Usual Suspects: Breaking Bad, True Detective, GoT, Mad Men, To Duke It Out For Emmy Wins
A superb year for television has seen the Emmy nominations announced without fanfare, glee or wonder. Dominating viewing figures, review inches and memes were Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Mad Men, True Detective and House of Cards, and they’re the shows vying for the biggest awards at this year’s Emmys.
The nominees were announced in Los Angeles on Thursday morning (July 10) by The Office actress Mindy Kaling and TV host Carson Daly. Comedian Seth Meyers will host the 66th annual awards ceremony on August 25.
Downton Abbey will have a hard time muscling the Outstanding Drama Series out of the hands of either Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Mad Men, or House of Cards, while Woody Harrelson and Matthew Mcconaughey will battle it out for the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series prize alongside Bryan Cranston Jeff Daniels (The Newsroom) and Kevin Spacey.
Predictably, Game of Thrones dominated proceedings with 19 nominations. HBO’s fantasy goliath, having just finished its fourth season, topped HBO’s popularity scales with an average viewership higher than that of The Sopranos – the cable channel’s most iconic drama.
Perrenial comedy winner Modern Family will face stiff competition for the Outstanding Comedy Series gong – nominated for the fifth year running the popular show will see The Big Bang Theory, Veep, Orange Is the New Black, Silicon Valley and Louie attempt an intervention.
Full list of nominations:
Comedy Series
The Big Bang Theory
Louie
Modern Family
Orange Is the New Black
Silicon Valley
Veep
Drama Series
Breaking Bad
Downton Abbey
Game of Thrones
House of Cards
Mad Men
True Detective
Lead Actress, Comedy
Lena Dunham, Girls
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Melissa McCarthy, Mike and Molly
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation
Taylor Schilling, Orange Is the New Black
Lead Actor, Comedy
Louis C.K., Louie
Don Cheadle, House of Lies
Ricky Gervais, Derek
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes
William H. Macy, Shameless
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
Lead Actress, Drama
Lizzy Caplan, Masters of Sex
Claire Danes, Homeland
Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Kerry Washington, Scandal
Robin Wright, House of Cards
Lead Actor, Drama
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Jeff Daniels, The Newsroom
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Woody Harrelson, True Detective
Matthew Mcconaughey, True Detective
Kevin Spacey, House of Cards
Miniseries or Movie
American Horror Story: Coven
Bonnie and Clyde
Fargo
Luther
Treme
The White Queen
Television Movie
Killing Kennedy
Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight
The Normal Heart
Sherlock
The Trip to Bountiful
Lead Actress, Miniseries or Movie
Helena Bonham Carter, Burton and Taylor
Minnie Driver, Return to Zero
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Coven
Sarah Paulson, American Horror Story: Coven
Cicely Tyson, The Trip to Bountiful
Kristen Wiig, The Spoils of Babylon
Lead Actor, Miniseries or Movie
Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock
Chiwetel Ejiofor, Dancing on the Edge
Idris Elba, Luther
Martin Freeman, Fargo
Mark Ruffalo, The Normal Heart
Billy Bob Thornton, Fargo
Variety Series
The Colbert Report
The Daily Show
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Real Time with Bill Maher
SNL
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Reality - Competition Program
The Amazing Race
Dancing with the Stars
Project Runway
So You Think You Can Dance
Top Chef
The Voice
Supporting Actor, Drama
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Jon Voight, Ray Donovan
Josh Charles, The Good Wife
Mandy Patinkin, Homeland
Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad
Jim Carter, Downton Abbey
Supporting Actress, Drama
Anna Gunn, Breaking Bad
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Joanne Froggatt, Downton Abbey
Lena Headey, Game of Thrones
Christina Hendricks, Mad Men
Christine Baranski, The Good Wife
Supporting Actor, Comedy
Andre Braugher, Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Adam Driver, Girls
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family
Fred Armisen, Portlandia
Tony Hale, Veep
Supporting Actress, Comedy
Julie Bowen, Modern Family
Allison Janney, Mom
Kate Mulgrew, Orange Is the New Black
Kate McKinnon, SNL
Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory
Anna Chlumsky, Veep
Guest Actor, Drama
Paul Giamatti, Downton Abbey
Reg E. Cathey, House of Cards
Robert Morse, Mad Men
Beau Bridges, Masters of Sex
Joe Morton, Scandal
Dylan Baker, The Good Wife
Guest Actress, Drama
Diana Rigg, Game of Thrones
Kate Mara, House of Cards
Allison Janney, Masters of Sex
Kate Burton, Scandal
Margo Martindale, The Americans
Jane Fonda, The Americans
Guest Actor, Comedy
Nathan Lane, Modern Family
Steve Buscemi, Portlandia
Jimmy Fallon, Saturday Night Live
Louis C.K., Saturday Night Live
Bob Newhart, The Big Bang Theory
Gary Cole, Veep
Guest Actress, Comedy
Uzo Aduba, Orange Is the New Black
Laverne Cox, Orange Is the New Black
Natasha Lyonne, Orange Is the New Black
Tina Fey, Saturday Night Live
Melissa McCarthy, Saturday Night Live
Joan Cusack, Shameless