Television and film awards seasons are among my favorite times of the year. I look at other critics’ lists, make my predictions, catch up on the shows I missed, and rewatch the serious contenders. I make my list of hopefuls, my dream ballot of the performers that must be recognized, and the countdown until the nominations are announced.
But as we get closer to the nomination day, I become far less sentimental and begin grooming my own pretend ballot, cutting off the long-shots, and slash the bubble picks. I’ll debate nomination snubs in footnotes and at length later, but the bottom line is: I WANT TO BE RIGHT.
For the big 10 categories, those 60 nominees, I want to get them all right, or as damn close as possible. So these aren’t necessarily my favorite picks, but these WILL be the nominees on July 18 at 8:35 a.m. for the television categories.
Best Supporting Actress Comedy:
Julie Bowen, “Modern Family”
Sofia Vergara, “Modern Family”
Jane Krakowski, “30 Rock”
Mayim Bialik, “30 Rock”
Jessica Walter, “Arrested Development”
Kaley Cuoco, “The Big Bang Theory”
Snubs: Nothing major. Merrit Weaver, Allison Williams perhaps.
Best Supporting Actor, Comedy:
Eric Stonestreet, “Modern Family”
Ty Burrell, “Modern Family”
Ed O’Neill, “Modern Family”
Max Greenfield, “New Girl”
Bill Hader, “Saturday Night Live
Jack McBrayer, “30 Rock”
Snubs: Jesse Tyler Ferguson becomes the first to succumb to “Modern Family” fatigue. Poor reception doesn’t open a spot for any “Arrested Development” supporting guys.
Best Supporting Actor, Drama:
Aaron Paul, “Breaking Bad”
Jonathan Banks, “Breaking Bad”
Mandy Patinkin, “Homeland”
Corey Stoll, “House of Cards”
Peter Dinklage, “Game of Thrones”
Noah Emmerich, “The Americans”
Snubs: Nothing major.
Best Supporting Actress, Drama:
Maggie Smith, “Downton Abbey”
Anna Gunn, “Breaking Bad”
Christina Hendricks, “Mad Men”
Monica Potter, “Parenthood”
Mona Baccarin, “Homeland”
Elizabeth McGovern, “Downton Abbey”
Snubs: The ladies of “The Good Wife” are pushed out in a deep field.
Best Actor, Comedy
Louis C.K., “Louie”
Jim Parsons, “The Big Bang Theory”
Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock”
Jake Johnson, “New Girl”
Jon Cryer, “Two and a Half Men”
Adam Scott, “Parks and Recreation”
Snubs: Don Cheadle, Jason Bateman, and Matt LeBlanc are left out in the cold, despite good performances on subpar shows/seasons.
Best Actress, Comedy
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep”
Lena Dunham, “Girls”
Tina Fey, “30 Rock”
Amy Poehler, “Parks and Recreation”
Zooey Deschanel, “New Girl”
Laura Dern, “Enlightened”
Snubs: Nichts.
Best Actor, Drama
Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad”
Jon Hamm, “Mad Men”
Damian Lewis, “Homeland”
Matthew Rhys, “The Americans”
Kevin Spacey, “House of Cards”
Steve Buscemi, “Boardwalk Empire”
Snubs: Nothing major. Critics couldn’t get on board with “Newsroom” despite an eye-opening performance from Jeff Daniels, and continued solid work from Michael C. Hall can’t push past Dexter fatigue.
Best Actress, Drama
Claire Danes, “Homeland”
Juliana Marguiles, “The Good Wife”
Elisabeth Moss, “Mad Men”
Keri Russell, “The Americans”
Robin Wright, “House of Cards”
Vera Farmiga, “Bates Motel”
Snubs: Kerry Washington deserves a nod, but the soapy “Scandal” isn’t the Emmy’s wheelhouse; neither is “Orphan Black,” despite a powerhouse performance from Tatiana Maslany. Michelle Dockery gets pushed out for newcomers.
Best Drama Series
“Homeland”
“Mad Men”
“Game of Thrones”
“Breaking Bad”
“The Americans”
“House of Cards”
Best Comedy Series
“Modern Family”
“The Big Bang Theory”
“30 Rock”
“New Girl”
“Parks and Recreation”
“Girls”
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