Lea Michele, Jimmy Fallon win People's Choice Awards

Thursday January 10, 2013 3:00 PM By Chris Serico

Photo credit: Getty Images | Actress Lea Michele holds the award for winner of the Favorite TV Comedy Actress in the press room at the 2012 People's Choice Awards at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles on Jan. 09, 2013.

Lea Michele, Jimmy Fallon and Meryl Streep were among the celebrities with Hudson Valley connections to take home People's Choice Awards after Wednesday night's ceremony.

Michele, who attended Rockland Country Day School in Congers, won the Favorite Comedic TV Actress category. She was up against Jane Lynch, Kaley Cuoco, Sofia Vergara and Zooey Deschanel.

Fallon, who grew up in Saugerties, was honored as Favorite Late-Night Talk Show Host, defeating North Salem resident David Letterman, Chelsea Handler, Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Kimmel.

Streep, a Vassar College alumna, claimed the Favorite Movie Icon category, overtaking Pound Ridge homeowner Susan Sarandon, Emma Thompson, Maggie Smith and Michelle Pfeiffer for the win.

"The X Factor" won the award for Favorite Competition TV Show, whose most recent runner-up was Mamaroneck's Carly Rose Sonenclar. "The X Factor" beat out "America's Got Talent," which featured another local runner-up in Stony Point resident Tom Cotter; "The Voice," whose second season was won by Monroe resident Jermaine Paul; "American Idol," which now features former Bedford resident Mariah Carey as a judge; and "Dancing with the Stars."

Taylor Swift, who had a brief relationship with Bedford resident Conor Kennedy last year, was named Best Country Artist, taking out Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood, Jason Aldean and Tim McGraw.

"Leverage," which stars Timothy Hutton and ended its run with a Dec. 25 broadcast, was named the Best Cable TV Drama. Hutton has called Patterson home. "Burn Notice," "Pretty Little Liars," "The Walking Dead" and "White Collar" rounded out the category.

Beyond the Hudson Valley, "The Hunger Games" and Katy Perry were big winners, with the flick collecting a trophy for Favorite Movie and its lead, Jennifer Lawrence, winning Favorite Movie Actress and Favorite Face of Heroism categories. Perry earned awards for Best Female Artist, Favorite Pop Artist, Favorite Music Video (for "Part of Me") and something called Favorite Music Fan Following, for supporters who apparently call themselves "KatyCats." In TV categories, "The Big Bang Theory" and "Grey's Anatomy" won People's Choice Awards for comedy and drama series, respectively.

Tags: Congers , Lea Michele , People's Choice Awards , Saugerties , Jimmy Fallon , Poughkeepsie , Vassar , Mamaroneck , Carly Rose Sonenclar , The X Factor , Glee , Late Night with Jimmy Fallon , TV , movies , Rockland , Hudson Valley