AMERICAN HORROR STORY, MAD MEN and DOWNTON ABBEY Top Emmy Noms

Emmy nominations were announced today and I realized that, while on my Breaking Bad bender, I had completely forgotten Downtown Abbey which has turned out to be quite a contender this year with 16 nominations including all the heavy hitters: Outstanding Drama Series, Lead & Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, Lead & Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, Directing for a Drama Series, and Writing for a Drama Series.

American Horror Story and Mad Men each received 17 with 30 Rock coming up with 15. My beloved Breaking Bad didn’t do so bad either with 13 total nominations. And with Aaron Paul and Giancarlo Esposito both vying for Supporting Actor in a Drama, my heart is sure to break.

Grey’s Anatomy popped up in the Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama category and to be honest, I didn’t even know that show was on anymore.

Below is a glimpse at the most popular categories and their nominees.

2012 Emmy Nominations

Outstanding Comedy Series
The Big Bang Theory • CBS
Curb Your Enthusiasm • HBO
Girls • HBO
Modern Family • ABC
30 Rock • NBC
Veep • HBO

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series
Girls • HBO • Lena Dunham as Hannah Horvath
Mike & Molly • CBS • Melissa McCarthy as Molly Flynn
New Girl • FOX • Zooey Deschanel as Jess Day
Nurse Jackie • Showtime • Edie Falco as Jackie Peyton
Parks And Recreation • NBC • Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope
30 Rock • NBC • Tina Fey as Liz Lemon
Veep • HBO • Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series
The Big Bang Theory • CBS • Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper
Curb Your Enthusiasm • HBO • Larry David as Himself
House Of Lies • Showtime • Don Cheadle as Marty Kaan
Louie • FX Networks • Louis C.K. as Louie
30 Rock • NBC • Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy
Two And A Half Men • CBS • Jon Cryer as Alan Harper

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series
The Big Bang Theory • CBS • Mayim Bialik as Amy Farrah Fowler
Desperate Housewives • ABC • Kathryn Joosten as Karen McCluskey
Modern Family • ABC • Julie Bowen as Claire Dunphy
Modern Family • ABC • Sofia Vergara as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett
Nurse Jackie • Showtime • Merritt Wever as Zoey Barkow
Saturday Night Live • NBC • Kristen Wiig as various characters

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series
Modern Family • ABC • Ed O’Neill as Jay Pritchett
Modern Family • ABC • Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Mitchell Pritchett
Modern Family • ABC • Ty Burrell as Phil Dunphy
Modern Family • ABC • Eric Stonestreet as Cameron Tucker
New Girl • FOX • Max Greenfield as Schmidt
Saturday Night Live • NBC • Bill Hader as various characters

Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series
Curb Your Enthusiasm • Palestinian Chicken • HBO • Robert B. Weide, Director
Girls • She Did • HBO • Lena Dunham, Director
Louie • Duckling • FX Networks • Louis C.K., Director
Modern Family • Virgin Territory • ABC • Jason Winer, Director
Modern Family • Baby On Board • ABC • Steven Levitan, Director
New Girl • Pilot • FOX • Jake Kasdan, Director

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
Community • Remedial Chaos Theory • NBC • Chris McKenna, Written by
Girls • Pilot • HBO • Lena Dunham, Written by
Louie • Pregnant • FX Networks • Louis C.K., Written by
Parks And Recreation • The Debate • NBC • Amy Poehler, Written by
Parks And Recreation • Win, Lose, Or Draw • NBC • Michael Schur, Written by

Outstanding Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire • HBO
Breaking Bad • AMC •
Downton Abbey • PBS
Game Of Thrones • HBO
Homeland • Showtime
Mad Men • AMC

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series
Damages • DirecTV • Glenn Close as Patty Hewes
Downton Abbey • PBS • Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary Crawley
The Good Wife • CBS • Julianna Margulies as Alicia Florrick
Harry’s Law • NBC • Kathy Bates as Harriet Korn
Homeland • Showtime • Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison
Mad Men • AMC • Elisabeth Moss as Peggy Olson

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire • HBO • Steve Buscemi as Nucky Thompson
Breaking Bad • AMC • Bryan Cranston as Walter White
Dexter • Showtime • Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan
Downton Abbey • PBS • Hugh Bonneville as Robert, Earl of Grantham
Homeland • Showtime • Damian Lewis as Nicholas Brody
Mad Men • AMC • Jon Hamm as Don Draper

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series
Breaking Bad • AMC • Anna Gunn as Skyler White
Downton Abbey • PBS • Maggie Smith as Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham
Downton Abbey • PBS • Joanne Froggatt as Anna
The Good Wife • CBS • Archie Panjabi as Kalinda Sharma
The Good Wife • CBS • Christine Baranski as Diane Lockhart
Mad Men • AMC • Christina Hendricks as Joan Holloway Harris

Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series
Breaking Bad • AMC • Aaron Paul as Jesse Pinkman
Breaking Bad • AMC • Giancarlo Esposito as Gustavo ‘Gus’ Fring
Downton Abbey • PBS • Brendan Coyle as John Bates
Downton Abbey • PBS • Jim Carter as Mr. Carson
Game Of Thrones • HBO • Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister
Mad Men • AMC • Jared Harris as Lane Pryce

Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire • To The Lost • HBO • Tim Van Patten, Director
Breaking Bad • Face Off • AMC • Vince Gilligan, Director
Downton Abbey • Episode 7 • Brian Percival, Director
Homeland • Pilot • Showtime • Michael Cuesta, Director|
Mad Men • The Other Woman • AMC • Phil Abraham, Director

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
Downton Abbey • Episode 7 • PBS • Julian Fellowes, Written by
Homeland • Pilot • Showtime • Alex Gansa, Howard Gordon, Gideon Raff, Written by
Mad Men • The Other Woman • AMC • Semi Chellas, Matthew Weiner, Written by
Mad Men • Commissions And Fees • AMC • Andre Jacquemetton, Maria Jacquemetton, Written by
Mad Men • Far Away Places • AMC • Erin Levy, Matthew Weiner, Written by