The actor was honoured at the fourth annual Television Critics' Awards, which saw Breaking Bad take home the coveted best drama honour.
He credited television with "raising the bar for character-driven drama".
Fargo, inspired by the 1996 film, and prison comedy drama Orange Is the New Black dominated with three awards each.
FX's Fargo - which is airing on Channel 4 in the UK - won the award for best mini-series, beating BBC dramas Dancing on the Edge, The Hollow Crown and Luther, as well as Bonnie and Clyde and American Horror Story: Coven.
Fargo's Billy Bob Thornton, who plays the enigmatic Lorne Malvo, was named best actor in a mini series or movie - beating British contender and co-star Martin Freeman. Their co-star Allison Tolman won the best supporting actress in the same category.
Orange Is the New Black won best comedy series, with additional awards for Kate Mulgrew, in the best supporting actress in a comedy category, and Uzo Aduba for best guest performer in a comedy.
Mulgrew shared her award with actress Allison Janney, who was honoured for her supporting role in comedy Mom. Janney - arguably best known for her long-running role in The West Wing - won a second award for best guest performer in a drama, with her turn in Masters of Sex.
"This has been an amazing year for me," Janney told guests at the ceremony in Los Angeles on Thursday.
Orphan Black star Tatiana Maslany beat high-profile competition including Robin Wright in House of Cards and Julianna Margulies in The Good Wife, to score the lead drama actress win for the second consecutive year.
The Good Wife, a frontrunner originally nominated in five categories, came home empty-handed.
So too did Sherlock duo Martin Freeman and Benedict Cumberbatch. Fellow Britons Michael Sheen, Matthew Rhys, Freddie Highmore and Hugh Dancy also lost out to McConaughey.
Top Gear's The Stig character reportedly stormed out of the ceremony after the show lost out in the best reality series to Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey.
Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey has picked up another best actor award, this time for his performance in HBO's True Detective.