HBO Leads the Way for Cable’s ACE Awards

With its Emmy-winning dramatization of the life of Nazi-hunter Simon Wiesenthal leading the way, HBO once again scored a big victory at the 11th annual ACE Awards for cable excellence Sunday in a nationally televised ceremony from the Wiltern Theatre.

The nation’s oldest and largest pay-cable network nearly matched the 35 total awards it won last year, capturing 31 ACEs, cable’s version of the Emmys. “Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story,” which won an Emmy for its teleplay last September, grabbed four ACEs, including one for best cable movie of the year and another for its director Brian Gibson.

The USA Network’s “The Ray Bradbury Theater” tied the HBO-film for top honors among individual programs, also nabbing four ACEs including one for best dramatic series.

Paced by “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show” and a Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine concert special, Showtime tied for second among cable networks with six total awards. A&E; also won six, as did CNN, which earned three, including the special Golden Ace Award, for its coverage of the student democracy movement and government crackdown in China last summer.

USA was next with five honors, ESPN took home four, the Discovery Channel, Disney Channel, TNT and TBS all won three. A total of 19 different cable networks shared the 82 total ACE Awards handed out this year.

Lucy Webb of HBO’s “Not Necessarily the News” won her fifth consecutive ACE as best actress in a comedy series, the 15th ACE for her show, most for any individual program in the history of the ACE Awards. Vanessa Redgrave, honored for her performance in TNT’s “A Man for All Seasons,” won her first ACE.

Other acting kudos went to Mark McKinney in HBO’s “The Kids in the Hall,” comedian Bill Maher in HBO’s “One Night Stand: Bill Maher,” Ruben Blades in HBO’s “Dead Man Out,” Harold Gould in “The Ray Bradbury Theater,” Sydney Walsh in HBO’s “Vietnam War Story,” James Whitmore in HBO’s “Glory! Glory!” and Mimi Maynard in USA’s “The Forgotten.” Bruce Springsteen was also honored for his performance in “HBO World Stage: The Human Rights Now Tour.”

Larry King won two ACEs this year as best interviewer for “Larry King Live” and as host of “Larry King’s Night of Soviet Television” on TBS. CNN’s Bernard Shaw took the ACE for best newscaster for the second consecutive year.

“It’s Garry Shandling’s Show” captured three awards Sunday including best comedy series, best writing and best directing. “Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine” also won three including best music special. HBO’s “Tales from the Crypt,” which led all programs with 16 nominations, won three as well. “One Night Stand: Dom Irrera” won best comedy special for HBO, while “HBO Showcase: Lip Service” was named best dramatic special.

MTV’s “Rockumentary” won the music video channel’s only ACE for best documentary series. “The Capital Gang” on CNN nabbed best talk show, “National Geographic Explorer” on TBS was honored as best magazine show, CNN’s coverage of the Exxon oil spill won for best news special and “NFL GameDay” on ESPN scored the ACE for best sports news series.

The winners included:

Dramatic Series: “The Ray Bradbury Theater,” USA.

Comedy Series: “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show,” Showtime.

Movie or Miniseries: “Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story,” HBO.

Music Special: “Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine,” Showtime.

Comedy Special: “One Night Stand: Dom Irrera,” HBO.

Dramatic or Theatrical Special: “HBO Showcase: Lip Service,” HBO.

Children’s Programming--8 and Younger: “Eureeka’s Castle,” Nickelodeon.

Children’s Programming--9 and older: “Roald Dahl’s Danny the Champion of the World,” Disney Channel.

Actor in Comedy Series: Mark McKinney, “The Kids in the Hall,” HBO.

Actress in Comedy Series: Lucy Webb, “Not Necessarily the News,” HBO.

Writing Comedy Series: Tom Gammill, Max Pross Alan Zweibel, Garry Shandling, “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show,” Showtime.

Directing Comedy Series: Alan Rafkin, “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show,” Showtime.

Actor in Dramatic Series: Harold Gould, “The Ray Bradbury Theater,” USA.

Actress in Dramatic Series: Sydney Walsh, “Vietnam War Story,” HBO.

Writing Dramatic Series: Terry Black, “Tales From the Crypt,” HBO.

Directing Dramatic Series: David Burton Morris, “Vietnam War Story,” HBO.

Actor Movie or Miniseries: Ruben Blades, “Dead Man Out,” HBO.

