Joan Cusack wins her first Emmy for ‘Shameless’

After years as an Oscar and Emmy also-ran, Joan Cusack finally has some hardware.

The Chicago actress was named best guest actress in a comedy series at Saturday’s Creative Arts Emmy Awards. The statuette honored her work as Sheila Jackson on “Shameless,” a role for which she was nominated four times before.

Cusack also won Oscar nominations for her movie work in “Working Girl” (1988) and “In and Out” (1997).

Other winners with local roots at Saturday’s ceremony, which concentrates on secondary technical categories, included Dolton’s Jane Lynch (reality show host for “Hollywood Game Night”) and the Amazon series “Transparent,” inspired by the Chicago family of its creator, Jill Soloway. It won three Emmys, including a guest actor award for Bradley Whitford.

“Transparent” is nominated for outstanding comedy series and several other awards at the main Emmys ceremony on Sept. 20, where Cusack’s “Shameless” co-star, William H. Macy, also is a contender.

“Shameless” returns for its sixth season Jan. 17 on Showtime.