The Emmys announced their nominations Thursday morning and reaffirmed their commitment to most of the shows they already liked, at least in the drama category. Mad Men and American Horror Story led the nominations totals with 17 nominations each (a number AHS got to by reclassifying itself as a “miniseries,” which gave it less competition), followed closely by Downton Abbey (now competing as a drama series, rather than a miniseries) and History Channel miniseries Hatfields & McCoys with 16 nominations. Modern Family garnered the most nominations for a comedy series with 14 nominations, while Homeland grabbed the most for a new series with nine nominations. HBO led for networks with 81 nominations, followed by CBS with 60 nominations and PBS with 58.


The drama series category had only slight changeover from last year, but it still marked an important milestone for the Emmys, as it’s the first time no broadcast networks have received a nomination in one of the two big series categories. The Good Wife, last year’s sole network representative, was pushed aside by either Breaking Bad (returning to the category after a year off) or Downton. (The other series “pushed out” was the not-returning Friday Night Lights.) In addition to Breaking Bad and Downton, nominations went to Boardwalk Empire, Game Of Thrones, Homeland, and Mad Men. The comedy series category saw a significant amount of change, as three of last year’s nominees—Glee, The Office, and Parks & Recreation (grrr)—were pushed aside by three HBO series: Curb Your Enthusiasm, Girls, and Veep. Curb is a perennial nominee that just wasn’t eligible last year and the other two are in their first years of eligibility. The broadcast network series The Big Bang Theory, Modern Family, and 30 Rock rounded out the category.

Nearly every good show on television was nominated for at least something, however, with several bright spots in the smaller categories. (One exception: Archer, which was nominated nowhere.) Community finally broke through into a major category with a nomination for writing for its multiple timelines episode (and the comedy writing category, in general, is a stronger set of nominees than the series nominees list), while Louis CK set a new record for most nominations for an individual at the Emmys in one year with seven nominations. (The previous record, held by David Lynch in the first year of Twin Peaks, was five.) In addition, the supporting categories are filled with deserving first-time nominees, from Giancarlo Esposito and Anna Gunn of Breaking Bad to Jared Harris of Mad Men. (AMC’s twin dramas broke through in a big way in the acting categories, with both receiving guest actor nominations as well, for Mark Margolis and Ben Feldman respectively.) The comedy acting categories were once again dominated by Modern Family but still made room for New Girl’s Max Greenfield and Nurse Jackie’s Merritt Wever.


Of course, there were curious snubs as well, including the epic Game Of Thrones episode “Blackwater” somehow missing out on directing in a drama series, and Vince Gilligan and his writing staff for Breaking Bad continuing to be unable to break through in writing in a drama series (perhaps because of the stranglehold Mad Men has on the category). The fact that Parks was unable to score a nomination for comedy series after doing so last year was enervating, as was the fact that CK could be nominated seven times but somehow not get nominated for Louie as a series. (Replace any two of Modern Family, Big Bang, and Curb with Louie and Parks, and this is one of the best Comedy Series lineups ever.) The Emmys are always going to do several bizarre things, but this year, the weirdness was very nearly matched by pleasant surprises and out-of-nowhere cool nominations, which doesn’t always happen. All in all, it was one of the better years, as far as nomination lists go.

A select list of nominees from categories you will care about follows. To read the complete list of nominees, go here.


Outstanding Drama Series:

Boardwalk Empire

Breaking Bad

Downton Abbey

Game Of Thrones

Homeland

Mad Men

Outstanding Comedy Series:

The Big Bang Theory

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Girls

Modern Family

30 Rock

Veep


Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series:

Kathy Bates, Harry's Law

Glenn Close, Damages

Claire Danes, Homeland

Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey

Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife

Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series:

Hugh Bonneville, Downton Abbey

Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire

Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad

Michael C. Hall, Dexter

Jon Hamm, Mad Men

Damien Lewis, Homeland


Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series:

Zooey Deschanel, New Girl

Lena Dunham, Girls

Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie

Tina Fey, 30 Rock

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep

Melissa McCarthy, Mike & Molly

Amy Poehler, Parks & Recreation

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series:

Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock

Don Cheadle, House Of Lies

Louis CK, Louie

Jon Cryer, Two And A Half Men

Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm

Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory


Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series:

Jim Carter, Downton Abbey

Brendan Coyle, Downton Abbey

Peter Dinklage, Game Of Thrones

Giancarlo Esposito, Breaking Bad

Jared Harris, Mad Men

Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series:

Christine Baranski, The Good Wife

Joanne Froggatt, Downton Abbey

Anna Gunn, Breaking Bad

Christina Hendricks, Mad Men

Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife

Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey


Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series:

Ty Burrell, Modern Family

Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family

Max Greenfield, New Girl

Bill Hader, Saturday Night Live

Ed O'Neill, Modern Family

Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series:

Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory

Julie Bowen, Modern Family

Kathryn Joosten, Desperate Housewives

Sofia Vergara, Modern Family

Merritt Wever, Nurse Jackie

Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live


Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series:

Dylan Baker, The Good Wife

Jeremy Davies, Justified

Ben Feldman, Mad Men

Michael J. Fox, The Good Wife

Mark Margolis, Breaking Bad

Jason Ritter, Parenthood

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series:

