‘Mad Men,’ ‘American Horror Story’ Score 17 Emmy Nominations

“Mad Men,” cable TV’s look back at the 1960s-era advertising industry, will vie for an unprecedented fifth Emmy award in its category after being nominated again as a finalist for TV’s best drama.

The show, airing on the AMC (AMCX) network, will compete with five other dramas including “Boardwalk Empire,” “Breaking Bad,” “Homeland,” “Downton Abbey” and “Game of Thrones,” the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced today at the Emmy nominations in North Hollywood, California.

Time Warner Inc. (TWX)’s HBO, the home of “Game of Thrones” and “Boardwalk Empire,” led the cable programmers with a total of 81 nominations. CBS Corp. (CBS)’s broadcast network, the most-watched, was tops among over-the-air programmers with 60 nominations, according to the academy.

Comedian and talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel and Kerry Washington, star of “Scandal” on Walt Disney Co. (DIS)’s ABC, announced the nominations with academy Chairman Bruce Rosenblum, a Warner Bros. television executive. The 64th Emmy awards ceremony will air Sept. 23 on ABC.

If “Mad Men” triumphs a fifth time it would establish a record for most wins in the drama category. That show is produced by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. (LGF) Jon Hamm and Elisabeth Moss received leading actor and actress nominations for their roles in the series.

Two-time winner “Modern Family” was nominated again for best comedy series. It airs on ABC. Other comedy nominees include “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Girls,” “30 Rock,” “Veep” and “The Big Bang Theory.” “Veep,” a new show this year on HBO, stars former “Seinfeld” sidekick Julia Louis- Dreyfus as vice president of the U.S. She also received a best comedy actress nomination.

Most Nominations

Among individual shows, “American Horror Story,” the haunted house saga that aired on News Corp. (NWSA)’s FX network, tied “Mad Men” for the most nominations with 17. Other nominees in the miniseries or movie category were “Game Change,” “Hemingway & Gellhorn,” “Sherlock,” “Luther” and “Hatfields & McCoys.”

“Hatfields & McCoys,” the History Channel’s miniseries about the famous American family feud, collected 16 nominations in all, joined with that total by “Downton Abbey,” the PBS show about British aristocracy and their servants.

Kevin Costner received a best actor nomination for his portrayal of “Devil” Anse Hatfield in the “Hatfields & McCoys,” as did his co-star Bill Paxton, who played Randall McCoy.

Comedy Central

Nominees in the variety category are “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart,” “The Colbert Report,” “Real Time With Bill Maher,” “Saturday Night Live,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.”

Two of the programs, “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report,” are carried on Comedy Central, one of the Viacom Inc. (VIAB) cable channels at the center of a pricing dispute with DirecTV, the largest U.S. satellite service.

The dispute has led to a blackout of Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon and other channels for DirecTV (DTV)’s 20 million U.S. subscribers as both sides negotiate over programming fees.

Academy of Television Arts & Sciences
64th Primetime Emmy Award 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:
Lena Dunham, Girls
Melissa McCarthy, Mike & Molly
Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Amy Poehler, Parks And Recreation
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series:
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm
Don Cheadle, House Of Lies
Louis C.K., Louie
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Jon Cryer, Two And A Half Men

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:
Glenn Close, Damages
Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Kathy Bates, Harry’s Law
Claire Danes, Homeland
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series:
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Hugh Bonneville, Downton Abbey
Damian Lewis, Homeland
Jon Hamm, AMC

Outstanding Miniseries or Movie:
American Horror Story -- FX Networks
Game Change -- HBO
Hatfields & McCoys -- History
Hemingway & Gellhorn -- HBO
Luther -- BBC America
Sherlock: A Scandal In Belgravia (Masterpiece) -- PBS

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie:
Connie Britton, American Horror Story
Julianne Moore, Game Change
Nicole Kidman, Hemingway & Gellhorn
Ashley Judd, Missing
Emma Thompson, The Song Of Lunch

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie:
Woody Harrelson, Game Change
Kevin Costner, Hatfields & McCoys
Bill Paxton, Hatfields & McCoys
Clive Owen, Hemingway & Gellhorn
Idris Elba, Luther
Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock: A Scandal In Belgravia

To contact the reporter on this story: Christopher Palmeri in Los Angeles at cpalmeri1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Anthony Palazzo at apalazzo@bloomberg.net