The Gold Derby TV Decade Awards were announced on Monday, November 4, and “Breaking Bad” was the Best Drama Series from 2010-2019 according to more than 1,500 registered Gold Derby users who cast their votes in October. Elsewhere, “Veep” claimed Best Comedy Series, while Ryan Murphy pulled a Mike Nichols-like sweep in the long form races. Scroll down to see the complete list of winners.
“Breaking Bad” premiered in 2008, but it gradually grew from an underdog drama overshadowed by its AMC sister show “Mad Men” to a full-blown pop cultural phenomenon by the time it ended in 2013. Now, more than six years later, it has been remembered as the best dramatic achievement of the decade. Not only did it claim Best Drama, Bryan Cranston also won Best Drama Actor, Aaron Paul claimed Best Drama Supporting Actor, Anna Gunn was the runner-up for Best Drama Supporting Actress, and the show’s final-season episode “Ozymandias” was named Best Drama Episode of the Decade.
And if that wasn’t enough, Cranston also won Performer of the Decade for his achievements throughout the last 10 years. “Breaking Bad” was chief among that work, of course, but he also had roles in “Sneaky Pete” and “All the Way” and made guest appearances in everything from “The Simpsons” and “Archer” to “30 Rock,” “Saturday Night Live” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”
“Veep” only won two of its nominations, but they were the big ones. It was named Best Comedy Series of the Decade and unsurprisingly Julia Louis-Dreyfus won Best Comedy Actress. She won an unprecedented six Emmys for her role as politician Selina Meyer in the HBO satire. She didn’t win quite as many Gold Derby Awards during that time — we gave her a measly three Comedy Actress titles (2014, 2016-2017) — but what she achieved as a lead comedy actress in the last 10 years is unlikely to be repeated.
Speaking of remarkable feats, Ryan Murphy was one of the definitive TV creators of the 2010s, and his work ended up sweeping every single category in the long form field. But there actually is precedent for that. When Gold Derby chose its Decade winners for 2000-2009, director Mike Nichols did the same: he won Best TV Movie for “Wit,” Best Limited Series for “Angels in America,” and then “Angels” won all four acting categories.
In this case, Murphy’s “The Normal Heart” won Best TV Movie. His “The People v. O.J. Simpson” prevailed three times: Best Limited Series, Best Movie/Mini Actress (Sarah Paulson) and Best Movie/Mini Supporting Actor (Sterling K. Brown). Murphy was also responsible for “The Assassination of Gianni Versace,” which won Best Movie/Mini Actor for Darren Criss. And of course he also made “American Horror Story,” for which Kathy Bates won Best Movie/Mini Supporting Actress for her multiple seasons of scene-stealing work.
But what about “Game of Thrones“? It came in with 12 nominations, more than any other program, but worry not. It tussled with “Breaking Bad” in just about every category, but HBO’s record-breaking fantasy epic came away with just as many victories: four. Though it didn’t take Best Drama, it did capture Best Drama Supporting Actress (Lena Headey), Best Drama Guest Actor (Pedro Pascal), Best Drama Guest Actress (Diana Rigg), and, most impressive of all, Ensemble of the Decade. Given how many actors and characters came and went, lived and died over the course of that show’s eight seasons, that award may well encompass the entire acting population of Europe.
See the complete list of nominees and winners below. And not just that, you can see who finished second and third in every single category. In the era of peak TV, placing and showing when it comes to the very best achievements of the last 10 years ain’t half bad.
PERFORMER OF THE DECADE
Winner: Bryan Cranston
Runner-Up: Sarah Paulson
3rd Place: Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Amy Adams
Tina Fey
Donald Glover
Bill Hader
Jessica Lange
Elisabeth Moss
Amy Poehler
ENSEMBLE OF THE DECADE
Winner: “Game of Thrones”
Runner-Up: “Breaking Bad”
3rd Place: “Big Little Lies”
“American Horror Story”
“Downton Abbey”
“Mad Men”
“Orange is the New Black”
“Parks and Recreation”
“30 Rock”
“Veep”
BEST COMEDY SERIES
Winner: “Veep”
Runner-Up: “Fleabag”
3rd Place: “Parks and Recreation”
“Atlanta”
“Barry”
“The Good Place”
“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”
“Modern Family”
“The Office”
“30 Rock”
BEST COMEDY EPISODE OF THE DECADE
Winner: “Fleabag” (“Episode 2.1”) — Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Writer), Harry Bradbeer (Director)
Runner-Up: “Veep” (“Veep”) — David Mandel (Writer/Director)
3rd Place: “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (“Pilot”) — Amy Sherman-Palladino (Writer/Director)
“Atlanta” (“B.A.N.”)
