Breaking Bad was named the program of the year at the 29th Television Critics Association Awards on Saturday night.
The AMC cable drama, which will begin the latter half of its final season next Sunday, was honored by the 220 members of the critics’ association, according to USA Today. The members include most of the top-circulation newspapers in North America.
HBO’s hit show Game of Thrones, which was last year’s winner of the top award, went home with Outstanding Achievment in Drama.
“These were not easy choices for our membership because there were so many deserving nominees,” TCA president Candace Havens confessed. “In a year that saw a lot of great television, the TCA Awards winners represent the best of the best.”
The struggle for voters was apparent with the best comedy award, as it ended in a tie between The Big Bang Theory and Parks and Recreation. The best new program went to FX’s spy drama The Americans, produced by Graham Yost.
The Toronto Star notes that the awards were held at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, the same site for the Grammy Awards and the Golden Globes.
The Outstanding Achievment in Movies, Series, and Specials award went to HBO’s Behind the Candelabra, a show about Liberace with Michael Douglas in the title role. Matt Damon also stars in the show.
The awards show also presented some lifetime achievement awards, with Barbara Walters being honored for her influence covering the news, and a Heritage Award going to CBS sitcom All In the Family for its “cultural and social impact” on society.