The Misery star opened up about her health crisis earlier this week, revealing she recently underwent a double mastectomy after doctors found a lump in her breast.

However, she received some good news on Saturday when she was named a winner at the 2012 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, which are handed out a week before the main Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony on September 23.

Bates landed the Outstanding Guest Actress trophy for her cameo appearance in hit sitcom Two and Half Men, in which she channelled the show's former star Sheen to play his character's ghost.

Sheen was written out of the sitcom after he was fired in 2011, and after her win, Bates thanked the actor for helping her achieve Emmy success.

She writes, "Heartfelt thanks Emmy voters!... (Two and a Half Men creator) Chuck Lorre, Jon Cryer, Ashton Kutcher & cast & crew of 2 1/2 Men for this honour... But most of all my thanks & respect to the inimitable Charlie Sheen without whom this recognition simply would not have been possible."

The actress has another chance to win an Emmy Award as she is nominated in the Best Actress category for her role in cancelled drama series Harry's Law at the next prizegiving.

Fantasy TV show Game of Thrones was a big winner at Saturday's ceremony, held at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, landing six of the night's top prizes, including awards for best visual effects and costumes, while gangster drama Boardwalk Empire scooped three honours.

Legendary director Martin Scorsese also won a directing prize for his work on TV documentary George Harrison: Living in the Material World and Selena Gomez's Disney show Wizards of Waverly Place took the trophy for Outstanding Children's Program.

Other winners include drama Homeland (best casting for a drama series) and Smash (best choreography), while acting prizes went to Martha Plimpton (best guest actress in a drama for The Good Wife) and Jeremy Davies (best guest actor in a drama for Justified).

WENN