2015 Emmy Nominations: Complete List of Nominees

Highlights and Reactions

As expected, American Idol received minimal recognition this year, earning a single nomination in Lighting Design. Many viewers were surprised that the show was largely overlooked in other categories. Empire managed only two nominations: Best Lead Actress for Taraji P. Henson for her portrayal of Cookie Lyon, and a nod for Costume Design, likely for the show’s bold fashion. It was also notable that none of the show’s original songs received nominations amid fierce competition in the drama and music categories.

Glee received no acting or production nominations, but there was a pleasant surprise: the finale original song “This Time,” written by Darren Criss, earned a nomination in the Original Music and Lyrics category.

Quick Tally of Top Nominated Shows:

So You Think You Can Dance – 8 nominations (including 3 choreography)
Dancing with the Stars – 8 nominations (including 2 choreography)
Saturday Night Live (SNL) – 7 nominations
SNL 40th Anniversary Special – 7 nominations
The Voice – 6 nominations
The Amazing Race – 3 nominations
Peter Pan Live! – 3 nominations (technical categories)
Survivor – 2 nominations
Empire – 2 nominations (Lead Actress, Costumes)
RuPaul’s Drag Race – 1 nomination (Makeup)
DWTS 10th Anniversary Special – 1 nomination
Glee – Darren Criss nominated for Best Original Song
American Idol – 1 nomination for Lighting Design

2015 Emmy Nominations

Reality Competition Program

The Voice
Top Chef
Dancing With the Stars
The Amazing Race
So You Think You Can Dance
Project Runway

Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program

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

Choreography

Dancing With the Stars – Elastic Heart – Derek Hough, Julianne Hough, Tessandra Chavez
Dancing With the Stars – 369/It’s Not Unusual/Sing with a Swing-Apache – Witney Carson
So You Think You Can Dance – Wave/When I Go/Wind Beneath My Wings – Travis Wall
So You Think You Can Dance – Vow/So Broken/Europe After the Rain – Sonya Tayeh
So You Think You Can Dance – Hernando’s Hideaway/Word on a String/Maybe This Time – Spencer Liff

Original Music and Lyrics

Glee – “This Time” – Music and Lyrics by Darren Criss
How Murray Saved Christmas – “You Gotta Believe” – Music by Walter Murphy; Lyrics by Mike Reiss
Inside Amy Schumer – “Girl You Don’t Need Makeup” – (Song Title: Cool With It)
Sons of Anarchy – “Come Join the Murder” – Music and Lyrics by Bob Thiele, Kurt Sutter, Jake Smith
The Comedians – “Kiss an Old Man” – Lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez; Music by Robert Lopez
The Oscars – “Moving Pictures” – Music & Lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez

Structured Reality Program

Antiques Roadshow
Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives
MythBusters
Property Brothers
Shark Tank
Undercover Boss

Unstructured Reality Program

Alaska: The Last Frontier
Deadliest Catch
Intervention
Million Dollar Listing New York
Naked and Afraid
Wahlburgers

Drama Series

Better Call Saul
Orange Is the New Black
Game of Thrones
Downton Abbey
Homeland
House of Cards
Mad Men

Comedy Series

Louie
Modern Family
Parks and Recreation
Silicon Valley
Transparent
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Veep

Limited Series

American Crime
American Horror Story: Freak Show
The Honorable Woman
Olive Kitteridge
Wolf Hall

TV Movie

Agatha Christie’s Poirot — Curtain: Poirot’s Last Case
Bessie
Race of Monaco
Hello Ladies: The Movie
Killing Jesus
Nightingale

Variety Series

The Colbert Report
The Daily Show
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Late Show with David Letterman
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Variety Sketch Series

Drunk History
Inside Amy Schumer
Key & Peele
Portlandia
Saturday Night Live

Variety Special

Bill Maher: Live From D.C.
Louis C.K.: Live at the Comedy Store
Mel Brooks Live at the Geffen
The Kennedy Center Honors
The Saturday Night Live 40th Anniversary Special

Documentary or Nonfiction Series

American Masters
Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies
The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst
The Roosevelts: An Intimate History
The Sixties

Documentary or Nonfiction Special

Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck
Sinatra: All or Nothing at All
The Case Against 8
Virunga

Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking

Citizenfour
Hot Girls Wanted
The Great Invisible

Children’s Program

Alan Alda And The Actor Within You: A YoungArts Masterclass
Degrassi
Dog With a Blog
Girl Meets World
Nick News with Linda Ellerbee: Coming Out

Animated Program

Archer
Bob’s Burgers
Over the Garden Wall
South Park
The Simpsons

Short-Format Animated Program

Adventure Time – “Jake the Brick”
Disney Mickey Mouse – “Mumbai Madness”
Regular Show – “White Elephant Gift Exchange”
Robot Chicken – “Chipotle Miserable”
Steven Universe – “Lion 3: Straight to Video”
Wander Over Yonder – “The Gift 2: The Giftening”

