HBO Takes Bulk of Prizes at the CableACE Awards

Home Box Office dominated the 16th annual CableACE Awards, collecting 23 of the 86 honors handed out over the weekend, including a leading four for its comedy series “The Larry Sanders Show.”

A&E; was runner-up among the 20 cable channels that received awards, picking up eight, including three for “Cracker: To Say I Love You,” which was named cable’s best movie or miniseries.

The CableACEs, honoring the best cable-television programming between Sept. 1, 1993, and Aug. 31, 1994, were handed out by the National Academy of Cable Programming in two batches: at a nontelevised event at the Century Plaza on Friday and at a ceremony Sunday at the Wiltern Theatre that was televised live on TNT.

“The Larry Sanders Show,” which stars Garry Shandling as the host of a late-night TV talk show, was named cable’s best comedy series for the third year in a row. It also was honored for acting (Rip Torn), directing (Todd Holland) and writing (Peter Tolan). Torn and Holland also won last year.

Three programs collected three awards each: A&E;’s “Cracker,” TBS’ “National Geographic Explorer” and HBO’s special “Barbra Streisand the Concert”--one of them for Streisand herself.

Other top winners among the multitude of competing cable channels were the Disney Channel and TNT with seven CableACEs each, CNN and ESPN with six apiece and Comedy Central with four.

Three special awards also were presented. John C. Malone, president of Tele-Communications, Inc., was given the Governors Award, honoring an individual for outstanding achievements in advancing the development of cable programming; the Learning Channel received the Creators Award for its “Ready, Set, Learn!” children’s programming block; and C-SPAN got the Golden CableACE Award for its C-SPAN School Bus.

Among the winners:

Comedy series: “The Larry Sanders Show,” HBO.

Dramatic series: “Avonlea,” Disney Channel.

Movie or miniseries: “Cracker: To Say I Love You,” A&E.;

Music special: “Jackson Browne: Going Home,” Disney Channel.

Talk-show series: “Politically Incorrect,” Comedy Central.

Dramatic or theatrical special: “A Life in the Theatre,” TNT.

Comedy special: “Merry Christmas, Mr. Bean,” HBO.

Music series: “MTV Unplugged,” MTV.

Stand-up comedy series: “Caroline’s Comedy Hour,” A&E.;

Stand-up comedy special: “HBO Comedy Half-Hour: Chris Rock,” HBO.

Variety special or series: “Comic Relief VI,” HBO.

Cultural or performing arts special or series: “The South Bank Show: Sylvie Guillem,” Bravo.

Public affairs special or series: “Erase the Hate,” USA Network.

Extended news or public affairs coverage: “CNN’s Coverage of the Los Angeles Earthquake,” CNN.

Documentary series: “Biography,” A&E.;

Documentary special: “America Undercover: Gang War: Bangin’ in Little Rock,” HBO.

News special or series: “CNN Presents: Terror Nation? U.S. Creation?” CNN.

Sports event coverage series: “New York Rangers Hockey,” Madison Square Garden Network.

Sports events coverage special: “NHL Stanley Cup Finals,” ESPN.

Sports information series: “The Sporting Life With Jim Huber,” CNN.

Sports information special: “Outside the Lines: Ali--Still the Greatest,” ESPN.

Sports news series: “NFL Game Day,” ESPN.

Children’s educational or informational special or series: “The Incredible Voyage of Bill Pinkney,” Disney Channel.

Children’s programming series (6 and younger): “Madeline,” Family Channel.

Children’s programming series (7 and older): “Chris Cross,” Showtime.

Children’s programming special (6 and younger): “The Tailor of Gloucester,” Family Channel.

Children’s programming special (7 and older): “The Whipping Boy,” Disney Channel.

Magazine show special or series: “National Geographic Explorer,” TBS.

Game show special or series: “Legends of the Hidden Temple,” Nickelodeon.

Business or consumer programming special or series: “Investigative Reports: Thalidomide: The Drug That Came Back,” A&E.;

Environmental/nature documentary special: “National Geographic Explorer: Antarctica: Life in the Freezer,” TBS.

Recreation and leisure special or series: “Blue Angels: Around the World at the Speed of Sound,” A&E.;

Short-form programming series: “Dr. Katz,” Comedy Central.

Short-form programming special: “The Misery Trade,” CNN.

Animated programming special or series: “The Tale of Tom Kitten and Jemima Puddle-duck,” Family Channel.

Educational or instructional special or series: “America Undercover: Southern Justice: The Murder of Medgar Evers,” HBO.

Entertainment/cultural documentary or informational special: “All About Bette,” TNT.

International children’s programming special or series: “The Borrowers,” TNT.

International cultural/performing arts/theatrical/music special or series: “Linda McCartney: Behind the Lens,” A&E.;

International documentary series: “Science Frontiers,” Learning Channel.

International documentary special: “A Kid Called Troy,” HBO.

International dramatic or comedy special or series, movie or miniseries: “Whose Line Is It, Anyway?” Comedy Central.

International informational special or series: “Deadly Currents,” Discovery Channel.

Actor, dramatic series: David Packer, “Big Al,” Showtime.

Actress, dramatic series: Glenda Jackson, “The South Bank Show: The Secret Life of Arnold Bax,” Bravo.

Actor, comedy series: Rip Torn, “The Larry Sanders Show,” HBO.

Actress, comedy series: Denny Dillon, “Dream On,” HBO.

Actor, movie or miniseries: Robbie Coltrane, “Cracker: To Say I Love You,” A&E.;

Actress, movie or miniseries: Amy Madigan, “And Then There Was One,” Lifetime.

Supporting actor, movie or miniseries: Ian McKellen, “And the Band Played On,” HBO.

Supporting actress, movie or miniseries: Ja’Net DuBois, “Other Women’s Children,” Lifetime.

Performance in a comedy special: Tracey Ullman, “Tracey Ullman: Takes On New York,” HBO.

Performance in a music special or series: Barbra Streisand, “Barbra Streisand the Concert,” HBO.

Newscaster: Judy Woodruff, “Prime News,” CNN.

Program interviewer: Patrick Buchanan, Michael Kinsley, John Sununu, “Crossfire,” CNN.

Entertainment host: Bill Maher, “Politically Incorrect,” Comedy Central.

Informational or documentary host: Ed Feldman, Joe L’Erario, “Furniture to Go,” Learning Channel.

Magazine host: Chuck Henry, “End of the Road,” Travel Channel.

Sports commentator/analyst: Dick Vitale, “NCAA Basketball,” ESPN.

Sports host: Chris Berman, “NFL Game Day,” “Sunday Night NFL Halftime,” “SportsCenter,” “The Nickname Show,” ESPN.

Sports play-by-play announcer: Marv Albert, “New York Knicks Basketball,” Madison Square Garden Network.