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Revealed! 2012 Primetime Emmy nominations

It’s that time again. The 2012 Primetime Emmy nominees have been announced. The period drama Downton Abbey has thrown its hat into the best drama race, pitting itself against reigning champ, Mad Men. Who will come out on top?

The Buzz – And the 64th Emmy Award Nominees are…
The Nominees for the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards have been announced! See who they are here.

Thursday morning, Jimmy Kimmel and Scandal star Kerry Washington unveiled the nominees for the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards. Each year, there are a few surprises and snubs, but for the most part the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences got it right.

In the drama categories, Boardwalk Empire, Downton Abbey, Mad Men and Breaking Bad reigned supreme. Mad Men will defend its title for best drama, which it has won consecutively for the past four years. Considering all the hype surrounding Downton, it might have a serious fight on its hands.

In the comedy department, a couple of newbies slipped in with the vets. HBO’s Girls and the politically motivated Veep both scored nominations for best comedy series. But they’ll have their work cut out for them as they attempt to take down critical favorite Modern Family.

In terms of acting, the categories were infused with new blood. Downton Abbey’s Michelle Dockery and Hugh Bonneville were nominated for lead actor and actress, while Brendan Coyle, Jim Carter, Maggie Smith and Joanne Froggatt scored nods for best supporting.

Breaking Bad breakout Giancarlo Esposito also got some Emmy love for best supporting actor in a drama, while on the comedy side, Max Greenfield was recognized for his hilarious performance on Fox’s New Girl.

Check out the rest of the 2012 Primetime Emmy nominees below:

OUTSTANDING DRAMA

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA

  • 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 ACTOR IN A DRAMA

  • Hugh Bonneville, Downton Abbey
  • Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
  • Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
  • Michael C. Hall, Dexter
  • Jon Hamm, Mad Men
  • Damian Lewis, Homeland

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA

  • Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad
  • Giancarlo Esposito, Breaking Bad
  • Brendan Coyle, Downton Abbey
  • Jim Carter, Downton Abbey
  • Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
  • Jared Harris, Mad Men

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA

  • Anna Gunn, Breaking Bad
  • Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
  • Joanne Froggatt, Downton Abbey
  • Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife
  • Christine Baranski, The Good Wife
  • Christina Hendricks, Mad Men

OUTSTANDING COMEDY

  • The Big Bang Theory
  • Curb Your Enthusiasm
  • Girls
  • Modern Family
  • 30 Rock
  • Veep

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

  • Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
  • Lena Dunham, Girls
  • Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
  • Tina Fey, 30 Rock
  • Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
  • Melissa McCarthy, Mike and Molly
  • Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A COMEDY

  • 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 COMEDY

  • Ed O’Neill, Modern Family
  • Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family
  • Ty Burrell, Modern Family
  • Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family
  • Max Greenfield, New Girl
  • Bill Hader, Saturday Night Live

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

  • Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory
  • Kathryn Joosten, Desperate Housewives
  • Julie Bowen, Modern Family
  • Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
  • Merritt Wever, Nurse Jackie
  • Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live

OUTSTANDING REALITY SHOW HOST

  • 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 SHOW COMPETITION

  • The Amazing Race
  • Dancing With the Stars
  • Project Runway
  • So You Think You Can Dance
  • Top Chef
  • The Voice

OUTSTANDING VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY 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 TV MINISERIES OR MOVIE

  • American Horror Story
  • Game Change
  • Hatfields & McCoys
  • Hemingway & Gellhorn
  • Luther
  • Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia

LEAD ACTOR IN A TV MINISERIES OR MOVIE

  • Kevin Costner, Hatfields & McCoys
  • Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia
  • Idris Elba, Luther
  • Woody Harrelson, Game Change
  • Clive Owen, Hemingway & Gellhorn
  • Bill Paxton, Hatfields & McCoys

LEAD ACTRESS IN A TV MINISERIES OR MOVIE

  • Connie Britton, American Horror Story
  • Ashley Judd, Missing
  • Nicole Kidman, Hemingway & Gellhorn
  • Julianne Moore, Game Change
  • Emma Thompson, The Song of Lunch

You can view the rest of the nominations, including the technical categories, at Emmys.com.

What do you think of this year’s nominees?

Photo credit: WENN.com

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