“Atlanta” (“Teddy Perkins”)
“Barry” (“ronny/lily”)
“Community” (“Modern Warfare”)
“Fleabag” (“Episode 2.6”)
“The Good Place” (“Janets”)
“Master of None” (“Thanksgiving”)
BEST COMEDY ACTRESS
Winner: Julia Louis-Dreyfus (“Veep”)
Runner-Up: Amy Poehler (“Parks and Recreation”)
3rd Place: Phoebe Waller-Bridge (“Fleabag”)
Kristen Bell (“The Good Place”)
Rachel Brosnahan (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”)
Laura Dern (“Enlightened”)
Tina Fey (“30 Rock”)
Allison Janney (“Mom”)
Lisa Kudrow (“The Comeback”)
Catherine O’Hara (“Schitt’s Creek”)
BEST COMEDY ACTOR
Winner: Steve Carell (“The Office”)
Runner-Up: Bill Hader (“Barry”)
3rd Place: Alec Baldwin (“30 Rock”)
Aziz Ansari (“Master of None”)
Jason Bateman (“Arrested Development”)
Ted Danson (“The Good Place”)
Donald Glover (“Atlanta”)
William H. Macy (“Shameless”)
Jim Parsons (“The Big Bang Theory”)
Andy Samberg (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine”)
BEST COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Winner: Jane Lynch (“Glee”)
Runner-Up: Jane Krakowski (“30 Rock”)
3rd Place: Alex Borstein (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”)
Julie Bowen (“Modern Family”)
Alison Brie (“Community”)
D’Arcy Carden (“The Good Place”)
Anna Chlumsky (“Veep”)
Sian Clifford (“Fleabag”)
Olivia Colman (“Fleabag”)
Jessica Walter (“Arrested Development”)
BEST COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTOR
Winner: Tituss Burgess (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”)
Runner-Up: Nick Offerman (“Parks and Recreation”)
3rd Place: Tony Hale (“Veep”)
Andre Braugher (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine”)
Ty Burrell (“Modern Family”)
Adam Driver (“Girls”)
Neil Patrick Harris (“How I Met Your Mother”)
Andrew Scott (“Fleabag”)
Eric Stonestreet (“Modern Family”)
Henry Winkler (“Barry”)
BEST COMEDY GUEST ACTRESS
Winner: Maya Rudolph (“The Good Place”)
Runner-Up: Megan Mullally (“Parks and Recreation”)
3rd Place: Elaine Stritch (“30 Rock”)
Christine Baranski (“The Big Bang Theory”)
Kristin Chenoweth (“Glee”)
Carrie Fisher (“Catastrophe”)
Kathryn Hahn (“Parks and Recreation”)
Gwyneth Paltrow (“Glee”)
Sally Phillips (“Veep”)
Kristin Scott Thomas (“Fleabag”)
BEST COMEDY GUEST ACTOR
Winner: Ben Schwartz (“Parks and Recreation”)
Runner-Up: Paul Rudd (“Parks and Recreation”)
3rd Place: Jon Hamm (“30 Rock”)
Matt Damon (“30 Rock”)
Jon Hamm (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”)
Neil Patrick Harris (“Glee”)
Luke Kirby (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”)
Nathan Lane (“Modern Family”)
Peter MacNicol (“Veep”)
Bob Newhart (“The Big Bang Theory”)
BEST DRAMA SERIES
Winner: “Breaking Bad”
Runner-Up: “Game of Thrones”
3rd Place: “Mad Men”
“The Americans”
“Big Little Lies”
“The Crown”
“Downton Abbey”
“The Handmaid’s Tale”
“The Leftovers”
“Stranger Things”
BEST DRAMA EPISODE
Winner: “Breaking Bad” (“Ozymandias”) — Moira Walley-Beckett (Writer), Rian Johnson (Director)
Runner-Up: “Game of Thrones” (“Battle of the Bastards”) — David Benioff and D.B. Weiss (Writers), Miguel Sapochnik (Director)
3rd Place: “Game of Thrones” (“The Rains of Castamere”) — David Benioff and D.B. Weiss (Writers); David Nutter (Director)
“The Americans” (“START”)
“Breaking Bad” (“Felina”)
“Game of Thrones” (“The Winds of Winter”)
“The Handmaid’s Tale” (“June”)
“The Leftovers” (“The Book of Nora”)
“The Leftovers” (“International Assassin”)
“Mad Men” (“Person to Person”)
BEST DRAMA ACTRESS
Winner: Elisabeth Moss (“The Handmaid’s Tale”)
Runner-Up: Nicole Kidman (“Big Little Lies”)
3rd Place: Claire Foy (“The Crown”)
Emilia Clarke (“Game of Thrones”)