Short-Format Live Action Entertainment Program

Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis: Brad Pitt – Funny or Die
Billy on the Street with First Lady Michelle Obama, Big Bird and Elena – Funny or Die
Children’s Hospital – “Just Like Cyrano de Bergerac” – Adult Swim
Key & Peele Presents Van and Mike: The Ascension – Episode 5
Super Bowl XLIX Halftime Show Starring Katy Perry

Short-Format Non-Fiction Program

30 for Shorts – ESPN
A Tribute to Mel Brooks – FX Networks
American Horror Story: Extra-Ordinary Artists – FX Networks
Parks and Recreation: Behind the Final Season – NBC.com
Transparent: This Is Me – EW.com

Special Class Program

68th Annual Tony Awards
Beyoncé and JAY Z on the Run
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Live from Lincoln Center)
The 72nd Annual Golden Globe Awards
The Oscars

Informational Series or Special

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown
Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways
Inside the Actors Studio
StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson
Vice

Interactive Program

@midnight With Chris Hardwick
Last Week with John Oliver (Multiplatform)
Saturday Night Live: SNL40
Talking Dead
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Claire Danes – Homeland
Viola Davis – How to Get Away With Murder
Taraji P. Henson – Empire
Tatiana Maslany – Orphan Black
Elisabeth Moss – Mad Men
Robin Wright – House of Cards

Supporting Actress in a Drama

Joanne Froggatt – Downton Abbey
Lena Headey – Game of Thrones
Emilia Clarke – Game of Thrones
Christina Hendricks – Mad Men
Uzo Aduba – Orange Is the New Black
Christine Baranski – The Good Wife

Guest Actress in a Drama

Diana Rigg – Game of Thrones
Rachel Brosnahan – House of Cards
Cicely Tyson – How to Get Away With Murder
Allison Janney – Masters of Sex
Khandi Alexander – Scandal
Margo Martindale – The Americans

Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Jon Hamm – Mad Men
Kevin Spacey – House of Cards
Bob Odenkirk – Better Call Saul
Jeff Daniels – The Newsroom
Kyle Chandler – Bloodline
Liev Schreiber – Ray Donovan

Supporting Actor in a Drama

Jonathan Banks – Better Call Saul
Ben Mendelsohn – Bloodline
Jim Carter – Downton Abbey
Peter Dinklage – Game of Thrones
Michael Kelly – House of Cards
Alan Cumming – The Good Wife

Guest Actor in a Drama

F. Murray Abraham – Homeland
Beau Bridges – Masters of Sex
Reg Cathey – House of Cards
Pablo Schreiber – Orange Is the New Black
Alan Alda – The Blacklist
Michael J. Fox – The Good Wife

Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Louis C.K. – Louie
Don Cheadle – House of Lies
Jeffrey Tambor – Transparent
Anthony Anderson – Black-ish
Will Forte – The Last Man on Earth
Matt LeBlanc – Episodes

Supporting Actor in a Comedy

Andre Braugher – Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Adam Driver – Girls
Keegan-Michael Key – Key & Peele
Ty Burrell – Modern Family
Tituss Burgess – Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Tony Hale – Veep

Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

Paul Giamatti – Inside Amy Schumer
Bill Hader – Saturday Night Live
Louis C.K. – Saturday Night Live
Mel Brooks – The Comedians
Bradley Whitford – Transparent
Jon Hamm – Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Julia Louis-Dreyfus – Veep
Edie Falco – Nurse Jackie
Lisa Kudrow – The Comeback
Amy Poehler – Parks and Recreation
Amy Schumer – Inside Amy Schumer
Lily Tomlin – Grace and Frankie

Supporting Actress in a Comedy

Niecy Nash – Getting On
Julie Bowen – Modern Family
Allison Janney – Mom
Kate McKinnon – Saturday Night Live
Mayim Bialik – The Big Bang Theory
Gaby Hoffmann – Transparent
Jane Krakowski – Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Anna Chlumsky – Veep

Guest Actress in a Comedy

Gaby Hoffmann – Girls
Pamela Adlon – Louie
Elizabeth Banks – Modern Family
Joan Cusack – Shameless
Christine Baranski – The Big Bang Theory
Tina Fey – Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Actor in a Limited Series or Movie

Richard Jenkins – Olive Kitteridge
David Oyelowo – Nightingale
Adrien Brody – Houdini
Mark Rylance – Wolf Hall
Ricky Gervais – Derek
Timothy Hutton – American Crime

Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie

Richard Cabral – American Crime
Finn Wittrock – American Horror Story
Bill Murray – Olive Kitteridge
Denis O’Hare – American Horror Story
Michael Kenneth Williams – Bessie
Damian Lewis – Wolf Hall

