2014 EWwy Awards: Comedy Nominees Are...

It's time for EW.com's 7th annual reader-voted EWwy Awards, which honor those shows and actors you wish got nominated for an Emmy but didn't. After clicking through a category's nominees, you'll find a poll to cast your vote. Polls will remain open through noon ET, Aug. 15. Winners will be announced live on EW Radio (SiriusXM 105) on Aug. 18. And yes, there are trophies involved.

This year's comedy categories include:
Best Comedy Series
Best Variety Series
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Supporting Actor
Best Supporting Actress
Best Guest Actor
Best Guest Actress

The stoner-comedy genre is filled with men—Workaholics, Harold & Kumar, Pineapple Express—but Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson brought some femininity to the genre with Broad City, a show that follows the two weed-loving, adventurous best friends as they journey through New York. And not the New York of Girls, but one full of weirdos (Fred Armisen pretended to be a baby who asks the ladies to clean his apartment in their underwear in one episode) and small apartments—in other words, the real New York. Each one of their struggles is so ridiculous, whether it's eating expensive shellfish despite having a shellfish allergy or hooking up with guys trying desperately to stage a foursome, that altogether they make the show a hilarious, always amusing look into the lives of a couple twentysomethings. —Ariana Bacle

If you don't watch Brooklyn Nine-Nine, you probably know the show from its best comedy win at the Golden Globes, which it nabbed only halfway through its first season. The win was a surprise for pretty much everyone, but Nine-Nine proved, especially in its back half, that it's more than deserving. The series figured out how to best use its incredibly strong supporting cast, from Andre Braugher at his stiffest to Chelsea Peretti at her ditziest, all while building a romantic arc between Jake (Andy Samberg) and Amy (Melissa Fumero) that avoided saccharine sitcom pitfalls while still feeling sweet. —Jackson McHenry

No other new comedy had more heart, laughs, or shirtless scenes than Enlisted this season. And no new cast had better chemistry, starting with the trio at the center (Geoff Stults, Chris Lowell, and EWwy nominee Parker Young), who play brothers who end up at the same Florida post after super-soldier Pete (Stults) gets booted back Stateside and put in charge of his siblings' Rear Detachment unit (the soldiers who stay behind to take care of the base and the families of the deployed). With a deft touch, the show dealt with Pete's PTSD, middle child Derrick's (Lowell) growing-then-breaking heart, and the perils of Randy's (Young) childlike exuberance. Not to mention the crush Chubowski (Mel Rodriguez) had on Lori Loughlin, who had a cameo in what we're still hoping won't be the series finale. —Mandi Bierly

With only a six-episode run, the first season of this HBO comedy from Big Love creators Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer did something very few TV shows can do—it made death funny. Based on the BBC series of the same name and set in a extended-care unit of a hospital, Getting On featured breakout performances from Family Guy's Alex Borstein and Reno 911's Niecy Nash, plus Oscar nominee June Squibb as a crazy patient who thinks she's the smartest one in the room. A second season has already been ordered, so we won't have to go on without Getting On much longer. —Jake Perlman

The Mindy Project's second season saw the rise of the supporting cast to really round out the entire ensemble of the show. Mix that together with the storyline between Mindy (Mindy Kaling) and Danny (Chris Messina) that reinvented the way television does romantic comedy, and it's hard to find a flaw. —Samantha Highfill

Seemingly invigorated by its imminent final season, Parks and Recreation was more focused this year, and basically unaffected by the loss of cast members Rashida Jones and Rob Lowe (though that says more about their characters, who never seemed to have much to do). The show took a risky time jump in its ambitious finale, which capped an especially strong run of episodes that once again found Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) pondering her future in her beloved Pawnee. When Parks goes off the air in 2015, TV will lose one of its sharpest, most perfectly cast comedies. —Kyle Ryan

Take Our Poll

MOBILE USERS VOTE HERE

For years, TV producers watched with a mix of curiosity and concern as second screens cut into their eyeball time. Typical attempts to keep viewers engaged were half-hearted at best and clueless at worst: Bolted-on lamery in the form of hashtag-driven tweet streams and awkward calls for Facebook feedback. Then @midnight came along and did it right. Rather than building social media interaction into an existing show, they built a show around mining social media. The format not only encourages engagement, but also provides an endless font of material to be expertly ridiculed by host Chris Hardwick and his rotating band of merry contestants. —Neil Janowitz