Actress in Movie or Miniseries: Vanessa Redgrave, “A Man For All Seasons,” TNT.

Supporting Actor in Movie or Miniseries: James Whitmore, “Glory! Glory!” HBO.

Supporting Actress in Movie or Miniseries: Mimi Maynard, “The Forgotten,” USA.

Writing Movie or Miniseries: Ron Hutchinson, J. D. Maria, Lorna Soroko, “Dead Man Out,” HBO.

Directing Movie or Miniseries: Brian Gibson, “Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesenthal Story,” HBO.

Performance Comedy Special: Bill Maher, “One Night Stand: Bill Maher,” HBO.

Directing Comedy Special: Dean Parisot, “Steven Wright in ‘The Appointments of Dennis Jennings,’ ” HBO.

Performance in a Music Program: Bruce Springsteen, “HBO World Stage: The Human Rights Now Tour,” HBO.

Directing Music Program: Jim Yukich, “Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine,” Showtime.

Entertainment Host: Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, Robin Williams, “Comic Relief III,” HBO.

Writing Entertainment Special: Dick Blasucci, Martin Short, “HBO Comedy Hour: I, Martin Short Goes Hollywood,” HBO.

Documentary Special: “You Don’t Have to Die,” HBO.

Directing Documentary: Malcolm Clarke, “You Don’t Have to Die,” HBO.

Cultural or Performing Arts Program: “Stage: Irving Berlin: Voice of the City,” A&E.;

Talk Show: “The Capital Gang,” CNN.

Magazine Show: “National Geographic Explorer,” TBS.

Variety Program: “The Magic Circus: Cirque Du Soleil,” HBO.

Music Series: “New Visions,” VH-1.

Game Show: “Top Card,” Nashville.

Educational Special: “How to Raise a Drug Free Child,” HBO.

Educational Series: “What Every Baby Knows: The First Three Years,” Lifetime.

Informational Host: Larry King, “Larry King’s Night of Soviet Television,” TBS.

Program Interviewer: Larry King, “Larry King Live,” CNN.

Documentary Series: “Rockumentary,” MTV.

Newscaster: Bernard Shaw, “Bernard Shaw’s Coverage of China,” CNN.

News Program: “The Big Story: The Big Spill,” CNN.

Extended News Coverage: “China Coverage,” CNN

Public Affairs Program: “Smoking: Everything You and Your Family Need to Know,” HBO.

Golden Ace Award: CNN for Beijing Coverage.

Sports News Series: “NFL GameDay,” ESPN.

Sports Host: Paul Ryden, “NBA Halftime Show,” TBS.

Sports Play-By-Play Announcer: Marv Albert, “New York Knicks Basketball,” Madison Square Garden Network.

Sports Events Coverage Series: “Speedworld ‘89,” ESPN.

Sports Events Coverage: “World Championship Boxing: Tyson vs. Bruno,” HBO.

Directing Live Sports Program: Marc Payton, “ESPN Sunday Night NFL,” ESPN.

Sports Commentator: Benny Parsons, “Speedworld,” ESPN.

Sports Information Special: “The Golden Age of Sport,” HBO.

Sports Information Series: “Inside the NFL,” HBO.

Short-Form Programming Special: “Not in My Backyard,” CNN.

Short-Form Programming Series: “Global Village News,” Nickelodeon.

Recreation and Leisure Program: “Living Dangerously: In Clippers Wake,” A&E.;

Animated Programming: “The Railway Dragon,” Disney Channel.

International Documentary Special: “Shattered Dreams: Picking Up the Pieces,” Discovery.

International Documentary Series: “AIDS Now,” Bravo.

International Comedy, Drama or Miniseries: “The Rainbow,” A&E.;

International Dramatic Special or Movie: “Sweet as You Are,” A&E.;

International Cultural or Performing Arts Program: “The Modern World: Ten Great Writers,” Bravo.

International Music Program: “Stage: Jacques Loussier: Bach to Bach,” A&E.;

International Theatrical Program: “Stage: The Rivals,” A&E.;

International Educational Program: “The Wolf in Your Living Room,” Discovery.

International News, Magazine or Talk Program: “Coup d’Etat--The Philippines Revolt,” Discovery.

International Children’s Program: “Babar,” HBO.

Original Song: “How Can I Be Sure,” “Glory! Glory!” HBO.

Original Score: Alan Silvestri, “Tales From the Crypt--And All Through the House,” HBO.