Canadian family comedy, Schitts Creek, made history at the 72nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards as it took home the majority of awards at the ceremony, which was held virtually amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Brian Cox's "Succession" and the superhero series "Watchmen" also emerged big winners. "Schitt's Creek" won nine awards, going on to break the Emmys record for most wins in a single season for a comedy.

It won the Best Comedy Series, with its stars Catherine O'Hara and Eugene Levy being named as the Best Comedy Actress and Actor respectively. Daniel Levy and Annie Murphy won the Best Supporting Actor and Actress trophies.

The comedy series is created by father-son duo Eugene and Dan Levy, and follows the wealthy Rose family, who are forced to move to a small motel after losing their fortune.

The show also won a trophy for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for Andrew Cividino and Daniel Levy, with the latter also winning outstanding writing for the finale episode "Happy Ending".

"Our show, at its core, is about the transformational effects of love and acceptance, and that is something we need more of now than we've ever needed before," said Dan Levy as he accepted the prize, reports bbc.com.

"Succession", which follows the lives of the Roy family as they contemplate their future once their aging father (essayed by Cox) begins to step back from his media and entertainment conglomerate, took home the top award -- Best Drama Series as well as Best Actor for Jeremy Strong.

The series also won awards in the Drama categories for Best Writing and Best Directing during the virtual ceremony.

"This is such a very nice moment. But it's sad not to be with the cast and crew," said the show's British creator Jesse Armstrong.

In his acceptance speech, Armstrong also criticised US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Boris Johnson for their respective responses to the Covid pandemic.

The series "Watchmen" won Best Limited Series, as well as acting awards for its stars Regina King and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II.

In her acceptance speech, King paid tribute to US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died over the weekend, and encouraged viewers to register to vote in the forthcoming presidential election.

Zendaya, 24, became the youngest ever winner of Best Drama Actress for her performance in "Euphoria".

"Ozark" star Julia Garner won Best Supporting Drama actress while Billy Crudup won in the male category for his portrayal of a network executive in "The Morning Show".

Actor Mark Ruffalo won Best Actor in a Limited Series for "I Know This Much Is True".

This year, the Emmy gala was a low-key affair due to the virus crisis, with most winners dialling in to make their acceptance speeches from home.