The 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards are being held in the early hours of tomorrow morning, and so in the run-up to the ceremony, we thought we’d give you a run-down of this year’s nominees.

For those able to watch the show (which is also being shown on Five USA tomorrow night at 10), you can look forward to your host for the evening being Jane Lynch, best known for her role as Sue Sylvester in Glee.

And for those unacquainted with the awards, you can pretty much think of them as the television equivalent to the Oscars, with the Primetime Emmy Awards recognising the best talent in primetime television.

A few of the awards were already presented to the winners at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards last weekend, so I’ll do a summary of those categories first, followed by the nominees for tonight’s awards ceremony. There are literally dozens and dozens of categories, so I’ll be taking a look at the main ones of the evening.

The Winners
Outstanding Animated Program

  • Futurama – The Late Philip J. Fry
  • The Cleveland Show – Murray Christmas
  • Robot Chick: Star Wars Episode III
  • The Simpsons – Angry Dad – The Movie
  • South Park – Crack Baby Athletic Association
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
  • Justin Timberlake as Host on Saturday Night Live
  • Idris Elba as Lenny in The Big C
  • Zach Galifianakis as Host in Saturday Night Live
  • Matt Damon as Carol in 30 Rock
  • Will Arnett as Devin Banks in 30 Rock
  • Nathan Lane as Pepper Saltzman in Modern Family
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
  • Gwyneth Paltrow as Holly Holliday in Glee
  • Kristin Chenoweth as April Rhoes in Glee
  • Dot-Marie Jones as Coach Beiste in Glee
  • Cloris Leachman as Maw Maw in Raising Hope
  • Elizabeth Banks as Avery in Modern Family
  • Tina Fey as Host on Saturday Night Live

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series

  • Paul McCrane as Josh Peyton in Harry’s Law
  • Robert Morse as Bertram Cooper in Mad Men
  • Bruce Dern as Frank Harlow in Big Love
  • Jeremy Davies as Dickie Bennett in Justified
  • Beau Bridges as Nick Brody in Brothers & Sisters
  • Michael J. Fox as Louis Canning in The Good Wife
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
  • Loretta Devine as Adele Webber in Grey’s Anatomy
  • Alfre Woodard as Ruby Jean Reynolds in True Blood
  • Randee Heller as Miss Blankenship in Mad Men
  • Cara Buono as Faye Miller in Mad Men
  • Joan Cusack as Sheila Jackson in Shameless
  • Julia Stiles as Lumen Pierce in Dexter
  • Mary McDonnell as Capt. Sharon Raydor in The Closer
And now we move on to…
Tonight’s Nominees

