Orange Is The New Black star Uzo Aduba was the first winner at the Screen Actors Guild Awards as she was named best female actor in a comedy series.
Aduba found fame as Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren in the Netflix show set in a women's prison.
Accepting the award, she said: "I would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the actors who are not in this room, who are at home and hope to one day be in this room with us. Keep trying, if someone tells you to get out off that line, stay in that line and keep going."
Jeffrey Tambor picked up the second gong for male actor in a comedy series for his performance as a transgender father in Transparent.
Addressing the actors gathered in the room, he said: "This is the group of my brothers and sisters, the group that understands 'yes, yes, no, no, taller, older, younger, anybody but him'.
"I play Maura Pfefferman who is very entitled and has a lot of money and I would like to dedicate this to the non-Maura Pfeffermans who don't have a lot of money for their operations and for their freedom."
The cast of Orange Is The New Black was named best ensemble in a comedy series for the second year in a row.
Laura Prepon, who plays Alex Vause, was joined by her fellow cast members to collect the award, and said: "Look at this stage, this is what we talk about when we talk about diversity, these actors of different colours, creeds and sexual orientation."