The miniseries met with favorable reviews from American critics . Based on 20 reviews from mainstream critics , it received an average score of 68/100 at Metacritic , indicating " generally favorable reviews " . Linda Stasi of the '' New York Post '' commented : '' Entertainment Weekly '' Ken Tucker gave the series a B , stating : " In stretching the tale over three nights , the pacing sags at times , and recriminations can get repetitive . It also does n't help that Reynolds shot the miniseries in that perpetual sepia tone that gives everything a faux-antique look . But overall , '' Hatfields & McCoys '' is engrossing , and enlightening about a feud that proves to be a lot more than the bumpkin brawl of pop legend . " Mary McNamara of the '' Los Angeles Times '' wrote : Among the negative critics was Verne Gay of '' Newsday '' who called the series " violent and dull " , adding : '' Washington Post '' s Hank Stuever also gave a negative review : '' Hatfields & McCoys '' received 16 nominations at the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards , the most since the History Channel began operations . The series was nominated for Outstanding Miniseries or Movie . Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton were both nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie , with Costner winning the award . Tom Berenger won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie and Mare Winningham was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie . Director Kevin Reynolds was nominated for Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries , Movie , or Dramatic Special . Ted Mann , Ronald Parker , and Bill Kerby were nominated for Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries , Movie , or Dramatic Special for the second part of the miniseries . The series won three of its nine technical nominations
64th Primetime Emmy Awards
64th Primetime Emmy Awards
Hatfields & McCoys (miniseries)