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Kate McKinnon, Sarah Paulson, Jane Lynch, Laverne Cox score Emmy Nominations

This morning the 2014 Emmy Award nominations were announced in LA. A recognition of new blood in the nominations reflects the stellar work of shows like Orange is the New Black, True Detective and Masters of Sex, as well as the changing tastes of viewers and Emmy voters. There were certainly some surprises as well as disappointments as the nominations trickled in, and fans took to social media to cheer and vent.

The Highlights

This year, Orange is the new Emmy. Taylor Schilling picked up a much deserved nod for Best Actress in a Comedy Series for her portrayal of Piper Chapman, the narcissist with a heart of gold, in Orange is the New Black. The show is also up for Outstanding Comedy Series. A welcome surprise was the nomination of Kate Mulgrew in the Best Supporting Actress category for her role as the rough but tender prison vet Red. Orange writers Jenji Kohan and Liz Friedman were recognized, as was Jodie Foster for Outstanding Direction. Orange actresses absolutely killed in the Outstanding Guest Actress category, scoring nominations for Uzo Aduba, Laverne Cox, and Natasha Lyonne. All and all, Orange is the New Black walked away with 12 nominations.

Amy Poehler also picked up a nomination for Parks and Recreation and it would be nice to see her finally recognized. Out actress Sarah Paulson was nominated for Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie category for her consistently excellent work in American Horror Story. Jane Lynch may not have snagged a nomination for Glee, but she did score one for Outstanding Host for Hollywood Game Night. Gay funny lady Kate McKinnon was nominated for her fantastic work on SNL this season, making this one of the most queertastic Emmy years ever.

Snubs and Oversights

Twitter erupted with righteous indignation over the lack of nomination for force of nature, Tatiana Maslany, for her numerous roles in the BBC’s Orphan Black. When Maslanay was not nominated last year, many chocked it up to Orphan Black and Maslanay herself being relatively new and unknown. However, this year’s omission will be highly scrutinized as fans and critics alike question why. Another surprise omission was The Good Wife for Outstanding Drama Series. While it was certainly competing against some heavys like Breaking Bad and breakout series True Detective, this season of The Good Wife was one of its strongest in years. There was a small but dedicated call to recognize The Walking Dead‘s Melissa McBride for her heart-wrenching portrayal of Carol in the season’s stand out episode “The Grove” but the academy did not heed it. Recently, Pretty Little Liars actress Troian Bellisario urged the Emmys not to ignore the excellent dramatic work happening in teen dramas. They still did.

The last few years have signaled a real change in the way we consume entertainment and the Emmys are attempting to navigate through this uncharted territory. With outlets like Netflix and Amazon producing new media, and cable networks like AMC and FX succeeding with bold and daring new programming, we are presented with many more well written and beautifully acted shows than ever before. Overall, it’s a pretty amazing time to be a viewer.

For a full list of nominees, click here.

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