AS addictive as the narcotic it features, Breaking Bad dominated today's Primetime Emmy Awards.

Game of Thrones might be the most pirated show on TV, and have earned the most Emmy nominations this year, but it was Walter White's final downfall which earned Breaking Bad the top gong in the 66^th annual TV awards.

Creator Vince Gilligan said winning Best Drama was a "wonderful farewell" for the show's fifth and final season, the second half of which aired last year.

Bryan Cranston, who plays central character White, was named Best Actor in a Drama Series, his fourth Emmy win for the role.

Cranston's win denied Matthew McConaughey his potential Oscar/Emmy double victory. An actor has not won both the leading acting awards in the Oscars and Emmys in the same year since George C Scott in 1971.

His co-stars Aaron Paul and Anna Gunn also took home the awards for was named Best Supporting Actor and Actress in a Drama Series, beating Game of Thrones' Peter Dinklage and Lena Headey.

Breaking Bad took home a total of six awards, including one creative arts gong handed out in a separate ceremony earlier this month, and was only beaten by the telemovie Sherlock: His Last Vow, which won a total of seven awards including three during the TV broadcast and four in the creative arts categories.

Dark comedy Orange is the New Black also failed to convert any of its major category nominations into wins, with Julia Louis-Dreyfus named Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and Allison Janney named Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for the sitcom Mom.

Modern Family was named Best Comedy, while the small-screen adaptation of Fargo was named Best Miniseries.

The Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons took home his fourth Emmy for Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Series and Modern Family's Ty Burrell took home his second gong for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.

Billy Crystal paid tribute to the comedic genius of friend Robin Williams, who died earlier this month.

"As genius as he was on stage he was an even more brilliant friend; supportive, protective, loving," he said.

Late Night host Seth Meyers presented the awards from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles.

2014 Primetime Emmy Awards winners:

Outstanding Drama Series

Breaking Bad - WINNER

Downton Abbey

Game of Thrones

House of Cards

Mad Men

True Detective

Outstanding Miniseries

American Horror Story: Coven

Bonnie & Clyde

Fargo - WINNER

Luther

Treme

The White Queen

Outstanding Television Movie

Killing Kennedy

Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight

The Normal Heart - WINNER

Sherlock: His Last Vow

The Trip to Bountiful

Outstanding Comedy Series

The Big Bang Theory

Louie

Modern Family - WINNER

Orange is the New Black

Silicon Valley

Veep

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

The Big Bang Theory - Jim Parsons - WINNER

Derek - Ricky Gervais

Episodes - Matt LeBlanc

House of Lies - Don Cheadle

Louie - Louis CK

Shameless - William H Macy

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Breaking Bad - Bryan Cranston - WINNER

House of Cards- Kevin Spacey

Mad Men - Jon Hamm

The Newsroom - Jeff Daniels

True Detective - Woody Harrelson

True Detective - Matthew McConaughey

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie

Dancing on the Edge - Chiwetel Ejofor

Fargo - Martin Freeman

Fargo - Billy Bob Thornton

Luther - Idris Elba

The Normal Heart - Mark Ruffalo

Sherlock: His Last Vow - Benedict Cumberbatch - WINNER

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Girls - Lena Dunham

Mike & Molly - Melissa McCarthy

Nurse Jackie - Edie Falco

Orange is the New Black - Taylor Schilling

Parks and Recreation - Amy Poehler

Veep - Julia Louis-Dreyfus - WINNER

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Downton Abbey - Michelle Dockery

The Good Wife - Julianna Margulies - WINNER

Homeland - Claire Danes

House of Cards - Robin Wright

Masters of Sex - Lizzy Caplan

Scandal - Kerry Washington

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie

American Horror Story: Coven - Jessica Lange - WINNER

American Horror Story: Coven - Sarah Paulson

Burton and Taylor - Helena Bonham Carter

Return to Zero - Minnie Driver

The Spoils of Babylon - Kristen Wiig

The Trip to Bountiful - Cicely Tyson

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Brooklyn Nine-Nine - Andre Braugher

Girls - Adam Driver

Modern Family - Ty Burrell - WINNER

Portlandia - Fred Armisen

Veep - Tony Hale

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Breaking Bad - Aaron Paul - WINNER

Downton Abbey - Jim Carter

Game of Thrones - Peter Dinklage

The Good Wife - Josh Charles

Homeland - Mandy Patinkin

Ray Donovan - Jon Voight

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie

Fargo - Colin Hanks

The Normal Heart - Jim Parsons

The Normal Heart - Joe Mantello

The Normal Heart - Matt Bomer

Sherlock: His Last Vow - Martin Freeman - WINNER

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

The Big Bang Theory - Mayim Bialik

Modern Family - Julie Bowen

Mom - Allison Janney - WINNER

Orange is the New Black - Kate Mulgrew

Saturday Night Live - Kate McKinnon

Veep - Anna Chlumsky

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Breaking Bad - Anna Gunn - WINNER

Downton Abbey - Maggie Smith

Downton Abbey - Joanne Froggatt

Game of Thrones - Lena Headey

The Good Wife - Christine Baranski

Mad Men - Christina Hendricks

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie

American Horror Story: Coven - Frances Conroy

American Horror Story: Coven - Kathy Bates - WINNER

American Horror Story: Coven - Angela Bassett

Fargo - Allison Tolman

Flowers in the Attic - Ellen Burstyn

The Normal Heart - Julia Roberts

Outstanding Reality-Competition Program

The Amazing Race - WINNER

Dancing With The Stars

Project Runway

So You Think You Can Dance

Top Chef

The Voice