Last night the 2009 Primetime Emmy Awards were handed out in a lavish ceremony at the Nokia Theater at LA Live in downtown Los Angeles, CA which was broadcast on CBS. As I mentioned earlier, Neil Patrick Harris KILLED as Emmy host last night but the awards show was more than just about him (as hard to believe as that may be). Here are a few pictures from the red carpet arrivals at the 2009 Emmy Awards last night:

While there were a lot of pretty people on the red carpet (Alyson Hannigan looked amazing, as did Drew Barrymore) the real focus of the night was on who won what for which TV show. After the jump, check out some photos from the Emmy telecast itself, see some photos of the Emmy winners in the press room and find out who took home those coveted trophies at last night’s Emmy Awards …

After starting with 16 nominations, “Mad Men” won just three Emmy Awards at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday night — but one of them was the big one, best drama series. The AMC show about ad agency executives in early 1960s Manhattan often competed against itself, particularly in the category of episode writing, where it had four of the five possible nominations. “Mad Men” also won best drama last year. “30 Rock” won best comedy at Sunday’s awards. The show won five Emmys overall. “We want to thank our friends at NBC … for keeping us on the air, even though we are so much more expensive than a talk show,” said star Tina Fey in accepting the honor. Glenn Close won best actress in a drama for her performance in “Damages,” but she turned her speech into praise for her colleagues. “I want to salute what I call my ‘category sisters,’ ” she said. “I respect you, and I’m inspired by your talent.” She also paid tribute to the show’s writers. Bryan Cranston of AMC’s “Breaking Bad” won his second straight Emmy as best actor in a drama. “I don’t know what I’m doing up here,” he said. “I feel like Cinderfella. … I stand here a humbled man.” Alec Baldwin won best actor in a comedy series for his performance in “30 Rock.” Toni Collette (“The United States of Tara”) won best actress in a comedy. Collette’s win was a mild surprise, as Tina Fey, of “30 Rock,” was considered a heavy favorite.

The thing that stuck me the most about the show was how much camaraderie was being tossed about … from everyone to everyone else. Heaps of praise was laid upon Neil Patrick Harris‘s performance as Emmy host and the winners kept congratulating others … it was really nice to see. Here are a few photos of some of the winners hoisting up their Emmy trophies in the press room last night:

Much congrats goes out to all the winners … even if I don’t watch all of the shows that win, it’s clear that they are much beloved by viewers and Emmy voters and they are really deserving of their accolades. Click HERE for a list of last night’s 2009 Emmy Award winners.

[Photo credit: Wireimage; Source]