Nicole Kidman used her Emmy acceptance speech to highlight the “complicated, insidious” issue of domestic violence.

The actor received the best lead actress Emmy for her role as Celeste in HBO drama Big Little Lies, a character who is abused by her husband.

The series, which follows the lives of five mothers in California, took five awards in total. Ms Kidman’s co-star, Laura Dern, was named this year's best supporting actress.

In her acceptance speech, Ms Kidman said she was grateful for the opportunity to depict the brutal reality of gendered violence.

Emmys 2017 red carpet fashion

“Sometimes when you’re acting, you get a chance to bring a bigger message - we shine a light on domestic abuse."

“It is a complicated, insidious disease that exists far more than we allow ourselves to know.

“It is filled with shame, secrecy and by you acknowledging me with this award, it shines a light on it even more. So thank you, thank you, thank you. I bow down to you.”

Ms Kidman also thanked her husband and children for their support.

“I also am a mother and a wife. I have two little girls, Sunny and Faith and my darling Keith who I asked to help me pursue this artistic path and they had to sacrifice so much for it, so this is yours," she said.

"I want my little girls to have this on their shelf and to look at it and go, ‘every time my momma didn’t put me to bed, it’s because of this. I got something.’”

It is the first time the Australian actor has won an Emmy. In 2003 she received an Academy Award for her role in acclaimed drama The Hours.

A number of other stars, including British actor Riz Ahmed, chose to wear blue ribbons at Sunday night’s Emmys as a symbol of political dissent.