2012 Primetime Emmy Nominations

Mike Vicic - July 19, 2012

Early this morning Kerry Washington (SCANDAL) and Jimmy Kimmel (JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE), who was onstage in his pajamas after being asked to replace Nick Offerman late last night, announced nominees for the 2012 Primetime Emmy Awards. Annual winner MAD MEN and the surprising AMERICAN HORROR STORY led the way with 17 nominations each, followed closely by British sensation DOWNTON ABBEY and History Channel's first miniseries, HATFIELDS & MCCOYS, with 16 nods apiece.

The 64th Primetime Emmy Awards, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, will air live on Sunday, September 23, 2012 at 7pm ET / 4pm PT.

OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES

OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES

OUTSTANDING MINISERIES OR MOVIE

OUTSTANDING VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY SERIES

OUTSTANDING REALITY-COMPETITION PROGRAM

OUTSTANDING REALITY PROGRAM

OUTSTANDING NONFICTION SERIES

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

Lena Dunham as Hannah Horvath in GIRLS
Melissa McCarthy as Molly Flynn in MIKE & MOLLY
Zooey Deschanel as Jess Day in NEW GIRL
Edie Falco as Jackie Peyton in NURSE JACKIE
Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope in PARKS AND RECREATION
Tina Fey as Liz Lemon in 30 ROCK
Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer in VEEP

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

Glenn Close as Patty Hewes in DAMAGES
Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary Crawley in DOWNTON ABBEY
Julianna Margulies as Alicia Florrick in THE GOOD WIFE
Kathy Bates as Harriet "Harry" Korn in HARRY'S LAW
Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison in HOMELAND
Elisabeth Moss as Peggy Olson in MAD MEN

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE

Connie Britton as Vivien Harmon in AMERICAN HORROR STORY
Julianne Moore as Sarah Palin in GAME CHANGE
Nicole Kidman as Martha Gellhorn in HEMINGWAY & GELLHORN
Ashley Judd as Rebecca Winstone in MISSING
Emma Thompson as She in MASTERPIECE: THE SONG OF LUNCH

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper in THE BIG BANG THEORY
Larry David as Himself in CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM
Don Cheadle as Marty Kaan in HOUSE OF LIES
Louis C.K. as Louie in LOUIE
Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy in 30 ROCK
Jon Cryer as Alan Harper in TWO AND A HALF MEN

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Steve Buscemi as Nucky Thompson in BOARDWALK EMPIRE
Bryan Cranston as Walter White in BREAKING BAD
Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan in DEXTER
Hugh Bonneville as Robert, Earl of Grantham in DOWNTON ABBEY
Kyle Chandler as Coach Eric Taylor in FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
Damian Lewis as Nicholas Brody in HOMELAND
Jon Hamm as Don Draper in MAD MEN

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE

Woody Harrelson as Steve Schmidt in GAME CHANGE
Kevin Costner as 'Devil' Anse Hatfield in HATFIELDS & MCCOYS
Bill Paxton as Randall McCoy in HATFIELDS & MCCOYS
Clive Owen as Ernest Hemingway in HEMINGWAY & GELLHORN
Idris Elba as John Luther in LUTHER
Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes in SHERLOCK: A SCANDAL IN BELGRAVIA

OUTSTANDING HOST FOR A REALITY OR REALITY-COMPETITION PROGRAM

Phil Keoghan, Host of THE AMAZING RACE
Ryan Seacrest, Host of AMERICAN IDOL
Betty White, Host of BETTY WHITE'S OFF THEIR ROCKERS
Tom Bergeron, Host of DANCING WITH THE STARS
Cat Deeley, Host of SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

Mayim Bialik as Amy Farrah Fowler in THE BIG BANG THEORY
Kathryn Joosten as Karen McCluskey in DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES
Julie Bowen as Claire Dunphy in MODERN FAMILY
Sofia Vergara as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett in MODERN FAMILY
Merritt Wever as Zoey Barkow in NURSE JACKIE
Kristen Wiig as Various characters in SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

Anna Gunn as Skyler White in BREAKING BAD
Maggie Smith as Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham in DOWNTON ABBEY
Joanne Froggatt as Anna in DOWNTON ABBEY
Archie Panjabi as Kalinda Sharma in THE GOOD WIFE
Christine Baranski as Diane Lockhart in THE GOOD WIFE
Christina Hendricks as Joan Harris in MAD MEN

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE

Frances Conroy as Moira in AMERICAN HORROR STORY
Jessica Lange as Constance Langdon in AMERICAN HORROR STORY
Sarah Paulson as Nicolle Wallace in GAME CHANGE
Mare Winningham as Sally McCoy in HATFIELDS & MCCOYS
Judy Davis as Jill Tankard in MASTERPIECE: PAGE EIGHT

