Timberlake Boxes Up an Emmy

His SNL ditty scores statuette at Creative Arts Emmys; Kathy Griffin, Spike Lee, John Goodman, Battlestar Galactica also first-time winners

By Joal Ryan Sep 09, 2007 1:23 PMTags

The ranks of Emmy winners have a new member: Justin Timberlake.

The "SexyBack" singer, a four-time Grammy winner, claimed a statuette at Saturday's Creative Arts Primetime Emmys for his heartfelt, if frank musical contribution to Saturday Night Live, "Dick in a Box."

Kathy Griffin, Spike Lee, John Goodman and Eric Cartman were among the other winners as announced at Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium. In all, the night saw Emmys presented in more than 60 categories, many of them for behind-the-scenes work such as casting, editing and special effects.

Timberlake's win came in the Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics field. The ditty, which is about what it's title says it's about, and which made its legend on YouTube, where its lyrics can be enjoyed in all their uncensored glory, defeated the likes of "Everything Comes Down to Poo," from Scrubs.

Timberlake, currently on tour, was not present at Saturday's ceremony. Cowriter/cosinger (and SNL regular) Andy Samberg was.

Griffin, meanwhile, claimed her first-ever Emmy for her Bravo bid for A-list fame, Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List, which prevailed in the Reality Program category over Antiques Roadshow, Dog Whisperer, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and Penn & Teller: Bull----!

Lee, who just can't win at the Oscars, scored his first Emmy for Outstanding Direction for Nonfiction Programming for HBO's Hurricane Katrina documentary, When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts.

Goodman turned back the likes of reigning Oscar champ Forest Whitaker for the Guest Actor in a Drama Series Emmy. Goodman, winless in his previous nine Emmy bids, scored for his turn in the late Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Whitaker was nominated for his recurring role on ER.

Saturday's other acting champs: Stanley Tucci, Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for USA's Monk; Elaine Stritch, Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for NBC's 30 Rock; and, two-time Oscar nominee Leslie Caron, Guest Actress in a Drama Series for NBC's Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

South Park, meanwhile, trumped a field that included Robot Chicken and longtime nemesis The Simpsons for Outstanding Animated Program.

HBO shows won the most Emmys, 15. Low-rated NBC was Emmy's top broadcast network, with 12 trophies.

Elsewhere: CBS' Tonys telecast beat out the Oscars, the Golden Globes and the Super Bowl's Prince-ly halftime show for the Special Class Program Emmy; Sci-Fi Channel's Battlestar Galactica collected its first ever Emmy, for visual effects; and, ABC's Dancing with the Stars did not—repeat, did not—win for Outstanding Choreography. Dancing, in fact, was the only show of the choreography category's four nominees that did not win. (Two episodes of Fox's So You Think You Can Dance and NBC's Tony Bennett: An American Classic all claimed trophies.)

The usually luckless American Idol—at the Emmys, anyway—was honored with the Governors Award for its "Idol Gives Back" charity special.

Idol will try to win a competitive Emmy for Outstanding Reality Competition at next weekend's Primetime Emmys, featuring the far-flung award-show's 29 remaining categories.

E! will present the Creative Arts Primetime Emmys, with host Carlos Mencia, as a two-hour special next Saturday at 8 p.m. (E! and E! Online are divisions of E! Networks.)

Fox is set to air the 59th Annual Primetime Emmys, with host Ryan Seacrest, next Sunday at 8 p.m.