High School Musical, Clarkson, Gemignani, Jordan, Leachman Win Creative Arts Emmy Awards

The winners of the Creative Arts Emmy Awards were announced on Saturday, August 19. The popular Disney TV movie High School Musical won Emmys for Outstanding Children’s Programming and Outstanding Choreography, while famed Broadway conductor-musical director Paul Gemignani won an Emmy for Outstanding Music Direction for his work on the Carnegie Hall concert of South Pacific, which aired on PBS.

In the guest acting categories, the winners included Patricia Clarkson, who starred Off-Broadway in Three Days of Rain and Raised in Captivity, for her role on Six Feet Under; Leslie Jordan, who’s currently appearing on stage in Los Angeles in Like a Dog on Linoleum, for his recurring role of Beverley Leslie on Will & Grace; and character actor Christian Clemenson for Boston Legal.

Oscar winner Cloris Leachman, who has numerous Broadway credits, won an Outstanding Guest Actress Emmy for her performance as Ida in Malcolm in the Middle. This is her eighth Emmy, which makes Leachman the most honored woman in the history of the awards. She is also nominated this year as Outstanding Actress in a Movie or Miniseries for the HBO film Mrs. Harris; the winner of that award will be announced on August 27 at the Primetime Emmys ceremony.

The Creative Arts Emmy Awards ceremony will be broadcast on Saturday, August 26 on E! Entertainment Television.