Carrie Coon (“The Leftovers”)
Claire Danes (“Homeland”)
Viola Davis (“How to Get Away with Murder”)
Tatiana Maslany (“Orphan Black”)
Elisabeth Moss (“Mad Men”)
Keri Russell (“The Americans”)
BEST DRAMA ACTOR
Winner: Bryan Cranston (“Breaking Bad”)
Runner-Up: Jon Hamm (“Mad Men”)
3rd Place: Billy Porter (“Pose”)
Sterling K. Brown (“This Is Us”)
Hugh Laurie (“House”)
Rami Malek (“Mr. Robot”)
Bob Odenkirk (“Better Call Saul”)
Matthew Rhys (“The Americans”)
Kevin Spacey (“House of Cards”)
Justin Theroux (“The Leftovers”)
BEST DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Winner: Lena Headey (“Game of Thrones”)
Runner-Up: Anna Gunn (“Breaking Bad”)
3rd Place: Maggie Smith (“Downton Abbey”)
Christine Baranski (“The Good Wife”)
Millie Bobby Brown (“Stranger Things”)
Laura Dern (“Big Little Lies”)
Ann Dowd (“The Handmaid’s Tale”)
Christina Hendricks (“Mad Men”)
Thandie Newton (“Westworld”)
Maisie Williams (“Game of Thrones”)
BEST DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTOR
Winner: Aaron Paul (“Breaking Bad”)
Runner-Up: Peter Dinklage (“Game of Thrones”)
3rd Place: Alexander Skarsgard (“Big Little Lies”)
Jonathan Banks (“Breaking Bad”)
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (“Game of Thrones”)
Giancarlo Esposito (“Breaking Bad”)
David Harbour (“Stranger Things”)
John Lithgow (“The Crown”)
Mandy Patinkin (“Homeland”)
John Slattery (“Mad Men”)
BEST DRAMA GUEST ACTRESS
Winner: Diana Rigg (“Game of Thrones”)
Runner-Up: Cicely Tyson (“How to Get Away with Murder”)
3rd Place: Allison Janney (“Masters of Sex”)
Gillian Anderson (“American Gods”)
Alison Brie (“Mad Men”)
Rachel Brosnahan (“House of Cards”)
Ellen Burstyn (“House of Cards”)
Cherry Jones (“The Handmaid’s Tale”)
Laurie Metcalf (“Horace and Pete”)
Carrie Preston (“The Good Wife”)
BEST DRAMA GUEST ACTOR
Winner: Pedro Pascal (“Game of Thrones”)
Runner-Up: Cameron Britton (“Mindhunter”)
3rd Place: Mark Margolis (“Breaking Bad”)
Dylan Baker (“The Good Wife”)
Reg E. Cathey (“House of Cards”)
Michael J. Fox (“The Good Wife”)
Matthew Goode (“The Crown”)
Gerald McRaney (“This Is Us”)
Robert Morse (“Mad Men”)
Bradley Whitford (“The Handmaid’s Tale”)
BEST LIMITED SERIES
Winner: “The People v. O.J. Simpson”
Runner-Up: “Chernobyl”
3rd Place: “American Horror Story”
“The Assassination of Gianni Versace”
“Black Mirror”
“Fargo”
“Feud: Bette and Joan”
“True Detective”
“Twin Peaks”
“When They See Us”
BEST TV MOVIE
Winner: “The Normal Heart”
Runner-Up: “Behind the Candelabra”
3rd Place: “Game Change”
“All the Way”
“Brexit”
“Deadwood: The Movie”
“The Tale”
“Temple Grandin”
“A Very Murray Christmas”
“The Wizard of Lies”
BEST MOVIE/MINI ACTRESS
Winner: Sarah Paulson (“The People v. O.J. Simpson”)
Runner-Up: Jessica Lange (“American Horror Story”)
3rd Place: Amy Adams (“Sharp Objects”)
Claire Danes (“Temple Grandin”)
Kirsten Dunst (“Fargo”)
Jessica Lange (“Feud: Bette and Joan”)
Frances McDormand (“Olive Kitteridge”)
Julianne Moore (“Game Change”)
Sarah Paulson (“American Horror Story”)
Michelle Williams (“Fosse/Verdon”)
BEST MOVIE/MINI ACTOR
Winner: Darren Criss (“The Assassination of Gianni Versace”)
Runner-Up: Matthew McConaughey (“True Detective”)
3rd Place: Benedict Cumberbatch (“Sherlock”)
Riz Ahmed (“The Night Of”)
Michael Douglas (“Behind the Candelabra”)
Jared Harris (“Chernobyl”)
Jharrel Jerome (“When They See Us”)
Evan Peters (“American Horror Story”)
Billy Bob Thornton (“Fargo”)
Courtney B. Vance (“The People v. O.J. Simpson”)
BEST MOVIE/MINI SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Winner: Kathy Bates (“American Horror Story”)
Runner-Up: Regina King (“American Crime”)
