Elisabeth Moss swears during Emmys acceptance speech tribute to her mom

Elisabeth Moss turned the air blue while accepting her Outstanding Lead Actress prize at the Emmy Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday night (17Sep17).

The former Mad Men star picked up her latest honor for her role in drama The Handmaid’s Tale, and during her emotional speech she was bleeped twice.

Paying tribute to her mom, who was sat in the front row at the Microsoft Theater, Moss thanked her for teaching her to be "brave and smart and that you can be kind and a f**king bada*s." She also thanked "my brother, Derick, for being my best friend since the day you were born."

Speaking to reporters backstage after the ceremony, Moss admitted that her cursing hadn't been intentional, adding: "I was just trying to remember everybody and you really do have a weird, out-of-body experience. It's always a surprise. It should be a surprise, otherwise you're an a**hole!"

The win was Moss' first. She has been nominated nine times.

Her show, The Handmaid’s Tale, picked up 13 Emmy nominations and tied with Big Little Lies for the most wins on Sunday, with five apiece.

Moss' speech wasn't the only newsworthy one of the evening - Nicole Kidman spotlighted the "insidious" disease of domestic abuse as she picked up her Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series award for Big Little Lies.

"We shone a light on domestic abuse," she said, adding, "It is a complicated and insidious disease, it exists far more than we allow ourselves to know. It is filled with shame and secrecy and by you acknowledging me with this award, it shines a light on it even more."

The Australian actress played a victim of domestic abuse in the acclaimed drama series.

Nicole also thanked her husband Keith Urban and gushed about their two daughters, but didn't acknowledge her adopted son and daughter from her marriage to Tom Cruise.