Les Revenants scoops int’l Emmy

French supernatural series Les Revenants won Best Drama at the 41st International Emmy Awards in New York last night.

Producers Haut et Court TV and Canal+ beat off competition from three other contenders, including UK broadcaster BBC1’s Accused.

Les Revenants – a US remake of which is in development with A&E – was a hit on Canal+ and was sold around the world, including in the UK, where it aired with subtitles as The Returned. A second season is planned for Canal+.

While previous International Emmys have been dominated by British TV, this year’s winners came from six countries: Australia, Brazil, France, Germany and South Korea, as well as the UK.

Two special awards and 10 Emmy statues were presented during the evening.

UK satcaster Sky1’s Moone Boy, about a young Irish boy who survives his chaotic family life with the help of an imaginary grown-up pal, won in the comedy category.

In the acting categories, Brazilian TV and film legend Fernanda Montenegro won the Best Performance by an Actress prize for her role in Sweet Mother, while British lead Sean Bean won the Best Performance by an Actor category for his role in Accused.

The telenovela award went to Brazil’s Lado a Lado (Side By Side), which tells the story of two women, one a descendant of former slaves and the other from an aristocratic family, who become friends in Rio de Janeiro at the beginning of the 20th century.

The International Emmy Founders Award was presented to US film and TV writer/director JJ Abrams.

A new category for the best non-English-language series created for US primetime television will be introduced at next year’s awards.