Fey's Palin parody wins

Accepting her trophy for best guest actress in a comedy, Fey thanked SNL producer Lome Michaels and her parents," who are lifelong Republicans, for their patience".

She was honored at the Creative Arts Primetime Emmys, which recognise technical and other achievements for the 2008-09 season and preceeded next weekend's main ceremony.

Fey has the chance for more awards: She could repeat last year's win as best actress in a comedy series of 30 Rock, and the show also could claim yope comedy honors.

Justin Timberlake was another SNL winner on Saturday, honoured as best guest actor in comedy series. On the drama side, Michael J. Fox won the guest actor award for his turn on Rescue Me and Ellen Burstyn was honored as best guest actress for Law & Order: Special victims Unit.

I always wanted one of these, Burstyn said, winning her first Emmy after being nominated five times. Neither Rimberlake nor Fox on hand to accept. Kathy Griffin was host of the nearly four hour ceremony, her trademark outrageous humor intact with risque jokes and filmed bits.

The top network winner was HBO with 16 trophies, followed by NBC with eleven. Fox and ABC each won eight awars, with CBS, PBS and cartoon network each claiming six. PBS Little Dorit, an adpatation of the Dickens novel, was the most honored program with four awards. Several shows , including the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics and American Idol,received three creative art trophies.

Next Sunday's Emmy ceremony with Neil Patrick Harris as host, will air on CBS.