It's truly one of the most ingenious concepts currently on TV: Naturally funny storytellers (read: comics) get sloppy drunk and tell viewers historically accurate tales—while actors like Bob Odenkirk, Jack McBrayer, Jack Black, Adam Scott, Owen Wilson, and Kristen Wiig in the eligible first season reenact their every word, burp, and babble. Comedy is about the details—from perfectly matched lip-synching, to elaborate costumes, to the precise moment you cut back to your storyteller puking. —Mandi Bierly

Sometimes the show revolves around ''Amy'': She negotiates with God (Paul Giamatti) during an STD scare or tapes a commercial asking people to phone in to the Amy Schumer Animal Rescue Hotline to take a few of her adopted burdens off her hands. Other times, it aims larger, like carefully, smartly tackling the issues of sexual assault in the military and violence in videogames in the same sketch. As EW TV critic Melissa Maerz wrote when championing the latter in our 50 Best TV Scenes of the Year package, ''Funny? Unfunny? Like all important comedy, it's both.'' —Mandi Bierly

If the third season of Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele's sketch show had been nothing but East-West College Bowl names, that would've been enough to earn a spot on this list. But the endlessly inventive comedians aren't content to rest on their laurels. Instead, they kept pushing onwards and upwards this year, presenting 13 creative half-hours bursting with new twists on old conceits (K&P play two enthusiastic fanboys...who live in the 17th century and have just seen Othello) and clever original ideas (''P---y on the Chainwax,'' anyone?). —Hillary Busis

There was a brief moment in season 1 when Portlandia seemed in danger of being a manic, one-bit phenomenon, anchored by the promise of the brilliant song ''The Dream of the '90s'' and a few great sketches. But season 4's energetic and continually fresh irreverence and newfound sweetness proved that not only is the well of material for satire seemingly bottomless for costars and co-creators Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen, but that they're also willing to find depth in their caricatures. Their gender-swapped couple Lance and Nina had always been just a funny premise, but then when Jeff Goldblum and an unexpected pregnancy pop up in season 4, we started to care too. —Lindsey Bahr

Bravo's late-night romp has come a long way in its five years on the air. Andy Cohen opens his clubhouse to his family of Bravolebrities, playing ridiculous games that occasionally get his guests and America drunk (with help from guest bartenders), while somehow managing to convince A-listers like Cher, Oprah Winfrey, and Meryl Streep to reveal their biggest secrets. Not only is it the only live talk show in late night, it's the only TV studio with shrine to Lady Gaga's urine...we think. —Jake Perlman

Take Our Poll

MOBILE USERS VOTE HERE

Besides its sitcom-length running time and a few good one-liners about OkCupid, there's no reason why Looking should have submitted in the comedy category. The show's a tragicomedy (at best) about Patrick (Groff), who manages to make all the wrong choices—from talking about circumcision mid-hookup to giving in to his creepy boss's advances. The twentysomething game designer might be easy to hate (and he's still hard to love), but Groff brings enough earnest definition to the role that it's impossible not to sympathize. This performance holds together, even as Patrick falls apart. —Jackson McHenry

Long known as the sidekick of Ricky Gervais (who earned an Emmy nod for playing the title character in Derek), Stephen Merchant's leading turn in Ladies—which was adapted from his same-name comedy act—showed that the 6'7'' funnyman could make us cringe-laugh just as well as his partner in punchlines. More than that, though, in a season- (and ultimately series-) ending finale, Merchant could make us sympathize, swoon, and even hope. —Lanford Beard

In season 2, Chris Messina's Danny Castellano did something that changed him: He fell in love with Mindy (Mindy Kaling). Suddenly, the cute guy with the smart mouth had surprising depth, and even he had to learn how to deal with that. But, most importantly, Messina was able to show Danny's transition without losing the core of who Danny had been all along. The fact that Danny in Love feels new but not altogether that different from Single Danny is a testament to Messina in every way. —Samantha Highfill

The breakout star of the breakout hit HBO comedy (which received a Best Comedy Emmy nod) proved that subtlety could be hilarious too, sometimes. With a brief but memorable appearance in The Wolf of Wall Street opposite Jonah Hill on his résumé (yes—that was him with the fish bowl), Thomas Middleditch was able to lead a strong male ensemble full of dynamic, smart comedic performances. His dynamic portrayal of Richard made us want to both laugh at and with him—and at ourselves for not understanding half of the computer-tech verbiage anyway. —Jake Perlman

