Talk show host Larry King and producer/writer Seth MacFarlane joined Maher at Tuesday's ceremony.
Maher promised to make his speech short, but reminded those attending the ceremony next to the W Hotel at the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street that "I have 26 unused Emmy speeches."
His quip referred to his 26 nominations -- none of which has resulted in a Primetime Emmy Award.
The ceremony came on the same day as the DVD release of Maher's Emmy-nominated stand-up special, "Bill Maher... But I'm Not Wrong," and three days before "Real Time with Bill Maher" returns from its summer hiatus to finish the second half of its eighth season.
"Leave it to Maher to have his show return on Yom Kippur, when no Jew will be watching," talk show host Larry King quipped.
City News Service contributed to this report.
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