Actress in a Limited Series or Movie

Maggie Gyllenhaal – The Honorable Woman
Jessica Lange – American Horror Story: Freak Show
Felicity Huffman – American Crime
Queen Latifah – Bessie
Frances McDormand – Olive Kitteridge
Emma Thompson – Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (Live from Lincoln Center)

Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie

Regina King – American Crime
Angela Bassett – American Horror Story
Monique – Bessie
Sarah Paulson – American Horror Story
Kathy Bates – American Horror Story
Zoe Kazan – Olive Kitteridge

Directing and Writing Categories

Directing for a Comedy Series
Louis – “Sleepover” – Louis C.K.
Silicon Valley – “Sand Hill Shuffle” – Mike Judge
The Last Man on Earth – “Alive in Tucson” – Phil Lord & Christopher Miller
Transparent – “Best New Girl” – Jill Soloway
Veep – “Testimony” – Armando Iannucci

Directing for a Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire – “Eldorado” – Tim Van Patten
Game of Thrones – “Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken” – Jeremy Podeswa
Game of Thrones – “Mother’s Mercy” – David Nutter
Homeland – “From A to B and Back Again” – Lesli Linka Glatter
The Knick – “Method and Madness” – Steven Soderbergh

Directing for a Limited Series, Movie or Dramatic Special
American Horror Story – “Monsters Among Us” – Ryan Murphy
Bessie – Dee Rees
Houdini – “History” – Uli Edel
Olive Kitteridge – Lisa Cholodenko
The Honorable Woman – Hugo Blick
The Missing – TBA
Wolf Hall – Peter Kosminsky

Writing for a Comedy Series
Episodes – Episode 409 – David Crane, Jeffrey Klarik
Louis – “Bobby’s House” – Louis C.K.
Silicon Valley – “Two Days of the Condor” – Alec Berg
The Last Man on Earth – “Alive in Tucson” – Will Forte
Transparent – “Pilot” – Jill Soloway
Veep – “Election Night” – Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche

Writing for a Drama Series
Better Call Saul – “Five-O” – Gordon Smith
Game of Thrones – “Mother’s Mercy” – David Benioff & D.B. Weiss
Mad Men – “Lost Horizon” – Semi Chellas & Matthew Weiner
Mad Men – “Person to Person” – Matthew Weiner
The Americans – “Do Mail Robots Dream of Electric Sheep?” – Joshua Brand

Technical, Visual Effects, Makeup and Hair

Special Visual Effects
Black Sails – “XVIII”
Game of Thrones – “The Dance of Dragons”
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. – “The Dirty Half Dozen”
The Flash – “Grodd Lives”
Vikings – “To the Gates!”

Makeup (Selected Categories)
Multi-Camera or Special (Non-Prosthetic): Dancing with the Stars; Key & Peele; RuPaul’s Drag Race; So You Think You Can Dance; SNL 40th Anniversary Special
Limited Series or Movie: American Horror Story: Freak Show; Bessie; Houdini; Olive Kitteridge; The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe

Costumes (Selected Categories)
Contemporary Series, Limited Series, or Movie: Empire; Gotham; Olive Kitteridge; The Mindy Project; Transparent
Period/Fantasy Series, Limited Series, or Movie: American Horror Story: Freak Show; Boardwalk Empire; Downton Abbey; Game of Thrones; Wolf Hall

Sound, Editing and Production Design (Selected Categories)

Sound Mixing & Editing entries include Modern Family, Game of Thrones, Better Call Saul, Homeland and House of Cards among others. Picture editing and production design nominees span projects such as Boardwalk Empire, Game of Thrones, Constantine, Gotham, The Big Bang Theory, Transparent and Veep.

Music, Main Title and Voice Performance

Main Title Design nominees include American Horror Story: Freak Show, Bosch, Halt and Catch Fire, Manhattan, Marvel’s Daredevil and Olive Kitteridge. Main Title Theme Music nominees include Marco Polo, Penny Dreadful, Texas Rising, The Dovekeepers, Transparent and Tyrant. Character Voice-Over Performance nominees feature episodes from Bob’s Burgers, Family Guy, Robot Chicken and The Simpsons.

Stunts, Commercials and Juried Awards

Stunt Coordination nominations cover Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Community, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Saturday Night Live and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. The Commercial category includes #LikeAGirl (Always), Brady Bunch (Snickers), Dream On (Adobe), Lost Dog (Budweiser), Made in NY (Gatorade) and With Dad (Nissan).

Juried Winners and Special Achievement

Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation recognizes titles such as Adventure Time and Gravity Falls; Outstanding Costumes for a Variety Program includes Drunk History and the Super Bowl XLIX Halftime Show; Outstanding Motion Design and Interactive Media achievements are also recognized across several projects.