Last night, the 65th annual Emmy Awards took to the Nokia Theatre at L.A. Live downtown, where returning host Neil Patrick Harris delivered an expectedly uncontroversial and musical show, produced by executive producer Ken Ehrlich. Among the presenters were Matt Damon, Jimmy Kimmel, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Sofia Vergara, Kerry Washington—and many more A-listers. One of the show's highlights was a performance by Elton John, who appeared on the Emmy stage for the first time for a tribute to Liberace, the subject of the wildly Emmy-decorated HBO biopic Behind the Candelabra.
Off the telecast stage, the parties continued late into the night—and they began a solid week ahead of the show.
Among the biggest after-parties were the Academy's splashy annual Governors Ball, which this year got a far-out enchanted forest theme, produced for the 16th year by Sequoia Productions, led by Cheryl Cecchetto. Rather than a standard showing of greenery, the event included stylized trees and an expansive canopy of faux, futuristic foliage hanging overhead as 3,800 guests dined on Patina's catering in the West Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center—billed as the largest sit-down dinner in the United States. (The same look and feel also greeted about 3,000 guests at the Emmy Creative Arts Ball a week earlier.)
Also among the night's big festivities: Big winner HBO's Pacific Design Center bash, which got a fanciful peacock feather-hued look created by the network's Cindy Tenner and longtime design partner Billy Butchkavitz. A 28-foot-high chandelier comprised of blue and green lanterns was the decor centerpiece under a massive clear tent.
Here's a look inside the Emmys biggest bashes and lounges.