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
  • Laura Linney as Cathy Jamison in The Big C
  • Edie Falco as Jackie Peyton in Nurse Jackie
  • Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope in Parks And Recreation
  • Melissa McCarthy as Molly Flynn in Mike & Molly
  • Martha Plimpton as Virginia Chance in Raising Hope
  • Tina Fey as Liz Lemon in 30 Rock
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
  • Matt LeBlance as Matt LeBlanc in Episodes
  • Jim Parsons as Sheldon Copper in The Big Bang Theory
  • Steve Carell as Michael Scott in The Office
  • Johnny Galecki as Leonard Hofstadter in The Big Bang Theory
  • Louis C.K. as Louie in Louie
  • Alec Baldwin as Jack Donaghy in 30 Rock
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
  • Jane Lynch as Sue Sylvester in Glee
  • Betty White as Elka Ostrosky in Hot in Cleveland
  • Julie Bowen as Claire Dunphy in Modern Family
  • Kristen Wiig as Various characters on Saturday Night Live
  • Jane Krakowski as Jenna Maroney in 30 Rock
  • Sofia Vergara as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett in Modern Family
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
  • Jon Cryer as Alan Harper in Two and a Half Men
  • Chris Colfer as Kurt Hummel in Glee
  • Jesse Tyler Ferguson as Mitchell Pritchett in Modern Family
  • Ed O’Neill as Jay Pritchett in Modern Family
  • Eric Stonestreet as Cameron Tucker in Modern Family
  • Ty Burrell as Phil Dunphy in Modern Family
(I love how Modern Family has two thirds of the nominations in this category.)
Outstanding Comedy Series
  • Glee
  • Parks and Recreation
  • The Office
  • Modern Family
  • 30 Rock
  • The Big Bang Theory
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
  • Elisabeth Moss as Peggy Olson in Mad Men
  • Connie Britton as Tami Taylor in Friday Night Lights
  • Mariska Hargitay as Detective Olivia Benson in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
  • Mireille Enos as Sarah Linden in The Killing
  • Julianna Margulies as Alicia Florrick in The Good Wife
  • Kathy Bates as Harriet “Harry” Korn in Harry’s Law
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
  • Steve Buscemi as Nucky Thompson in Boardwalk Empire
  • Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan in Dexter
  • Kyle Chandler as Coach Eric Taylor in Friday Night Lights
  • Jon Hamm as Don Draper in Mad Men
  • Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House in House
  • Timothy Olyphant as Raylan Givens in Justified
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
  • Kelly Macdonald as Margaret Schroeder in Boardwalk Empire
  • Christina Hendricks as Joan Harris in Mad Men
  • Michelle Forbes as Mitch Larsen in The Killing
  • Archie Panjabi as Kalinda Sharma in The Good Wife
  • Margo Martindale as Mags Bennett in Justified
  • Christine Baranski as Diane Lockhart in The Good Wife
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
  • John Slattery as Roger Sterling in Mad Men
  • Andre Braugher as Owen in Men of a Certain Age
  • Walton Goggins as Boyd Crowder in Justified
  • Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones
  • Josh Charles as Will Gardner in The Good Wife
  • Alan Cumming as Eli Gold in The Good Wife
Outstanding Drama Series
  • Boardwalk Empire
  • The Good Wife
  • Mad Men
  • Friday Night Lights
  • Dexter
  • Game of Thrones
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
  • Kate Winslet as Mildred Pierce in Mildred Pierce
  • Elizabeth McGovern as Cora/Countess of Grantham in Downton Abbey
  • Diane Lane as Patricia Loud in Cinema Verite
  • Taraji P. Henson as Tiffany Rubin in Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story
  • Jean Marsh as Rose Buck in Upstairs Downstairs
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie
  • Greg Kinnear as John F. Kennedy in The Kennedys
  • Barry Pepper as Bobby Kennedy in The Kennedys
  • Edgar Ramirez as Carlos in Carlos
  • William Hurt as Henry ‘Hank’ Paulson in Too Big to Fall
  • Idris Elba as John Luther in Luther
  • Laurence Fishburne as Thurgood Marhsall in Thurgood
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie
  • Guy Pearce as Monty Beragon in Mildred Pierce
  • Brian F. O’Byrne as Bert Pierce in Mildred Pierce
  • Tom Wilkinson as Joe Kennedy in The Kennedys
  • Paul Giamatti as Ben Bernanke in Too Big to Fall
  • James Woods as Richard Fuld in Too Big to Fall
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie
  • Evan Rachel Wood as Veda Pierce in Mildred Pierce
  • Melissa Leo as Lucy Gessler in Mildred Pierce
  • Mare Winningham as Ida in Mildred Pierce
  • Maggie Smith as Dowager Countess of Grantham/Violet in Downton Abbey
  • Eileen Atkins as Lady Maud Holland in Upstairs Downstairs
Outstanding Miniseries or a Movie
  • Mildred Pierce
  • Downton Abbey
  • The Kennedys
  • Cinema Verite
  • Too Big to Fall
  • The Pillars of the Earth
Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series
  • The Colbert Report
  • Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
  • Saturday Night Live
  • Conan
  • Real Time with Bill Maher
  • The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
  • Episodes – Episode Seven
  • The Office – Goodbye Michael
  • Modern Family – Caught in the Act
  • Louie – Poker/Divorce
  • 30 Rock – Reaganing
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
  • Mad Men – The Suitcase
  • Mad Men – Blowing Smoke
  • Friday Night Lights – Always
  • The Killing – Pilot
  • Game of Thrones – Baelor
Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special
  • Mildred Pierce
  • Downton Abbey
  • Sherlock: A Study in Pink
  • Too Big to Fall
  • Upstairs Downstairs
Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Series
  • The Colbert Report
  • Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
  • Saturday Night Live
  • Conan
  • The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
  • Modern Family – Halloween (dir. Michael Alan Spiller)
  • Modern Family – Slow Down Your Neighbors (dir. Gail Mancuso)
  • 30 Rock – Live Show (dir. Beth McCarthy-Miller)
  • Modern Family – See You Next Fall (dir. Steve Levitan)
  • How I Met Your Mother – Subway Wars (dir. Pamela Fryman)
Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
  • Boardwalk Empire – Boardwalk Empire (pilot) (dir. Martin Scorsese)
  • Boardwalk Empire – Anastasia (dir. Jeremy Podeswa)
  • The Borgias – The Poisoned Chalice/The Assassin Showtime (dir. Neil Jordan)
  • The Killing – Pilot (dir. Patty Jenkins)
  • Game of Thrones – Winter is Coming (pilot) (dir. Tim Van Patten)
Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special
  • Mildred Pierce (dir. Todd Haynes)
  • Downton Abbey (dir. Brian Percival)
  • Carlos (dir. Olivier Assayas)
  • Cinema Verite (dir. Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini)
  • Too Big to Fall (dir. Curtis Hanson)
An enormously long list of nominees, and that hasn’t even covered everything, with many, many more awards going for art direction, cinematography, choreography, sound mixing, costumes, hairstyling, make up, picture editing, music direction, and all of the other things that we might not first think about when we watch a TV show or a film, but are just as vital as the better known categories at these awards.
Mildred Pierce has the most nominations this year with 21, followed closely by Mad Men with 19, Boardwalk Empire with 18, and Modern Family with 17. It should be a great night, with clearly a wealth of achievement to be celebrated throughout the ceremony, and I look forward to seeing the results of all these nominations later on tonight. Check back in tomorrow for a run-down of the winners.