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.

Mindy Kaling, Bruce Rosenblum And Carson Daly - Nominations for the 66th Emmys Nominations (photo: Getty/Kevin Winter)

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. 

True Detective will see Harrelson and McConaughey pinned against eachother for Best Actor

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

Once again, the Big Bang Theory cast are expecting big things at the Emmy Awards in August

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

For the last time, Bryan Cranston and his Breaking Bad crew are in line for Emmys recognition

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

Mad Men is in contention in numerous categories

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

Orange is the New Black marks Netflix's emerging presence in TV

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