It’s that time of year again. The Broadcast TV Journalists Association has spoken out to release its list of nominations for the BTJA's 3rd Critics’ Choice Television Awards, which means this is only the third time this nomination list has been compiled. And for such a young ceremony, it certainly isn’t afraid to go against popular opinions, as you’ll notice by the snubs given to 3-time Emmy Award-winner Modern Family and 4-time Emmy-winner Mad Men. Seems like either a gusty or shortsighted move.
Deadline released the list and it looks like the Best Drama Series category is the same as last year, only Mad Men was replaced by the first-year FX drama The Americans. It’s a choice I could not have predicted, even with three hints given to me. In fact, the only time Mad Men even made this list is for Elizabeth Moss’ nomination in Best Actress in a Drama Series. The Best Comedy Series, on the other hand, has switched out half of last year’s nominees. The 2012 winner Community is understandably absent after such a vastly uneven fourth season, as are Modern Family and HBO’s Girls, replaced by HBO’s instant classic Veep, Fox’s New Girl and ABC’s The Middle. I think I can speak for a lot of people when I say, “Are you kidding me with this The Middle business?” No 30 Rock?
The two shows with six nominees each – the most of all shows – were The Big Bang Theory, nominated for Best Comedy and five actor slots, and FX’s American Horror Story: Asylum, which conquered the miniseries nominations.
The awards ceremony, hosted by Parks and Recreation’s Retta, will be held on June 1, though it wasn’t stated if or where the ceremony would air. You can see a full list of the nominees below. Beyond my ever-present happiness for a Louie nod, I’m really glad Kevin Spacey’s Netflix turn on House of Cards got its due credit, as well as Tatiana Maslany, who has been outstanding in her multiple role duties on BBC America’s Orphan Black. Who are some of your favorites?
"BEST COMEDY SERIES• The Big Bang Theory – CBS• Louie – FX• The Middle – ABC• New Girl – FOX• Parks and Recreation – NBC• Veep – HBOBEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES• Don Cheadle (House of Lies) – Showtime• Louis C.K. (Louie) – FX• Jake Johnson (New Girl) – FOX• Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) – CBS• Adam Scott (Parks and Recreation) – NBC• Jeremy Sisto (Suburgatory) – ABCBEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES• Laura Dern (Enlightened) – HBO• Zooey Deschanel (New Girl) – FOX• Lena Dunham (Girls) – HBO• Sutton Foster (Bunheads) – ABC Family• Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep) – HBO• Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation) – NBCBEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES• Max Greenfield (New Girl) – FOX• Simon Helberg (The Big Bang Theory) – CBS• Alex Karpovsky (Girls) – HBO• Adam Pally (Happy Endings) – ABC• Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreation) – NBC• Danny Pudi (Community) – NBCBEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY• Carly Chaikin (Suburgatory) – ABC• Kaley Cuoco (The Big Bang Theory) – CBS• Sarah Hyland (Modern Family) – ABC• Melissa Rauch (The Big Bang Theory) – CBS• Eden Sher (The Middle) – ABC• Casey Wilson (Happy Endings) – ABCBEST GUEST PERFORMER IN A COMEDY SERIES• Melissa Leo (Louie) – FX• David Lynch (Louie) – FX• Bob Newhart (The Big Bang Theory) – CBS• Patton Oswalt (Parks and Recreation) – NBC• Molly Shannon (Enlightened) – HBO• Patrick Wilson (Girls) – HBOBEST DRAMA SERIES • The Americans – FX• Breaking Bad – AMC• Downton Abbey – PBS• Game of Thrones – HBO• The Good Wife – CBS• Homeland – ShowtimeBEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES• Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) – AMC• Damian Lewis (Homeland) – Showtime• Andrew Lincoln (The Walking Dead) – AMC• Timothy Olyphant (Justified) – FX• Matthew Rhys (The Americans) – FX• Kevin Spacey (House of Cards) – NetflixBEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES• Claire Danes (Homeland) – Showtime• Vera Farmiga (Bates Motel) – A&E• Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife) – CBS• Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) – BBC America• Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men) – AMC• Keri Russell (The Americans) – FXBEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES• Jonathan Banks (Breaking Bad) – AMC• Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game of Thrones) – HBO• Michael Cudlitz (Southland) – TNT• Noah Emmerich (The Americans) – FX• Walton Goggins (Justified) – FX• Corey Stoll (House of Cards) – NetflixBEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES• Jennifer Carpenter (Dexter) – Showtime• Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) – HBO• Anna Gunn (Breaking Bad) – AMC• Regina King (Southland) – TNT• Monica Potter (Parenthood) – NBC• Abigail Spencer (Rectify) – SundanceBEST GUEST PERFORMER IN A DRAMA SERIES• Jim Beaver (Justified) – FX• Jane Fonda (The Newsroom) – HBO• Martha Plimpton (The Good Wife) – CBS• Carrie Preston (The Good Wife) – CBS• Diana Rigg (Game of Thrones) – HBO• Jimmy Smits (Sons of Anarchy) – FXBEST MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES• American Horror Story: Asylum – FX• Behind the Candelabra – HBO• The Crimson Petal and the White – Encore• The Hour – BBC America• Political Animals – USA• Top of the Lake – SundanceBEST ACTOR IN A MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES• Benedict Cumberbatch (Parade’s End) – HBO• Matt Damon (Behind the Candelabra) – HBO• Michael Douglas (Behind the Candelabra) – HBO• Toby Jones (The Girl) – HBO• Al Pacino (Phil Spector) – HBO• Dominic West (The Hour) – BBC AmericaBEST ACTRESS IN A MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES• Angela Bassett (Betty & Coretta) – Lifetime• Romola Garai (The Hour) – BBC America• Rebecca Hall (Parade’s End) – HBO• Jessica Lange (American Horror Story: Asylum) – FX• Elisabeth Moss (Top of the Lake) – Sundance• Sigourney Weaver (Political Animals) – USABEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES• James Cromwell (American Horror Story: Asylum) – FX• Peter Mullan (Top of the Lake) – Sundance• Zachary Quinto (American Horror Story: Asylum) – FX• Sebastian Stan (Political Animals) – USA• David Wenham (Top of the Lake) – Sundance• Thomas M. Wright (Top of the Lake) – SundanceBEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MOVIE OR MINI-SERIES• Ellen Burstyn (Political Animals) – USA• Sienna Miller (The Girl) – HBO• Sarah Paulson (American Horror Story: Asylum) – FX• Lily Rabe (American Horror Story: Asylum) – FX• Imelda Staunton (The Girl) – HBO• Alfre Woodard (Steel Magnolias) – LifetimeBEST REALITY SERIES• Duck Dynasty – A&E• The Moment – USA• Pawn Stars – History Channel• Push Girls – Sundance• Small Town Security – AMC• Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan – BBC AmericaBEST REALITY SERIES – COMPETITION• Chopped – Food Network• Face Off – Syfy• Shark Tank – ABC• So You Think You Can Dance – FOX• Survivor – CBS• The Voice – NBCBEST REALITY HOST • Tom Bergeron (Dancing With the Stars) – ABC• Cat Deeley (So You Think You Can Dance) – FOX• Gordon Ramsay (Hell’s Kitchen/Masterchef) – FOX• RuPaul (RuPaul’s Drag Race) – Logo• Ryan Seacrest (American Idol) – FOX• Kurt Warner (The Moment) – USABEST TALK SHOW• Conan – TBS• The Daily Show with Jon Stewart – Comedy Central• The Ellen DeGeneres Show – Warner Brothers Television Distribution• Jimmy Kimmel Live! – ABC• Late Night with Jimmy Fallon – NBC• Marie – Hallmark ChannelBEST ANIMATED SERIES• Adventure Time – Cartoon Network• Archer – FX• Phineas and Ferb – Disney Channel• Regular Show – Cartoon Network• The Simpsons – FOX• Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Cartoon Network "
