Tonight, he 65th Primetime Emmy Awards will honor Hollywood’s best writing, brightest stars and greatest series of the moment. HBO takes the lion’s share of total nominations this year, clocking in at a whopping 37 votes. But for programs, it’s NBC’s ’30 Rock’ that nets the highest number of nods.
Tune into CBS at 8 p.m. to catch all the live Emmy glam, scope the winners and watch host Neil Patrick Harris (of How I Met Your Mother fame) dish out the funny at the annual awards show. If you’ve been residing under a rock (or 30) this the year (or can’t afford cable — we feel you) don’t fret: we’re here to help with a quick roundup of need-to-know noms. We know we can’t be the only ones thinking that a euphemism for “outstanding” is quite overdue. Get thee to YouTube and brush up on your TV stat, the show starts soon!
PROGRAMS
Outstanding Comedy Series
30 Rock (NBC)
The Big Bang Theory (CBS)
Girls (HBO)
Louie (FX)
Modern Family (ABC)
Veep (HBO)
Outstanding Drama Series
Breaking Bad (AMC)
Downton Abbey (PBS)
Game of Thrones (HBO)
Homeland (Showtime)
House of Cards (Netflix)
Mad Men (AMC)
Outstanding Variety Series
The Colbert Report (Comedy Central)
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central)
Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC)
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (NBC)
Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO)
Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Outstanding Miniseries or Movie
American Horror Story: Asylum (FX)
Behind the Candelabra (HBO)
The Bible (History)
Phil Spector (HBO)
Political Animals (USA Network)
Top of the Lake (Sundance Channel)
Outstanding Reality or 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)
LEAD PERFORMANCES
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy on 30 Rock
Jason Bateman as Michael Bluth on Arrested Development
Louis C.K. as Louie on Louie
Don Cheadle as Marty Kaan on House of Lies
Matt LeBlanc as Himself on Episodes
Jim Parsons as Dr. Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Laura Dern as Amy Jellicoe on Enlightened
Lena Dunham as Hannah Horvath on Girls
Edie Falco as Jackie Peyton on Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey as Liz Lemon on 30 Rock
Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer on Veep
Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope on Parks and Recreation
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Hugh Bonneville as Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham on Downton Abbey
Bryan Cranston as Walter White on Breaking Bad
Jeff Daniels as Will McAvoy on The Newsroom
Jon Hamm as Don Draper on Mad Men
Damian Lewis as Nicholas Brody on Homeland
Kevin Spacey as Frank Underwood on House of Cards
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Connie Britton as Rayna Jaymes on Nashville
Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison on Homeland
Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary Crawley on Downton Abbey
Vera Farmiga as Norma Louise Bates on Bates Motel
Elisabeth Moss as Peggy Olson on Mad Men
Kerry Washington as Olivia Pope on Scandal
Robin Wright as Claire Underwood on House of Cards
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie
Benedict Cumberbatch as Christopher Tietjens on Parade’s End (HBO)
Matt Damon as Scott Thorson on Behind the Candelabra (HBO)
Michael Douglas as Liberace on Behind the Candelabra (HBO)
Toby Jones as Alfred Hitchcock on The Girl (HBO)
Al Pacino as Phil Spector on Phil Spector (HBO)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie
Jessica Lange as Sister Jude / Judy Martin on American Horror Story: Asylum (FX)
Laura Linney as Cathy Jamison on The Big C: Hereafter (Showtime)
Helen Mirren as Linda Kenney Baden on Phil Spector (HBO)
Elisabeth Moss as Det. Robin Griffin on Top of the Lake (Sundance Channel)
Sigourney Weaver as Elaine Barrish Hammond on Political Animals (USA)
SUPPORTING PERFORMANCES
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Ty Burrell as Phil Dunphy on Modern Family
Adam Driver as Adam Sackler on Girls
Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Mitchell Pritchett on Modern Family
Bill Hader as Various Characters on Saturday Night Live
Tony Hale as Gary Walsh on Veep
Ed O’Neill as Jay Pritchett on Modern Family
Mayim Bialik as Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler on The Big Bang Theory
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Julie Bowen as Claire Dunphy on Modern Family
Anna Chlumsky as Amy Brookheimer on Veep
Jane Krakowski as Jenna Maroney on 30 Rock
Jane Lynch as Sue Sylvester on Glee
Sofía Vergara as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett on Modern Family
Merritt Wever as Zoey Barkow on Nurse Jackie
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Jonathan Banks as Mike Ehrmantraut on Breaking Bad
Bobby Cannavale as Gyp Rosetti on Boardwalk Empire
Jim Carter as Charles Carson on Downton Abbey
Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister on Game of Thrones
Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman on Breaking Bad
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Mandy Patinkin as Saul Berenson on Homeland
Morena Baccarin as Jessica Brody on Homeland
Christine Baranski as Diane Lockhart on The Good Wife
Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen on Game of Thrones
Anna Gunn as Skyler White on Breaking Bad
Christina Hendricks as Joan Harris on Mad Men
Maggie Smith as Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham on Downton Abbey
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie
Scott Bakula as Bob Black on Behind the Candelabra (HBO)
James Cromwell as Dr. Arthur Arden / Hans Grüper on American Horror Story: Asylum (FX)
John Benjamin Hickey as Sean Tolke on The Big C: Hereafter (Showtime)
Peter Mullan as Matt Mitcham on Top of the Lake (Sundance Channel)
Zachary Quinto as Dr. Oliver Thredson on American Horror Story: Asylum (FX)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie
Ellen Burstyn as Margaret Barrish Worthington on Political Animals (USA)
Sarah Paulson as Lana Winters on American Horror Story: Asylum (FX)
Charlotte Rampling as Eva Delectorskaya (older) on Restless (BBC One/Sundance Channel)
Imelda Staunton as Alma Hitchcock on The Girl (HBO)
Alfre Woodard as Louisa “Ouiser” Boudreaux on Steel Magnolias (Lifetime)
