor being naked in the room.”