Britain’s Bean, Brazil’s Montenegro win Emmys

South Korean producer and director Insoo Kim arrives at the 2013 International Emmy Awards Gala at the New York Hilton on Monday in New York. AP

NEW YORK—Britain’s Sean Bean and Brazil’s Fernanda Montenegro took the top acting honors Monday night at the 41st International Emmy Awards in which the statues were spread among TV productions from six countries.

The highlight of the awards ceremony came when Zachary Quinto, who plays Spock in the latest “Star Trek” film, presented the honorary International Emmy Founders Award to writer-director-producer J.J. Abrams, who took a break from pre-production work on the new “Star Wars.”

Abrams, who helped create such trend-setting TV series as “Felicity,” ”Alias,” and “Lost,” is the executive producer of three currently running TV shows — “Revolution,” “Almost Human,” and “Person of Interest.”

Britain garnered three International Emmys at the ceremony at the Hilton New York hosted by British comedian John Oliver.

Brazil and France had two apiece, while Australia, South Korea and Germany each got one award.

Bean, best known for his roles in “The Lord of the Rings” and “Game of Thrones,” won the best actor award for his role in an episode of the crime anthology series “Accused.” Bean portrayed a shy English literature teacher with a secret alter-ego of a flamboyant transvestite who gets involved in an affair with a married man that leads to a brutal crime of passion.

Britain’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. The British documentary “Freddie Mercury: The Great Pretender,” which focuses on the rock singer’s solo projects outside of Queen, tied for the arts programming award with South Korea’s “Hello?! Orchestra,” in which violist Richard Yongjae O’Neill conducts an orchestra of children like himself from multicultural families.

Montenegro, who received an Oscar nomination for the 1998 film “Central Station,” was chosen best actress for her role in “Doce de Mae” (“Sweet Mother”) in which she plays an 85-year-old woman who wishes to live independently and take on new experiences, like dancing.

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 Emmy for best drama series went to France’s “Les Revenants” (“The Returned”), about a small alpine village that is rocked when several people who are presumed dead suddenly reappear at their homes as ghostly characters in human form.

In the documentary category, the French production “5 Broken Cameras,” co-directed by Palestinian Emad Burnat and Israeli Guy Davidi, took the prize. The film, which was nominated for a best documentary feature Oscar earlier this year, was shot by Burnat, a Palestinian farmer, and depicts life and non-violent resistance in a West Bank village. It is structured in chapters around the destruction of each of his cameras.

The award for non-scripted entertainment went to Australia’s “Go Back To Where You Came From – Series 2,” in which six high-profile Australians of differing political views see the world through the eyes of refugees — visiting conflict zones and refugee camps.

Germany’s “Das Wunder von Karnten” (“A Day for a Miracle”), about a young cardiovascular surgeon who made medical history by saving the life of a 4-year-old Austrian girl considered clinically dead after spending 30 minutes under water, took the award in the TV movie/mini-series category.

World heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko presented the honorary International Emmy Directorate Award to Germany’s Anke Schaferkordt, co-CEO of the RTL Group, the leading European entertainment network.

The awards, presented by the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, honor excellence in television programming outside the US.