3rd Place: Patricia Clarkson (“Sharp Objects”)
Angela Bassett (“American Horror Story”)
Olivia Colman (“The Night Manager”)
Frances Conroy (“American Horror Story”)
Penelope Cruz (“The Assassination of Gianni Versace”)
Eliza Scanlen (“Sharp Objects”)
Allison Tolman (“Fargo”)
Emily Watson (“Chernobyl”)
BEST MOVIE/MINI SUPPORTING ACTOR
Winner: Sterling K. Brown (“The People v. O.J. Simpson”)
Runner-Up: Cody Fern (“The Assassination of Gianni Versace”)
3rd Place: Martin Freeman (“Sherlock”); Ben Whishaw (“A Very English Scandal”) — TIE
Matt Bomer (“The Normal Heart”)
Connor Jessup (“American Crime”)
Jesse Plemons (“Fargo”)
Andrew Scott (“Sherlock”)
David Thewlis (“Fargo”)
Bokeem Woodbine (“Fargo”)
BEST VARIETY PERFORMER
Winner: Kate McKinnon (“Saturday Night Live”)
Runner-Up: Kristen Wiig (“Saturday Night Live”)
3rd Place: Bill Hader (“Saturday Night Live”)
Alec Baldwin (“Saturday Night Live”)
Billy Eichner (“Billy on the Street”)
Keegan-Michael Key (“Key and Peele”)
John Oliver (“Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”)
Jordan Peele (“Key and Peele”)
Amy Schumer (“Inside Amy Schumer”)
Jon Stewart (“The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”)
BEST VARIETY SKETCH SERIES
Winner: “Saturday Night Live”
Runner-Up: “Key and Peele”
3rd Place: “Billy on the Street”
“Documentary Now”
“Drunk History”
“Inside Amy Schumer”
“Nathan for You”
“Portlandia”
“Tracey Ullman’s Show”
“Who Is America”
BEST VARIETY TALK SERIES
Winner: “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”
Runner-Up: “The Colbert Report”
3rd Place: “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”
“Conan”
“The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
“Full Frontal with Samantha Bee”
“Jimmy Kimmel Live”
“The Late Late Show with James Corden
“Late Night with Seth Meyers”
“The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”
BEST REALITY PROGRAM
Winner: “RuPaul’s Drag Race”
Runner-Up: “The Voice”
3rd Place: “Survivor”
“The Amazing Race”
“American Idol”
“American Ninja Warrior”
“America’s Got Talent”
“Dancing with the Stars”
“Project Runway”
“Shark Tank”
BEST REALITY HOST
Winner: RuPaul Charles (“RuPaul’s Drag Race”)
Runner-Up: Antoni Porowski, Tan France, Karamo Brown, Bobby Berk, Jonathan Van Ness (“Queer Eye”)
3rd Place: Ellen DeGeneres (“Ellen’s Game of Games”)
Nicole Byer (“Nailed It”)
Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn (“Project Runway”)
Jane Lynch (“Hollywood Game Night”)
Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman (“Making It”)
Jeff Probst (“Survivor”)
Gordon Ramsay (“MasterChef Junior”)
Ryan Seacrest (“American Idol”)
BEST ANIMATED SERIES
Winner: “BoJack Horseman”
Runner-Up: “The Simpsons”
3rd Place: “Rick and Morty”
“Adventure Time”
“Archer”
“Big Mouth”
“Bob’s Burgers”
“Family Guy”
“Phineas and Ferb”
“South Park”
TOTALS:
4 Wins
“Breaking Bad”
“Game of Thrones”
3 Wins
“The People v. O.J. Simpson”
2 Wins
“RuPaul’s Drag Race”
“Saturday Night Live”
“Veep”
1 Win
“American Horror Story”
“The Assassination of Gianni Versace”
“BoJack Horseman”
“Fleabag”
“Glee”
“The Good Place”
“The Handmaid’s Tale”
“Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”
“The Normal Heart”
“The Office”
“Parks and Recreation”
“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”
Be sure to make your Golden Globe predictions so that Hollywood insiders can see how their TV shows and performers are faring in our odds. You can keep changing your predictions until nominations are announced. And join in the fierce debate over the 2020 Golden Globes taking place right now with Hollywood insiders in our TV forums. Read more Gold Derby entertainment news.
