The nominations for the 66th Emmy Awards were released this morning, and I’m surprisingly satisfied with the results. Though there were an overabundance of nominations for the so-so Netflix series House of Cards and not nearly enough (read: any) for BBC America’s criminally-underrated Orphan Black, including for lead actress Tatiana Maslany, the categories shook out in a mostly predictable, if fair way.
Of course, heavyweights Breaking Bad and True Detective will be duking it out in the Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series categories (the latter of which saw both Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson swipe nominations). Other shows which scored big include American Horror Story: Coven, dominating the Miniseries categories, Game of Thrones, which has the most nominations at 19, and Fargo, trailing just behind with 18.
I’m particularly pleased to see Idris Elba squeak into Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for his tremendous work on the third and final series of BBC America’s Luther, though he probably doesn’t stand an ice cube’s chance in hell against the Fargo actors, who include Martin Freeman and Billy Bob Thornton (the category favorite). It’s also a pleasant surprise to see the better-than-expected White Queen miniseries land a nod for Outstanding Miniseries,
Outside of Orphan Black, it’s disappointing not to see much of The Americans or any of Hannibal.
Check out the full list of nominees below and let us know who deserves to be here, who got spurned and who you’ll be rooting for when the Emmys are handed out on August 25th!
Outstanding Drama Series
Breaking Bad
Downton Abbey
Game of Thrones
House of Cards
Mad Men
True Detective
Outstanding Comedy Series
The Big Bang Theory
Louie
Modern Family
Orange is the New Black
Silicon Valley
Veep
Outstanding Miniseries
American Horror Story: Coven
Bonnie & Clyde
Fargo
Luther
Treme
The White Queen
Outstanding TV Movie
Killing Kennedy
Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight
The Normal Heart
Sherlock: His Las Vow
The Trip to Bountiful
Lead Actor in a 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
Lead Actress in a Drama
Lizzy Caplan, Masters of Sex
Claire Danes, Homeland
Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey
Julianna Marguiles, The Good Wife
Kerry Washington, Scandal
Robin Wright, House of Cards
Lead Actor in a 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
Lead Actress in a 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 Beautiful
Kristen Wiig, The Spoils of Babylon
Lead Actor in a Comedy
Louis CK, Louie
Don Cheadle, House of Lies
Ricky Gervais, Derek
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes
William H. Macy, Shameless
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
Lead Actress in a Comedy
Lena Dunham, Girls
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Melissa McCarthy, Mike & Molly
Amy Poehler, Parks & Recreation
Taylor Schilling, Orange is the New Black
Supporting Actor in a Drama
Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad
Jim Carter, Downton Abbey
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Josh Charles, The Good Wife
Mandy Patinkin, Homeland
Jon Voight, Ray Donovan
Supporting Actress in a Drama
Anna Gunn, Breaking Bad
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Joanne Froggatt, Downton Abbey
Lena Headey, Game of Thrones
Christine Baranski, The Good Wife
Christina Hendricks, Mad Men
Supporting Actor in a Comedy
Andre Braugher, Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Adam Driver, Girls
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Fred Armisen, Portlandia
Tony Hale, Veep
Supporting Actress in a Comedy
Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory
Julie Bowen, Modern Family
Allison Janney, Mom
Kate Mulgrew, Orange is the New Black
Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live
Anna Chlumsky, Veep
Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie
Colin Hanks, Fargo
Jim Parsons, The Normal Heart
Joe Mantello, The Normal Heart
Alfred Molina, The Normal Heart
Matt Bomer, The Normal Heart
Martin Freeman, Sherlock
Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie
Frances Conroy, American Horror Story: Coven
Kathy Bates, American Horror Story: Coven
Angela Bassett, American Horror Story: Coven
Allison Tolman, Fargo
Ellen Byrstyn, Flowers in the Attic
Julia Roberts, The Normal Heart
Guest Actor in a Drama
Paul Giamatti, Downton Abbey
Dylan Baker, The Good Wife
Reg E. Cathey, House of Cards
Robert Morse, Mad Men
Beau Bridges, Masters of Sex
Joe Morton, Scandal
Guest Actress in a Drama
Margo Martindale, The Americans
Diana Rigg, Game of Thrones
Kate Mara, House of Cards
Allison Janney, Masters of Sex
Jane Fonda, The Newsroom
Kate Burton, Scandal
Guest Actor in a Comedy
Bob Newhart, The Big Bang Theory
Nathan Lane, Modern Family
Steve Buscemi, Portlandia
Jimmy Fallon, Saturday Night Live
Louis C.K., Saturday Night Live
Gary Cole, Veep
Guest Actress in a Comedy
Natasha Lyonne, Orange is the New Black
Uzo Aduba, Orange is the New Black
Laverne Cox, Orange is the New Black
Tina Fey, Saturday Night Live
Melissa McCarthy, Saturday Night Live
Joan Cusack, Shameless
Outstanding Variety Series
The Colbert Report
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Real Time With Bill Maher
Saturday Night Live
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Outstanding Reality Competition
The Amazing Race
Dancing With the Stars
So You Think You Can Dance
Project Runway
Top Chef
The Voice
Reality Host
Betty White, Betty White’s Off Their Rockers
Tom Bergeron, Dancing With the Stars
Jane Lynch, Hollywood Game Night
Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn, Project Runway
Cat Deeley, So You Think You Can Dance
Anthony Bourdain, The Taste
Outstanding Reality Show (Structured)
Antiques Roadshow
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
MythBusters
Shark Tank
Undercover Boss
Who Do You Think You Are?
Outstanding Reality Show (Unstructured)
Alaska: The Last Frontier
Deadliest Catch
Flipping Out
Million Dollar Listing
Wahlburgers
Wild Things With Dominic Monaghan
Outstanding Animated Program
Archer
Bob’s Burgers
Futurama
South Park
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Manhattan Project