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‘Game of Thrones’ leads list of Emmy nominees

There were a few surprises as the list emerged of strong competitors vying for a coveted Emmy. Here’s the full list of nominees.
Emmy Nominations 2014

(CNN) — The 2014 Emmy nominations were announced on Thursday, with “Game of Thrones” in the lead with a total of 19 nods, and “Breaking Bad” getting its final round of recognition.

The announcement, made by Mindy Kaling and “The Voice’s” Carson Daly, revealed strong competition but few surprises, with series like “True Detective” and “Orange Is the New Black” getting their expected (and deserved) due.

Here’s what else we learned from the 2014 Emmy nominations:

1. So many dramas, so little room

This year’s drama category name-checks some of the predicted suspects — “Breaking Bad,” “House of Cards,” “Mad Men” — while welcoming a new player: HBO’s “True Detective.” The show’s inclusion in the category was controversial, since the program is structured more like a miniseries: its second season will tell a new story with a new cast of characters.

But HBO submitted it as a drama, and Emmy voters clearly responded — evidently more than they did for “Homeland,” the Showtime series that was once the belle of the Emmys ball. (Last year, 13 nominations. This year? A total of four.)

Yet even with such a strong cast of nominees, fans of “Orphan Black,” The Americans” and “The Walking Dead” are somewhere bemoaning the Emmys’ oversight of those series once again.

2. Netflix’s seat at the table is a lock

What a difference a year makes. With the 2013 Emmys, Netflix was the new kid on the block, breaking ground with its nominations for its shining original series, “House of Cards.” But in 2014, the streaming service has locked down 31 nominations, including a nod to Ricky Gervais for outstanding lead actor in a comedy in his new show, “Derek.”

3. Plenty of fresh faces — but where’s Tatiana Maslany?

With so many first-timers included in the Emmy nominations this year, we would’ve guessed that “Orphan Black’s” star Tatiana Maslany would’ve been among them, for sure.

But no, it looks like the talented actress — who’s been receiving praise from The New York Times to Variety to, yes, CNN — has been passed over once again.

Here’s some good news, though: the Emmys didn’t forget “Masters of Sex” star Lizzy Caplan, or Lena Headey (“Game of Thrones”), or Taylor Schilling and Kate Mulgrew (“Orange Is The New Black”). Plus, newcomers like FX’s miniseries “Fargo” got plenty of love: it was right behind “Game of Thrones” for most nominations, with 18.

4. From the Oscars to the Emmys

As if we needed more proof that some of the best work is being done on TV, two of the standout nominees this year are fresh off their stint at the Oscars in March.

Chiwetel Ejiofor, who was nominated for best actor at the 2014 Oscars for “12 Years A Slave,” has picked up his first Emmy nomination for the miniseries “Dancing on the Edge.”

And Matthew McConaughey, a.k.a. the guy who just won the best actor Oscar with “Dallas Buyers Club,” is nominated for an outstanding dramatic actor Emmy with “True Detective.”

He’ll compete in that category with his co-star, Woody Harrelson, but if McConaughey wins, he’ll become the first actor to win both an Oscar and an Emmy in the same year.

5. The comedy nominees are no laughing matter

“Modern Family” has been the favorite in the outstanding comedy series category for the past four years, but this year the ABC stalwart faces competition from both “Orange Is the New Black” and “Silicon Valley,” both of which have earned their fair share of applause.

And when it comes to the best lead actress in a comedy, everyone’s hoping this will be Amy Poehler’s year. The “Parks & Recreation” star has done some invaluable work on the NBC series, and while she’s been nominated for her role as Leslie Knope four times before, she’s never won.

While we’re talking about comedy, we have to give a tip of the hat to Jimmy Fallon: the “Saturday Night Live” vet just took over “The Tonight Show” earlier this year, but he’s competing in the outstanding variety series category along with mainstays “The Colbert Report” and “The Daily Show.”

The 2014 Emmy Awards will be hosted by “Late Night’s” Seth Meyers, and will air live on NBC August 25 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Here is the list of the 2014 Emmy nominees:

(CNN) — Outstanding Drama Series “Breaking Bad” (AMC) “Downton Abbey” (PBS) “Game of Thrones” (HBO) “House of Cards” (Netflix) “Mad Men” (AMC) “True Detective” (HBO)

Outstanding Comedy Series “The Big Bang Theory” (CBS) “Louie” (FX) “Modern Family” (ABC) “Orange is the New Black” (Netflix) “Silicon Valley” (HBO) “Veep” (HBO)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad” Jeff Daniels, “The Newsroom” Jon Hamm, “Mad Men” Woody Harrelson, “True Detective” Matthew McConaughey, “True Detective” Kevin Spacey, “House of Cards”

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Lizzy Caplan, “Masters of Sex” Claire Danes, “Homeland” Michelle Dockery, “Downton Abbey” Julianna Margulies, “The Good Wife” Kerry Washington, “Scandal” Robin Wright, “House of Cards”

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Louis C.K., “Louie” Don Cheadle, “House of Lies” Ricky Gervais, “Derek” Matt LeBlanc, “Episodes” William H. Macy, “Shameless” Jim Parsons, “The Big Bang Theory”

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Lena Dunham, “Girls” Edie Falco, “Nurse Jackie” Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep” Melissa McCarthy, “Mike & Molly” Amy Poehler, “Parks and Recreation” Taylor Schilling, “Orange is the New Black”

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Jim Carter, “Downton Abbey” Josh Charles, “The Good Wife” Peter Dinklage, “Game of Thrones” Mandy Patinkin, “Homeland” Aaron Paul, “Breaking Bad” Jon Voight, “Ray Donovan”

