British TV wins big at International Emmy Awards

NEW YORK - Agence France-Presse

Director Marc Munden (L) and writer/creator and executive producer Dennis Kelly of British crime television series "Utopia" pose backstage with their award for Drama Series, with actress Darby Stanchfield at the 42nd International Emmy Awards in New York November 24, 2014. REUTERS Photo

Britain led at the International Emmy Awards Monday, with three trophies going to British television series at the ceremony honoring the best TV programming outside the United States.
      
"Utopia," the conspiracy series created by Britain's Dennis Kelly and directed by Marc Munden took home the best drama Emmy, while the best actor trophy went to Stephen Dillane for his role as Karl Roebuck in "Tunnel," the Canal+ series that was also nominated for best drama.        

"Educating Yorkshire," a documentary program directed by David Brindley and narrated by David Clews about life in a school in northern Britain, took home the award for non-scripted entertainment.         British programs were nominated in six categories in total.        

The best actress award went to the Netherland's Bianca Krijgsman, who plays Mirte in "De Nieuwe Wereld," (The New World) about an airport cleaner's relationship with a West African refugee.
      
Belgium took home the best comedy prize for sketch comedy series from Tim Van Aelst and Sofie Peeters, "Wat Als? 2" (What If? 2).        

Germany's "Unsere Mutter, Unsere Vater" (Generation War), a World War Two miniseries by Heike Hempel and Benjamin Benedict, won the top prize in its category.        

Canada, nominated in three categories, walked away with the statue for best arts programming for "The Exhibition," directed by Damon Vignale and produced by Miho Yamamoto.        

It follows the public's negative reception of an artist's show of artwork based on a police poster of missing women.        

The best documentary prize went to Sweden's "Frihet bakom galler" (No Burqas Behind Bars), Maryam Ebrahimi's look at an Afghan women's prison.        

Brazil, which earned five nominations, won the Emmy for best telenovela for "Precious Pearl," Thelma Guedes and Amora Mautner's show about the son of a millionaire factory owner.
      
The 42nd International Emmys were hosted in downtown New York and presented by British comedian Matt Lucas.        

Matthew Weiner, the creator of the popular AMC series "Mad Men," received an honorable Emmy, presented by two of his show's actors, Christina Hendricks and John Slattery.
      
The International Emmy Directorate Award went to Roberto Irineu Marinho, who heads Brazil's biggest media group Globo.
      
A total of 19 countries competed this year, with 40 nominations in 10 categories.
      
It was also the first time that Spanish-language productions broadcast in the United States were included in the competition.        

The International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, which hands out the distinctions, includes media and entertainment representatives from over 50 countries and 500 companies from all sectors of television.