Claire Danes won the award for Best Actress in Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series at the 2013 Emmy Awards Sunday, but many believed her fellow nominee Kerry Washington show have taken home the win.

Danes plays intelligence officer Carrie Mathison in the Showtime series Homeland. In somewhat of a similar role, Washington plays White House Communications Director and "fixer" Olivia Pope in the ABC series Scandal.

The year marked the first time Washington was nominated for an Emmy and if she won the respective award, she would have became the first African American woman to do so in the category. She has previously starred in major motion pictures such as Ray, The Last King of Scotland, Mr. & Mrs. Smith and I Think I Love My Wife.

At the Emmys on Sunday, iconic televisiona actress Diahann Carroll co-presented an award with the Scandal star and in the process acknowledged Washington -- the first black woman to lead a network TV drama since 1974 -- as one of her trailblazing successors.

"I must say congratulations to this woman that I feel is a gift to all of us, she's brilliantly talented, she's very lovely and tonight she better get this award," she said, putting the pressure on Washington.

Carroll was not the only one who wanted Washington to win on Sunday. Her Scandal co-star, Scott Foley, tweeted, "Congrats to...wait...oh. Bummer." XOXOXO

Tags: Kerry Washington scandal ABC Claire Danes homeland Emmys 2013