Nominations have been announced for the 2012 Primetime Emmy Awards, with Harvey star Jim Parsons, Tony winners Glenn Close, Christine Baranski and Denis O’Hare and Tony nominees Bobby Cannavale and Edie Falco earning nods for their work during the most recent TV season. The Emmys will be presented on September 23 in a live ABC telecast hosted by Jimmy Kimmel.
The lead acting nominees for a comedy include Edie Falco for Nurse Jackie, Jim Parsons for The Big Bang Theory and Alec Baldwin for 30 Rock. Broadway vet Jesse Tyler Ferguson received a supporting actor nomination for Modern Family. Glee’s only acting nod went to Dot-Marie Jones for her guest actress role as Coach Beiste.
The powerhouse lead actress in a drama category includes Broadway vets Glenn Close (Damages), Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife), Kathy Bates (Harry’s Law), Claire Danes (Homeland) and Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men), plus Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary on Downton Abbey). Supporting nominations went to Christine Baranski (The Good Wife) and Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones).
Among the nominees from American Horror Story (which was classified as a miniseries or movie) are Denis O’Hare, Jessica Lange and Frances Conroy. Mare Winningham of off-Broadway’s Tribes was nominated for her supporting performance in Hatfields & McCoys and will compete with Lange, Conroy, Judy Davis (Page Eight) and Sarah Paulson (Game Change). Woody Harrelson, co-author of the new off-Broadway drama Bullet for Adolf, received a lead actor nod for Game Change.
The Broadway-centric series Smash was snubbed in the major categories, but received nominations for Uma Thurman’s guest starring role as Rebecca Duvall, Joshua Bergasse’s choreography, music composed by Marc Shaiman and Christian Bacon, and the song "Let Me Be Your Star," with music and lyrics by Shaiman and Scott Wittman. Also nominated for outstanding choreography was Broadway regular Spencer Liff for So You Think You Can Dance.
The guest actor and actress categories also include Martha Plimpton (The Good Wife), Bobby Cannavale (Nurse Jackie) and Dylan Baker (The Good Wife).
The 65th Annual Tony Awards received five nominations, for Outstanding Special Class Program, outstanding writing, direction and art direction, and for the telecast's opening song, "It's Not Just for Gays Anymore," with music by Adam Schlesinger and lyrics by David Javerbaum.
Mad Men and American Horror Story led the overall nomination count with a whopping 17 nods each, followed closely by Downton Abbey and Hatfields & McCoys with 16 each.