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Mitchell Pritchett in MODERN FAMILY
Ed O'Neill as Jay Pritchett in MODERN FAMILY
Eric Stonestreet as Cameron Tucker in MODERN FAMILY
Ty Burrell as Phil Dunphy in MODERN FAMILY
Max Greenfield as Schmidt in NEW GIRL
Bill Hader as various characters in SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman in BREAKING BAD
Giancarlo Esposito as Gustavo 'Gus' Fring in BREAKING BAD
Brendan Coyle as John Bates in DOWNTON ABBEY
Jim Carter as Mr. Carson in DOWNTON ABBEY
Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister in GAME OF THRONES
Jared Harris as Lane Pryce in MAD MEN

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MINISERIES OR A MOVIE

Denis O'Hare as Larry Harvey in AMERICAN HORROR STORY
Ed Harris as John McCain in GAME CHANGE
Tom Berenger as Jim Vance in HATFIELDS & MCCOYS
David Strathairn as John Dos Passos in HEMINGWAY & GELLHORN
Martin Freeman as Dr. John Watson in SHERLOCK: A SCANDAL IN BELGRAVIA

OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

Dot-Marie Jones as Coach Beiste in GLEE
Maya Rudolph, Host of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE
Melissa McCarthy, Host of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE
Elizabeth Banks as Avery in 30 ROCK
Margaret Cho as Kim Jong-il in 30 ROCK
Kathy Bates as Charlie Harper in TWO AND A HALF MEN

OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

Martha Plimpton as Patti Nyholm in THE GOOD WIFE
Loretta Devine as Adele Webber in GREY'S ANATOMY
Jean Smart as D.A. Roseanna Remmick in HARRY'S LAW
Julia Ormond as Marie Calvet in MAD MEN
Joan Cusack as Sheila Jackson in SHAMELESS
Uma Thurman as Rebecca Duvall in SMASH

OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Michael J. Fox as Himself in CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM
Greg Kinnear as Tad in MODERN FAMILY
Bobby Cannavale as Dr. Mike Cruz in NURSE JACKIE
Jimmy Fallon, Host of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE
Will Arnett as Devon Banks in 30 ROCK
Jon Hamm as Abner and David Brinkley in 30 ROCK

OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Mark Margolis as Tio Salamanca in BREAKING BAD
Dylan Baker as Colin Sweeney in THE GOOD WIFE
Michael J. Fox as Louis Canning in THE GOOD WIFE
Jeremy Davies as Dickie Bennett in JUSTIFIED
Ben Feldman as Michael Ginsberg in MAD MEN
Jason Ritter as Mark Cyr in PARENTHOOD

OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES

COMMUNITY "Remedial Chaos Theory": Chris McKenna
GIRLS "Pilot": Lena Dunham
LOUIE "Pregnant": Louis C.K.
PARKS AND RECREATION "The Debate": Amy Poehler
PARKS AND RECREATION "Win, Lose, Or Draw": Michael Schur

OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES

DOWNTON ABBEY "Episode 7": Julian Fellowes
HOMELAND Pilot: Alex Gansa, Howard Gordon & Gideon Raff
MAD MEN "The Other Woman": Semi Chellas & Matthew Weiner
MAD MEN "Commissions And Fees": Andre Jacquemetton & Maria Jacquemetton
MAD MEN "Far Away Places": Erin Levy & Matthew Weiner

OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE OR A DRAMATIC SPECIAL

GAME CHANGE: Danny Strong
HATFIELDS & MCCOYS Part 2: Ted Mann, Ronald Parker & Bill Kerby
THE HOUR: Abi Morgan
LUTHER: Neil Cross
SHERLOCK - A SCANDAL IN BELGRAVIA: Steven Moffat

OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY SERIES

OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY SPECIAL

84th Annual Academy Awards
Betty White's 90th Birthday: A Tribute To America's Golden Girl
The Kennedy Center Honors
Louis C.K. Live At The Beacon Theatre
65th Annual Tony Awards

OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING

AMERICAN EXPERIENCE "Clinton": Barak Goodman
AMERICAN MASTERS "Johnny Carson: King Of Late Night": Peter Jones
ANTHONY BOURDAIN - NO RESERVATIONS "Cuba": Anthony Bourdain
PROHIBITION "A Nation Of Hypocrites": Geoffrey C. Ward
SESAME STREET - Growing Hope Against Hunger: Christine Ferraro

OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES

CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM "Palestinian Chicken": Robert B. Weide
GIRLS "She Did": Lena Dunham
LOUIE "Duckling": Louis C.K.
MODERN FAMILY "Virgin Territory": Jason Winer
MODERN FAMILY "Baby On Board": Steven Levitan
NEW GIRL Pilot: Jake Kasdan

OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES

BOARDWALK EMPIRE "To The Lost": Tim Van Patten
BREAKING BAD "Face Off": Vince Gilligan
DOWNTON ABBEY "Episode 7": Brian Percival
HOMELAND Pilot: Michael Cuesta
MAD MEN "The Other Woman": Phil Abraham

OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A MINISERIES, MOVIE OR A DRAMATIC SPECIAL

