Early this morning, Breaking Bad's Aaron Paul and How I Met Your Mother's Neil Patrick Harris teamed up to announce the nominees for the 65th annual Emmy Awards, which honor the year's best in television. The past year has seen the beginning of several major shows (House of Cards, The Americans), the end of some others (30 Rock, The Office), and the rise of Netflix as a major player in the original content game. (Read the full list of nominees at the official Emmys website.) Looking over the long list of nominees, who are this year's biggest winners and losers? A guide:
Winner: House of Cards
All told, Netflix's first foray into original drama earned an impressive nine nominations, including major nods in categories including Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Kevin Spacey, and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Robin Wright (but inexplicably, not Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Corey Stoll). "The number of awards this morning was sort of a shock to everybody," said Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos in an interview with The New York Times. "We didn't plan a big enough party."
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Loser: Arrested Development
Not all of Netflix's exclusive series were a smash with Emmy voters. Though Netflix did earn one major nod for its highly anticipated revival of cult classic sitcom Arrested Development — Jason Bateman for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series — the failure to crack the Outstanding Comedy Series category is a disappointment for a series that earned three nominations and one win in that category during its original run on Fox.
Winner: Elisabeth Moss
It was a big morning for Elisabeth Moss, who became the rare actress to be nominated in two categories: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Mad Men, and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie for Top of the Lake. (If you haven't seen either of her nominated performances, and doubt the wisdom of Emmy voters, both are available to stream on Netflix Instant Watch.)
Loser: Tatiana Masalney
In what multiple critics have dubbed the year's biggest acting snub, versatile Orphan Black star Tatiana Masalney, who plays no less than seven different characters on the debut season of BBC America's twisty sci-fi thriller, wasn't nominated in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series category. Whatever you blame it on, it's an egregious oversight for a show that could use some mainstream buzz.
Winner: Louis C.K.
It's safe to say that Emmy voters are fans of comedian Louis C.K., who personally earned a staggering nine nominations, including Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Louie, Outstanding Variety Special for his HBO stand-up special Oh My God, and Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for hosting Saturday Night Live, along with numerous nods for writing and directing.
Loser: Eric Stonestreet
The large ensemble cast of Modern Family generally dominates the comedy acting categories. But for the first time since the series premiered, there was one notable omission: Eric Stonestreet, whose performance as Cam has earned three nominations and two wins — including last year. Either Emmy voters decided to spread the love around to some of his fellow cast mates, or they didn't like the increasingly cartoonish direction of his character in the sitcom's fourth season.
Winner: 30 Rock
NBC's 30 Rock concluded its seventh and final season in January, but Emmy voters didn't miss their chance to give the sitcom one final, loving sendoff. The showbiz satire earned a slew of nominations, including Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Tina Fey and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Alec Baldwin.
Loser: The Office
By contrast, The Office, which ran for nine seasons on NBC before its series finale in May, ended its Emmy run with a whimper. The series was snubbed in all acting categories, and earned just a few nominations (Directing, Editing, and Sound Mixing, and all for the show's final episode).
Winner: The cast of Game of Thrones
For its third season, the HBO fantasy drama earned no less than three acting nominations, its highest number ever: Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister) for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen) for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama, and Diana Rigg (Olenna Tyrell) for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. (Unfortunately, Michelle Fairley wasn't nominated for her stellar performance as Stark matriarch Catelyn, which culminated in the most heartbreaking wail in television history.)
Loser: The cast of The Americans
The first season of FX's critically adored Cold War drama The Americans was almost entirely overlooked by Emmy voters in the acting categories, with just a single nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series (Margo Martindale) — a particularly stinging snub given the hotly tipped lead performances of Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys.
The 65th annual Emmy Awards ceremony will be broadcast live on CBS on Sunday, Sept. 22.
