The 2014 Emmy Awards nominations were announced July 10, and there was a lot of love for various TV series.
The overall leader was HBO's Game of Thrones, with 19 nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Supporting Actress for Lena Headey. The new FX show Fargo (based on the movie) scored 18 nods, American Horror Story: Coven got 17 nominations and NBC's Saturday Night Live received 14 nominations.
Netflix darling Orange Is the New Black received 12 nods, including Best Comedy Series, Best Actress in a Comedy Series for Taylor Schilling, and Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Kate Mulgrew, who plays Red. Uzo Aduba and Laverne Cox also received nominations, making Cox the first transgender actress to be nominated for an Emmy award.
In another LGBT-related development, Andre Braugher was recognized once again for his supporting role on the Fox comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine; Braugher plays a gay police captain on the show. Among Braugher's competitors are gay actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Ty Burrell, both of Modern Family.
Schilling's competition includes Lena Dunham (Girls), Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie), Julia Louis Dreyfus (Veep), Melissa McCarthy (Mike & Molly) and Amy Poehler (Parks & Recreation).
Out actor Jim Parsons was once again nominated for his role as Sheldon on the CBS comedy The Big Bang Theory. "Theory" was also nominated for Best Comedy Series; it will vie for the award against Louis, Modern Family, Orange Is the New Black, Silicon Valley and Veep.
Interestingly, Neil Patrick Harris was not nominated for his role as Barney Stinson on the CBS comedy How I Met Your Mother, which just concluded its final season.
Best Drama Series nods went to Breaking Bad (which also finished its run this season), Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones, House of Cards, Mad Men and True Detective.
Also, lesbian actress Jane Lynch received two nodsbut not for her role on Glee. She was nominated for Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality-Competition Program for Hollywood Game Night. Lynch also received a nod for Outstanding Narrator for the documentary Penguins: Waddle All The Way.
The AIDS movie Normal Heart received several nominations, including Outstanding Casting For A Miniseries, Movie or A Special; Outstanding Television Movie; Outstanding Writing For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Dramatic Special; and Outstanding Lead Actor In A Miniseries or A Movie for Mark Ruffalo. Several supporting actors received nominations, including Jim Parsons, Joe Mantello, Alfred Molina and Matt Bomer; Julia Roberts got a supporting actress nod.
The 66th Annual Primetime Emmys award ceremony will take place Monday, Aug. 25, at Los Angeles' Nokia Theatre. Seth Meyers will host the event, which will air on NBC.
See www.Emmys.com .
GLAAD Statement
GLAAD today applauded the list of nominees for the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards, which was among the most LGBT-inclusive list in Emmy history. Laverne Cox became the first transgender person to be nominated for an Emmy in an acting category. Cox received a nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Sophia Burset in the hit Netflix Original Series 'Orange is the New Black.' Cox also received the Stephen F. Kolzak Award earlier this year at the 25th Annual GLAAD Media Awards.
"From gracing the cover of TIME Magazine, to now becoming the first openly transgender person to be nominated for an Emmy in an acting category, Laverne Cox continues to break barriers," said GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. "Today, countless transgender youth will hear the message that they can be who they are and still achieve their dreams nothing is out of reach. Laverne's success on a hit series is a clear indication that audiences are ready for more trans characters on television."
This year's list of nominees also included many openly LGB actors. Matt Bomer, Joe Mantello and Jim Parsons are all nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a TV Movie or Mini-Series for their work in The Normal Heart. Parsons was also nominated for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series for Big Bang Theory. Out comedian and actress Kate McKinnon received her first nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her work on Saturday Night Live. Sarah Paulson received a nomination for Outstanding Actress in a TV Movie or Mini-Series for American Horror Story: Coven. Jesse Tyler Ferguson received another nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for playing a gay dad on Modern Family and Nathan Lane received a nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his role on Modern Family.
LGBT characters and storylines were also popular with voters. Andre Braugher received a nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy for playing an out cop on Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Orange is the New Black's Taylor Schilling was nominated for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series and both Uzo Aduba and Natasha Lyonne were nominated for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. All play out characters on the show. Mark Ruffalo also received a nomination for Outstanding Actor in a TV Movie of Mini-Series for his role as a HIV/AIDS activist in The Normal Heart.
Orange is the New Black, which received the GLAAD Media Award earlier this year for Outstanding Comedy Series, was nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series along with Modern Family. The Normal Heart received a nomination for Outstanding TV Movie. Other LGBT-inclusive nominees include Game of Thrones, Downton Abbey, and Saturday Night Live.
All of the nominees for Outstanding Reality Competition Program (The Amazing Race, Project Runway, Dancing With the Stars, So You Think You Can Dance, Top Chef, The Voice) featured LGBT contestants or guests. Tim Gunn and Jane Lynch were each nominated for Outstanding Host for a Reality Program.
Behind the camera, out directors Paris Barclay and Jodie Foster were nominated for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for episodes of Glee and Orange is the New Black, respectively. Ryan Murphy was nominated for Outstanding Directing for a TV-Movie or Mini-Series for The Normal Heart.
GLAAD will publish a full list of LGBT-inclusive nominees later today at GLAAD.org/blog