Actress Stockard Channing won two awards at Sunday's 54th annual Emmy Awards in LA - Supporting Actress, Miniseries or Movie award for portraying the mother and activist Judy Shepard in NBC's The Matthew Shepard Story, based on the killing of a 21-year-old gay college student in Wyoming that drew worldwide attention to violence against gays and lesbians and Supporting Actress, Drama Series award for her work on hit political drama, The West Wing.

In October 1998, Matthew Shepard was brutally beaten and left to die, tied to a fence in Laramie, Wyoming. The 1998 murder motivated Matthew Shepard's parents to speak out against hate crimes. The actress dedicated the award to the couple and their son.

"Really, when all is said and done, this award belongs to Dennis and Judy Shepard and to Matthew, and to all those people that we know who are no longer with us who have suffered from the inhumanity of their fellow man. May we never forget them," the actress said.

Out directors Alan Ball received an award for outstanding directing for a drama series, Six Feet Under and Michael Patrick King for comedy, Sex and the City.

Friends, entering its ninth season on NBC, won its first Emmy for best comedy series.

For winners of other categories, visit the 54th Annual Emmy Awards website.