Uzo Aduba is an Emmy winner for her breakout role as a prisoner known as "Crazy Eyes" in Netflix's Orange is the New Black.

The series received two other awards, for casting and picture editing, at the Creative Arts Emmy ceremony Saturday honouring technical and other achievements.

In an emotional speech, Aduba thanked her mother, who came from Nigeria "to make a better life for her family."

She also thanked producers and others for a show "that lets everyone be represented in such a beautiful way."

Aduba won as best guest actress in a comedy series for her portrayal of Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren, while Jimmy Fallon was honoured as best guest comedy actor for NBC's Saturday Night Live.

On the drama side, guest-acting honors went to Joe Morton for ABC's Scandal and Allison Janney for Showtime's Masters of Sex.

Janney thanked producers, co-stars and writers on the series, then added one more person: "The crew guy who got me a shot of bourbon before my first sex scene was extraordinarily important to me," she said.

Emmys broadcast Aug. 25 on NBC

Awards in other acting, writing and directing categories will be given at the Aug. 25 ceremony airing on NBC. Janney has a shot at another Emmy for her role in the CBS sitcom Mom.

The biggest awards haul Saturday went to NBC's Saturday Night Live, with five trophies. Fox's Cosmos: A SpaceTime Odyssey, a 21st-century edition of the 1980s series Cosmos, earned four. Cable dramas Game of Thrones and True Detective and PBS' Sherlock: His Last Vow also picked up a quartet of honours each.

HBO received a leading 15 creative arts Emmys, followed by NBC with 10; PBS with eight; Fox and Netflix with seven each; CBS with six; and ABC with five.