Despite being a driving force behind Fox's new fan favorite and scoring a Golden Globe for playing Det. Jake Peralta, Andy Samberg came up empty when Emmy noms were announced. Perhaps he's the victim of a category stacked with cable stars (one exception: The Big Bang Theory's three-time winner Jim Parsons). Still, Samberg has created a character you would want to party with on a Saturday night and still trust with your life—a rare combination. —Jake Perlman

Ben Wyatt had a big season: He got fired! He got a new job! His wife had triplets! Oh, and Leslie (Amy Poehler) gifted him a life-sized Iron Throne in a scene that alone should win Scott an award for his performance as a manic, ecstatic Thrones fan. Ben went through a lot of emotional ups and downs thanks to all these huge life changes, and we really got to see Adam Scott's range as an actor shine: One episode he's showing off his geeky side with his Cones of Dunshire creation, another he's earnestly telling Leslie how badly he wants to start a family. —Ariana Bacle

Take Our Poll

MOBILE USERS VOTE HERE

Ilana Wexler eyes multiple men at a bar, making uncomfortably weird faces at each of them, until she lands one interested gentleman after casting him an awkward smoldering glare. And it was then that Ilana Glazer also landed her audience. The actress's body language is half the comedy of the show: She bobs her head from side to side while illustrating points, she waggles her tongue to lure in suitors. She's the friend you probably wouldn't want to take out to dinner with your parents, but the one who you'd want to be your sidekick for life. —Ariana Bacle

Abbi Jacobson's character is (maybe) just as much of a stoner and reckless twentysomething as her best bud Ilana (Ilana Glazer), but she somehow comes off as more mature, more together. This is thanks to Jacobson giving her character somewhat of a calm demeanor, perfectly complementing Ilana's uninhibited spunk—but she's in no way a buzzkill, especially when she starts singing as a way to convince her crush to move away from her clogged toilet and praying to her Oprah tattoo. —Ariana Bacle

Mindy Kaling is the woman at the center of one of the funniest comedies on TV, and not just as an executive producer. Her portrayal of Mindy Lahiri as the successful doctor who sucks at dating (but is in love with Chris Messina's Danny) is realistic, unexpected, and downright funny. When a show is filled with so many hilarious voices, it needs a very strong actor to keep it all together, and that's where Kaling shines. —Samantha Highfill

Niecy Nash has made a career of using her own trademark over-the-top personality as Deputy Raineesha Williams on Comedy Central's Reno 911! But Nash played against type on this HBO comedy as elderly care nurse DiDi Ortley, finding both gravitas and humor in an otherwise bleak environment. In a very competitive category, Nash wasn't given enough material in Getting On's six episodes to find her name among the funny ladies with fuller season orders, but she did prove she isn't all her previous roles make her seem to be. —Jake Perlman

Being poor on TV usually means not getting a new car for your 16th birthday, but in Fiona Gallagher's case, it means not knowing where your family will find their next meal. Shameless season 4 was the darkest that this tragic comedy has ever been, and still Emmy Rossum brought a weekly dose of levity as she spiraled out of control, went to jail (twice), and finally started to pick herself up from rock bottom. Rossum's Fiona is relatable because she's not perfect, she's not manic-pixie-dream-girl quirky, and she's not even slightly put-together. At the end of the day, she's a complete mess, and that makes her pretty endearing. —Sarah Maloy

Take Our Poll

MOBILE USERS VOTE HERE

The louder, more antic half of Comedy Central's comic duo is probably best known for playing Luther, President Obama's anger translator. But there's more to Keegan-Michael Key than strident shouting. (Even though he's really good at strident shouting; have you seen him in ''Substitute Teacher Part 3''?) He tackles all sorts of different roles with gusto, from a frustrated, Javert-esque character in a melodramatic musical to a ''royally pissed'' modern-day Black Republican—bringing each part to life with his trademark commitment and intensity. —Hillary Busis

T.J. Miller's character Erlich is the most absurd character in Silicon Valley, except when he's the most sincere. He's the most inept, except when he's the most insightful. He's the most egomaniacal, except when he's the most selfless. (You get the idea.) Thomas Middleditch's character Richard may be at the center of Silicon Valley's story, but it's Erlich who provides the show's emotional and, arguably, comedic core. He's just as likely to deftly extricate Richard & Co. from a jam as is he is to get them into one—and it's a testament to Miller's chops that he's able to do it all convincingly. —Neil Janowitz