GAME CHANGE: Jay Roach
HATFIELDS & MCCOYS: Kevin Reynolds
HEMINGWAY & GELLHORN: Philip Kaufman
LUTHER: Sam Miller
SHERLOCK - A SCANDAL IN BELGRAVIA: Paul McGuigan

OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY SERIES

THE COLBERT REPORT Episode 7121A: James Hoskinson
THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART Episode 17087: Chuck O'Neil
LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN Episode 3602: Jerry Foley
PORTLANDIA "One Moore Episode": Jonathan Krisel
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE "Host: Mick Jagger": Don Roy King

OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY, MUSIC OR COMEDY SPECIAL

84th Annual ACADEMY AWARDS: Don Mischer
The 55th Annual GRAMMY AWARDS: Louis J. Horvitz
Louis C.K. Live At The Beacon Theatre: Louis C.K.
New York City Ballet George Balanchine's The Nutcracker (LIVE FROM LINCOLN CENTER): Alan Skog
65th Annual TONY AWARDS: Glenn Weiss

OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING

THE AMAZING RACE "Let Them Drink Their Haterade (Lake Manyara, Tanzania)": Bertram van Munster
AMERICAN MASTERS "Woody Allen: A Documentary": Robert B. Weide
George Harrison - Living In The Material World: Martin Scorsese
Paradise Lost 3 - Purgatory: Joe Berlinger & Bruce Sinofsky
PROJECT RUNWAY "Finale (Part 2)": Craig Spirko

OUTSTANDING VOICE-OVER PERFORMANCE

Brenda Strong as Mary-Alice Young in DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES "Give Me The Blame"
Dan Povenmire as Doctor Doofenshmirtz in PHINEAS AND FERB: ACROSS THE 2ND DIMENSION
Rob Riggle as Noel in DISNEY PREP & LANDING - NAUGHTY VS. NICE
Maurice LaMarche as Clamps, Donbot, Hyperchicken, Calculon, Hedonismbot, Morbo in FUTURAMA "The Silence Of The Clamps"
Kristen Wiig as Lola in THE LOONEY TUNES SHOW "Double Date"
Hank Azaria as Moe Szyslak, Duffman, Mexican Duffman, Carl, Comic Book Guy, Chief Wiggum in THE SIMPSONS "Moe Goes From Rags To Riches"

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 CHILDREN'S PROGRAM

OUTSTANDING CHILDREN'S NONFICTION, REALITY OR REALITY-COMPETITION PROGRAM

IT GETS BETTER
SESAME STREET: GROWING HOPE AGAINST HUNGER
THE WEIGHT OF THE NATION FOR KIDS

OUTSTANDING SHORT-FORMAT ANIMATED PROGRAM

ADVENTURE TIME "Too Young"
PHINEAS AND FERB "The Doonkleberry Imperative"
MAD "Kitchen Nightmare Before Christmas"
REGULAR SHOW "Eggscellent"
ROBOT CHICKEN "Fight Club Paradise"

OUTSTANDING ART DIRECTION FOR A MULTI-CAMERA SERIES

HELL'S KITCHEN "Episode 915" & "Episode 916"
HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER "Now We're Even" & "The Magician's Code, Part One" & "The Magician's Code, Part Two"
MIKE & MOLLY "Goin' Fishin'" & "Valentine's Piggyback" & "The Wedding"
30 ROCK "Live From Studio 6H"
2 BROKE GIRLS "And The Rich People Problems" & "The Reality Check" & "And The Pop Up Sale"

OUTSTANDING ART DIRECTION FOR A SINGLE-CAMERA SERIES

BOARDWALK EMPIRE "Peg Of Old" & "Battle Of The Century" & "To The Lost"
DOWNTON ABBEY "Episode 4" & "Episode 7"
GAME OF THRONES "Garden Of Bones" & "The Ghost Of Harrenhal" & "A Man Without Honor"
JUSTIFIED "Cut Ties" & "Loose Ends" & "Measures"
MAD MEN "At The Cod Fish Ball"

OUTSTANDING ART DIRECTION FOR A MINISERIES OR MOVIE

AMERICAN HORROR STORY "Part 1"
AMERICAN HORROR STORY "Open House (Part 7)"
GREAT EXPECTATIONS (MASTERPIECE)
HATFIELDS & MCCOYS
HEMINGWAY & GELLHORN
SHERLOCK: A SCANDAL IN BELGRAVIA

OUTSTANDING ART DIRECTION FOR VARIETY, MUSIC OR NONFICTION PROGRAMMING

84th Annual ACADEMY AWARDS
The 54th Annual Grammy Awards
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE "Host: Jimmy Fallon" & "Host: Melissa McCarthy" & "Host: Mick Jagger"
65th Annual Tony Awards
THE VOICE "Blind Auditions (Part 2)" & "Battle Rounds (Part 1)" & "Live Shows (Part 4)"

We'll continue to update this list with nominees in more categories and links to show pages. In the meantime, you can find nominees in the remaining categories here.

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2012 Primetime Emmy Nominations