Looking at this year’s Emmy Awards a couple of things are clear. TV, like films has changed. Cable had been infiltrating the Emmy’s for years but now there is Netflix, maybe soon Hulu, and of late, the broadcast networks are lucky to be invited to the party anymore.
While it has been clear for some time that the best roles for women are on TV, the directing nomination for Jane Campion for her miniseries Top of the Lake and David Fincher for House of Cards, shows that TV has really become the place where people can do great work. There is no more movie/TV divide. No more snobbery about films being big and TV being small. When someone like David Fincher, who has no trouble working in movies, chooses to do House of Cards you know something is happening.
It is a joy to see the range of talent and ages on this list — Diana Rigg, Jane Fonda, Charlotte Rampling, Sigourney Weaver, but we do need more women of color. Kerry Washington is the first woman of color to be nominated for best actress in a drama since Cicely Tyson was decades ago.
And in the directing and writing area, it’s great to see Lena Dunham again and several other women including the great Allison Anders, but writing and directing remain tough categories for women to get nominations in according to this really cool infographic.
The female nominees:
Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Connie Britton, Nashville
Claire Danes, Homeland
Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey
Vera Farmiga, Bates Motel
Kerry Washington, Scandal
Robin Wright, House of Cards
Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series
Anna Gunn, Breaking Bad
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Emilia Clarke, Game Of Thrones
Christine Baranski, The Good Wife
Morena Baccarin, Homeland
Christina Hendricks, Mad Men
Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series
Margo Martindale, The Americans
Diana Rigg, Game Of Thrones
Carrie Preston, The Good Wife
Linda Cardellini, Mad Men
Jane Fonda, The Newsroom
Joan Cusack, Shameless
Outstanding Lead Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie
Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Asylum
Laura Linney, The Big C: Hereafter
Helen Mirren, Phil Spector
Elisabeth Moss, Top of the Lake
Sigourney Weaver, Political Animals
Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie
Sarah Paulson, American Horror Story: Asylum
Imelda Staunton , The Girl
Ellen Burstyn, Political Animals
Charlotte Rampling , Restless
Alfre Woodard, Steel Magnolias
Miniseries or Movie
Top of the Lake
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Laura Dern, Enlightened
Lena Dunham, Girls
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory
Jane Lynch, Glee
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Julie Bowen,Modern Family
Merritt Wever,Nurse Jackie
Jane Krakowski,30 Rock
Anna Chlumsky,Veep
OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Molly Shannon, Enlightened
Dot-Marie Jones, Glee
Melissa Leo, Louie
Melissa McCarthy, Saturday Night Live
Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live
Elaine Stritch, 30 Rock
Comedy Series
30 Rock
Girls
Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality-Competition Program
Betty White, Betty White’s Off Their Rockers
Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn, Project Runway
Cat Deeley, So You Think You Can Dance
Outstanding Writing For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Dramatic Special
Abi Morgan, The Hour
Jane Campion, Gerard Lee, Top Of The Lake
Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series
Pamela Adlon, Louie C.K., Louie: Daddy’s Girlfriend (Part 1)
Tina Fey, Tracey Wigfield, 30 Rock: Last Lunch
Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series
Lena Dunham, Girls: On All Fours
Gail Mancuso, Modern Family: Arrested
Beth McCarthy-Miller, 30 Rock: Hogcock! / Last Lunch
Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series
Michelle MacLaren, Breaking Bad: Gliding Over All
Lesli Linka Glatter, Homeland: Q&A
Outstanding Directing For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Dramatic Special
Allison Anders, Ring Of Fire
Jane Campion, Garth Davis, Top Of The Lake
Full list here. The Emmys will be handed out on September 22nd.
