And the Emmy Nominees are…
Hit fantasy series Game of Thrones topped nominations Thursday for the Primetime Emmy awards, as online streaming service Netflix again challenged traditional networks for television’s version of the Oscars.
Premium cable channel HBO’s grisly royal feud saga scored 19 nods including for best drama series, followed by Fargo – based on the quirky 1996 Coen brothers’ movie – with nominations in 18 categories.
Other notable nominees included Netflix’s breakthrough women’s prison show Orange is the New Black, earning nominations for five members of its cast, and the new crime drama True Detective.
Other female-led shows like Veep, The Good Wife, Scandal and American Horror Story: Coven also made strong showings.
"How incredibly humbling to be nominated not only a third time but among a group of exceptionally talented and critically acclaimed actresses," Mayim Bialik of The Big Bang Theory told the Hollywood Reporter.
Overall, HBO won the most nominations with 99, while online streaming giant Netflix doubled its number of nods from last year with 31.
Overall American Horror Story: Coven was third with 17 nods, followed by 16 for Breaking Bad, the cult series about teacher-turned-drugs kingpin Walter White which ended last year, and the same number for AIDS drama movie The Normal Heart.
A slew of British actors are in the running, including Martin Freeman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Idris Elba, repeat nominees Michelle Dockery and Maggie Smith for Downton Abbey and 12 Years a Slave star Chiwetel Ejiofor.
But there were also some notable snubs, including CBS’s widely-acclaimed The Good Wife in the best drama race, where Game of Thrones is up against Breaking Bad, Mad Men, House of Cards, True Detective and Downton Abbey.
Also snubbed were Homeland star Damian Lewis and Elisabeth Moss of Mad Men.
In the best comedy race, newcomer Orange is the New Black was nominated alongside long-running series The Big Bang Theory, Louie, Modern Family and Veep, as well as Silicon Valley.
Powerful police drama True Detective scored lead actor nominations for its co-stars Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey, up against Kevin Spacey (House of Cards), Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Jeff Daniels (The Newsroom) and Jon Hamm (Mad Men).
Lead drama actress nods went to Lizzy Caplan for Masters of Sex, Claire Danes for Homeland," Dockery, Julianna Margulies for The Good Wife, Kerry Washington for Scandal and Robin Wright for House of Cards.
The best drama race is largely a battle of cable shows. Downton Abbey is carried on public broadcaster PBS and House of Cards is available on Netflix.
Game of Thrones, based on George R.R. Martin’s best-selling novels about power struggles between feuding clans in seven mythical kingdoms has won a devoted global fan base, reportedly including President Barack Obama.
The show, which launched in 2011, has wowed critics with its densely-layered plot, lavish production values and a readiness to kill off, invariably in gruesome fashion, protagonists who had hitherto seemed integral to the show.
The 66th Primetime Emmys show will be hosted by comedian Seth Myers in Los Angeles on Monday, August 25.
The nominations were announced in a pre-dawn presentation by TV stars Mindy Kaling and Carson Daly, at the headquarters of the Television Academy in Los Angeles.
Here is the full list of nominations:
BEST SERIES (DRAMA)
Breaking Bad (AMC)
Downton Abbey (PBS)
Game of Thrones (HBO)
House of Cards (Netflix)
Mad Men (AMC)
True Detective (HBO)
BEST ACTOR (DRAMA SERIES)
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)
BEST ACTRESS (DRAMA SERIES)
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)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR (DRAMA SERIES)
Jim Carter (Downtown Abbey)
Josh Charles (The Good Wife)
Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones)
Mandy Patinkin (Homeland)
Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad)
Jon Voight (Ray Donovan)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS (DRAMA SERIES)
Christine Baranski (The Good Wife)
Joanne Froggatt (Downton Abbey)
Anna Gunn (Breaking Bad)
Lena Headey (Game of Thrones)
Christina Hendricks (Mad Men)
Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey)
BEST GUEST ACTOR (DRAMA SERIES)
Dylan Baker (The Good Wife)
Beau Bridges (Masters of Sex)
Reg E. Cathey (House of Cards)
Paul Giamatti (Downton Abbey)
Robert Morse (Mad Men)
Joe Morton (Scandal)
BEST GUEST ACTRESS (DRAMA SERIES)
Kate Burton (Scandal)
Jane Fonda (The Newsroom)
Allison Janney (Masters of Sex)
Kate Mara (House of Cards)
Margo Martindale (The Americans)
Diana Rigg (Game of Thrones)
BEST SERIES (COMEDY)
The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
Louie (FX)
Modern Family (ABC)
Orange Is the New Black (Netflix)
Silicon Valley (HBO)
Veep (HBO)
BEST VARIETY
The Colbert Report (Comedy Central)
The Daily Show (Comedy Central)
Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC)
Real Time With Bill Maher (HBO)
Saturday Night Live (NBC)
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC)
BEST REALITY COMPETITION PROGRAM
The Amazing Race (CBS)
Dancing With the Stars (ABC)
Project Runway (Lifetime)
So You Think You Can Dance (Fox)
Top Chef (Bravo)
The Voice (NBC)
BEST HOST FOR A REALITY OR REALITY COMPETITION PROGRAM
Tom Bergeron (Dancing With the Stars)
Anthony Bourdain (The Taste)
Cat Deeley (So You Think You Can Dance)
Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum (Project Runway)
Jane Lynch (Hollywood Game Night)
Betty White (Betty White’s Off Their Rockers)
BEST ACTOR (COMEDY SERIES)
Don Cheadle (House of Lies)
Louis C.K. (Louie)
Ricky Gervais (Derek)
Matt LeBlanc (Episodes)
William H. Macy (Shameless)
Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory)
BEST ACTRESS (COMEDY SERIES)
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)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR (COMEDY SERIES)
Fred Armisen (Portlandia)
Andre Braugher (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)
Ty Burrell (Modern Family)
Adam Driver (Girls)
Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family)
Tony Hale (Veep)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS (COMEDY SERIES)
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)
BEST GUEST ACTOR (COMEDY SERIES)
Steve Buscemi (Portlandia)
Louis C.K. (Saturday Night Live)
Gary Cole (Veep)
Jimmy Fallon (Saturday Night Live)
Nathan Lane (Modern Family)
Bob Newhart (The Big Bang Theory)
BEST GUEST ACTRESS (COMEDY SERIES)
Uzo Aduba (Orange Is the New Black)
Laverne Cox (Orange Is the New Black)
Joan Cusack (Shameless)
Tina Fey (Saturday Night Live)
Natasha Lyonne (Orange Is the New Black)
Melissa McCarthy (Saturday Night Live)
BEST TV MINI-SERIES
American Horror Story: Coven (FX)
Bonnie and Clyde (History/Lifetime)
Fargo (FX)
Luther (BBC America)
Treme (HBO)
The White Queen (Starz)
BEST TV MOVIE
Killing Kennedy (National Geographic)
Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight (HBO)
The Normal Heart (HBO)
The Trip to Bountiful (Lifetime)
Sherlock: His Last Vow (PBS)
BEST ACTOR (TV MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES)
Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock: His Last Vow)
Idris Elba (Luther)
Chiwetel Ejiofor (Dancing on the Edge)
Martin Freeman (Fargo)
Mark Ruffalo (The Normal Heart)
Billy Bob Thornton (Fargo)
BEST ACTRESS (TV MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES)
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 (Spoils of Babylon)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR (TV MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES)
Matt Bomer (The Normal Heart)
Martin Freeman (Sherlock: His Last Vow)
Colin Hanks (Fargo)
Joe Mantello (The Normal Heart)
Alfred Molina (Return to Zero)
Jim Parsons (The Normal Heart)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS (TV MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES)
Kathy Bates (American Horror Story: Coven)
Angela Bassett (American Horror Story: Coven)
Ellen Burstyn (Flowers in the Attic)
Frances Conroy (American Horror Story: Coven)
Julia Roberts (The Normal Heart)
Allison Tolman (Fargo)
BEST TV MINI-SERIES
American Horror Story: Coven (FX)
Bonnie and Clyde (History/Lifetime)
Fargo (FX)
Luther (BBC America)
Treme (HBO)
The White Queen (Starz)
BEST TV MOVIE
Killing Kennedy (National Geographic)
Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight (HBO)
The Normal Heart (HBO)
The Trip to Bountiful (Lifetime)
Sherlock: His Last Vow (PBS)
BEST ACTOR (TV MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES)
Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock: His Last Vow)
Idris Elba (Luther)
Chiwetel Ejiofor (Dancing on the Edge)
Martin Freeman (Fargo)
Mark Ruffalo (The Normal Heart)
Billy Bob Thornton (Fargo)
BEST ACTRESS (TV MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES)
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 (Spoils of Babylon)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR (TV MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES)
Matt Bomer (The Normal Heart)
Martin Freeman (Sherlock: His Last Vow)
Colin Hanks (Fargo)
Joe Mantello (The Normal Heart)
Alfred Molina (Return to Zero)
Jim Parsons (The Normal Heart)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS (TV MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES)
Kathy Bates (American Horror Story: Coven)
Angela Bassett (American Horror Story: Coven)
Ellen Burstyn (Flowers in the Attic)
Frances Conroy (American Horror Story: Coven)
Julia Roberts (The Normal Heart)
Allison Tolman (Fargo)
BEST SHORT-FORMAT LIVE-ACTION ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAM
Between Two Ferns With Zach Galifianakis: President Barack Obama (FunnyOrDie.com)
Children’s Hospital (Adult Swim)
Parks and Rec in Europe (NBC.com)
The Soup: True Detective (E!)
Super Bowl XLVIII Halftime Show Starring Bruno Mars (Fox)