Joan Cusack, Shameless

Loretta Devine, Grey's Anatomy

Julia Ormond, Mad Men

Martha Plimpton, The Good Wife

Jean Smart, Harry's Law

Uma Thurman, Smash


Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series:

Will Arnett, 30 Rock

Bobby Cannavale, Nurse Jackie

Jimmy Fallon, Saturday Night Live

Michael J. Fox, Curb Your Enthusiasm

Jon Hamm, 30 Rock

Greg Kinnear, Modern Family

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series:

Elizabeth Banks, 30 Rock

Kathy Bates, Two And A Half Men

Margaret Cho, 30 Rock

Dot Marie Jones, Glee

Melissa McCarthy, Saturday Night Live

Maya Rudolph, Saturday Night Live


Outstanding Miniseries or Made-for-TV-Movie:

American Horror Story

Game Change

Hatfields & McCoys

Hemingway & Gellhorn

Luther

Sherlock

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Made-for-TV-Movie:

Kevin Costner, Hatfields & McCoys

Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock

Idris Elba, Luther

Woody Harrelson, Game Change

Clive Owen, Hemingway & Gellhorn

Bill Paxton, Hatfields & McCoys


Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Made-for-TV-Movie:

Connie Britton, American Horror Story

Ashley Judd, Missing

Nicole Kidman, Hemingway & Gellhorn

Julianne Moore, Game Change

Emma Thompson, The Song of Lunch

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Made-for-TV-Movie:

Tom Berenger, Hatfields & McCoys

Martin Freeman, Sherlock

Ed Harris, Game Change

Denis O'Hare, American Horror Story

David Strathairn, Hemingway & Gellhorn


Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Made-for-TV-Movie:

Frances Conroy, American Horror Story

Judy Davis, Page Eight

Jessica Lange, American Horror Story

Sarah Paulson, Game Change

Mare Winningham, Hatfields & McCoys



Outstanding Reality-Competition Series:

The Amazing Race

Dancing With The Stars

Project Runway

So You Think You Can Dance

Top Chef

The Voice


Outstanding Host of a Reality Series or Reality-Competition Series:

Tom Bergeron, Dancing With The Stars

Cat Deeley, So You Think You Can Dance

Phil Keoghan, The Amazing Race

Ryan Seacrest, American Idol

Betty White, Betty White's Off Their Rockers

Outstanding Reality Program:

Antiques Roadshow

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

MythBusters

Shark Tank

Undercover Boss

Who Do You Think You Are?


Outstanding Nonfiction Series:

American Masters

Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations

Frozen Planet

Inside The Actors Studio

The Weight Of A Nation



Outstanding Variety Series:

The Colbert Report

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Jimmy Kimmel Live

Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

Real Time With Bill Maher

Saturday Night Live


Outstanding Variety Special:

Betty White's 90th Birthday: A Tribute To America's Golden Girl

Kathy Griffin: Tired Hooker

The Kennedy Center Honors

Mel Brooks And Dick Cavett Together Again

Tony Bennett: Duets II



Outstanding Animated Program:

American Dad, "Hot Water"

Bob's Burgers, "BurgerBoss"

Futurama, "The Tip Of The Zoidberg"

The Penguins Of Madagascar: The Return Of The Revenge Of Dr. Blowhole

The Simpsons, "Holidays Of Future Passed"


Outstanding Short-Format Animated Program:

Adventure Time, "Too Young"

Disney Phineas & Ferb, "The Doonkleberry Imperative"

MAD, "Kitchen Nightmare Before Christmas/How I Met Your Mummy"

Regular Show, "Eggscellent"

Robot Chicken, "Fight Club Paradise"

Outstanding Voice-Over Performance:

Hank Azaria, The Simpsons

Maurice LaMarche, Futurama

Dan Povenmire, Disney Phineas & Ferb

Rob Riggle, Disney Prep & Landing: Naughty Vs. Nice

Brenda Strong, Desperate Housewives

Kristen Wiig, The Looney Tunes Show


Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series:

Boardwalk Empire, "To The Lost," Tim Van Patten

Breaking Bad, "Face Off," Vince Gilligan

Downton Abbey, "Episode Seven," Brian Percival

Homeland, "Pilot," Michael Cuesta

Mad Men, "The Other Woman," Phil Abraham

Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series:

Curb Your Enthusiasm, "Palestinian Chicken," Robert B. Weide

Girls, "She Did," Lena Dunham

Louie, "Duckling," Louis CK

Modern Family, "Baby On Board," Steven Levitan

Modern Family, "Virgin Territory," Jason Winer

New Girl, "Pilot," Jake Kasdan


Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series:

Downton Abbey, "Episode Seven," Julian Fellowes

Homeland, "Pilot," Alex Gansa, Howard Gordon, and Gideon Raff

Mad Men, "Commissions And Fees," Andre Jacquemetton and Maria Jacquemetton

Mad Men, "Far Away Places," Erin Levy and Matt Weiner

Mad Men, "The Other Woman," Semi Chellas and Matt Weiner

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series:

Community, "Remedial Chaos Theory," Chris McKenna

Girls, "Pilot," Lena Dunham

Louie, "Pregnant," Louis CK

Parks & Recreation, "The Debate," Amy Poehler

Parks & Recreation, "Win, Lose, Or Draw," Michael Schur


Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series:

The Colbert Report

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Portlandia

Real Time With Bill Maher

Saturday Night Live