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Anna Gunn, “Breaking Bad” Maggie Smith, “Downton Abbey” Joanne Froggatt, “Downton Abbey” Lena Headey, “Game of Thrones” Christine Baranski, “The Good Wife” Christina Hendricks, “Mad Men”

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Julie Bowen, “Modern Family” Allison Janney, “Mom” Kate Mulgrew, “Orange is the New Black” Kate McKinnon, “Saturday Night Live” Mayim Bialik, “The Big Bang Theory” Anna Chlumsky, “Veep”

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Andre Braugher, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” Adam Driver, “Girls” Ty Burrell, “Modern Family” Jesse Tyler Ferguson, “Modern Family” Fred Armisen, “Portlandia” Tony Hale, “Veep”

Outstanding Miniseries “American Horror Story: Coven” (FX) “Bonnie & Clyde” (Lifetime) “Fargo” (FX) “Luther” (BBC America) “Treme” (HBO) “The White Queen” (Starz)

Outstanding Television Movie “Killing Kennedy” (National Geographic) “Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight” (HBO) “The Normal Heart” (HBO) “Sherlock: His Last Vow” (PBS) “The Trip to Bountiful” (Lifetime)

Outstanding Variety Series “America’s Got Talent” (NBC) “Dancing with the Stars” (ABC) “Saturday Night Live” (NBC) “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC) “The Voice” (NBC)

Outstanding Reality-Competition Program “The Amazing Race” (CBS) “Dancing with the Stars” (ABC) “Project Runway” (Lifetime) “So You Think You Can Dance” (FOX) “Top Chef” (Bravo) “The Voice” (NBC)

Outstanding Structured Reality Program “Antiques Roadshow” (PBS) “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” (Food) “MythBusters” (Discovery) “Shark Tank” (ABC) “Undercover Boss” (CBS) “Who Do You Think You Are?” (TLC)

Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program “Alaska: The Last Frontier” (Discovery) “Deadliest Catch” (Discovery) “Flipping Out” (Bravo) “Million Dollar Listing New York” (Bravo) “Wahlburgers” (A&E) “Wild Things With Dominic Monaghan” (BBC America)

Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality-Competition Program Betty White, “Betty White’s Off Their Rockers” Tom Bergeron, “Dancing With The Stars” Jane Lynch, “Hollywood Game Night” Heidi Klum & Tim Gunn, “Project Runway” Cat Deeley, “So You Think You Can Dance” Anthony Bourdain, “The Taste”

Outstanding Variety Special “AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute To Mel Brooks” (TNT) “The Beatles: The Night That Changed America” (CBS) “Best Of Late Night With Jimmy Fallon Primetime Special” (NBC) “Billy Crystal: 700 Sundays” (HBO) “The Kennedy Center Honors” (CBS) “Sarah Silverman: We Are Miracles” (HBO)

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series Dylan Baker, “The Good Wife” Reg E. Cathey, “House of Cards” Paul Giamatti, “Downton Abbey” Robert Morse, “Mad Men” Beau Bridges, “Masters of Sex” Joe Morton, “Scandal”

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series Kate Burton, “Scandal” Jane Fonda, “The Newsroom” Allison Janney, “Masters of Sex” Kate Mara, “House of Cards” Margo Martindale, “The Americans” Diane Rigg, “Game of Thrones”

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series “Breaking Bad” — “Ozymandias” (Moira Walley-Beckett) “Breaking Bad” — Felina” (Vince Gilligan) “Game of Thrones” — “The Children” (David Benioff and D.B. Weiss) “House of Cards” — “Chapter 14” (Beau Willimon) “True Detective” — “The Secret Fate of All Life” (Nic Pizzolatto)

Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series “Boardwalk Empire” — Farewell Daddy Blues” (Tim Van Patten) “Breaking Bad’ — “Felina” (Vince Gilligan) “Downton Abbey” — “Episode 1” (David Evans) “Game Of Thrones” — “The Watchers on the Wall” (Neil Marshall) “House Of Cards” — “Chapter 14” (Carl Franklin) “True Detective” — “Who Goes There” (Cary Joji Fukunaga)

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series Nathan Lane, “Modern Family” Steve Buscemi, “Portlandia” Jimmy Fallon, “Saturday Night Live” Louis C.K., “Saturday Night Live” Bob Newhart, “Arthur” Gary Cole, “Veep”

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Uzo Aduba, “Orange is the New Black” Laverne Cox, “Orange is the New Black” Natasha Lyonne, “Orange is the New Black” Tina Fey, “Saturday Night Live” Melissa McCarthy, “Saturday Night Live” Joan Cusack, “Shameless”

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series “Episodes” — “Episode 305” (David Crane) “Louie” — “So Did The Fat Lady” (Louis C.K.) “Orange Is the New Black” — “I Wasn’t Ready” (Jenji Kohan and Liz Friedman) “Silicon Valley” — “Optimal Tip-To-Tip Efficiency” (Alec Berg) “Veep” — “Special Relationship” (Simon Blackwell, Tony Roche and Armando Iannucci)

Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series “Episodes” — “Episode 309” (Iain B. MacDonald) “Glee” — “100” (Paris Barclay) “Louis” — “Elevator, Part 6” (Louis C.K.) “Modern Family” — “Vegas” (Gail Mancuso) “Orange Is the New Black” — “Lesbian Request Denied” (Jodie Foster) “Silicon Valley” — Minimum Viable Product” (Mike Judge)

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