Nick Offerman's Ron Swanson will go down in TV history as one of its greatest comic characters—and is certainly one of the best anywhere right now—so it's a little baffling that Offerman isn't nominated every year for a role that will be considered iconic. This past season found Ron embracing life as a family man, exposing the softie that always lurked beneath his gruff, libertarian exterior. However many episodes NBC ends up giving Parks and Recreation's final season surely won't be enough to say good-bye to the man also known as Duke Silver. —Kyle Ryan

Jordan Peele's a little more thoughtful and subtle than Keegan-Michael Key, which often means that his performances are less showy than his partner's—but that doesn't make them any less hilarious. And when he does go over-the-top, he always goes just far enough: See, for example, Peele's take on Mr. T, an authoritative badass who's hiding (or at least trying to hide) a bundle of insecurities, or his mustachioed, overenthusiastic businessman, who's absolutely delighted to discover his hotel's completely ordinary continental breakfast. —Hillary Busis

Everyone in Veep has flaws—deep, glaring personality defects that serve as the bedrock upon which the show is built. What separates Timothy C. Simons' character, Jonah, from the rest is not just the level of deluded pomposity he displays, but also the depths to which he plummets when humbled yet again by a member of the Vice President's staff. It's no easy feat to imbue a grating caricature like Jonah with believable vulnerability, but Simons pulls it off with regularity. You love to hate Jonah, but thanks to Simons, you kind of hate to hate him, too. —Neil Janowitz

As Randy, the puppy dog brother who idolizes his eldest sibling Pete (Geoff Stults) in and out of their military uniforms, Young could steal a scene with an earnest line reading, over-the-top tears (Randy had to learn to recite the plot of Toy Story 3 without crying), or a burst of physical comedy. But it's the way he captured Randy's empathetic nature—from leading a support group of wives in episode 2 to ''Officer and a Gentleman-ing'' Keith David's one-footed Sgt. Major Cody in the finale—that has us hoping we haven't seen the last of this character or this character actor. —Mandi Bierly

Take Our Poll Best Supporting Actor:

It would probably be unfair to mention that in addition to playing dozens of perfectly drawn characters and loving stereotypes, Carrie Brownstein is also the co-creator and co-writer of one of television's most reliably fresh sketch shows. And it would definitely be unfair to point out that she's a published author who also had an entirely separate career as a guitarist for Sleater-Kinney, so we'll just stick to her comedy chops, because, quite frankly, her executive tasked with shaming an employee (Steve Buscemi) for celery's unsexy status in the trendy veggie marketplace and her Prairie Home Companion tailgater are delightfully funny enough to stand on their own. —Lindsey Bahr

The youngest female primetime player was a standout this season with her recurring ''Girlfriends Talk Show,'' a memorable sketch as Tonkerbell (a fairy who's got too many problems of her own to go flying around with Jim Parsons' Peter Pan), and the lady-buddy-cop show digital short ''Dyke and Fats.'' Music and lyrics may have earned her an Emmy nom—alongside costar Kate McKinnon for their hysterical song ''(Do It On My) Twin Bed''—but, as evidenced by her Adele impression, Bryant has a knack for making us laugh without saying (or singing) anything at all. —Jake Perlman

All three wives on this now-cancelled ABC sitcom were amusing in their own way, but Marcia Gay Harden's portrayal of a no-nonsense doctor with zero patience brought a sense of seriousness to the otherwise silly show—and that seriousness made Harden's Diane all the funnier. Her character started out as an overachieving perfectionist but throughout the course of the show, proved she is much, much more than a straight-laced doctor—she's a human who, even through her cold glare, has a sense of humor and isn't above pong to win a bet. —Ariana Bacle

In a season that saw her character's personal life slowly fall apart, Zosia Mamet quickly became everyone's new favorite Girl to love (or love to hate, depending on your point of view). We always knew that Shoshanna had a big mouth, but Mamet added a big mind—and the voice of some reason—to the role in season 3. How can you not give credit to someone who says, ''I feel like my bandana collection is like my most developed collection'' while keeping a completely straight face? —Jake Perlman

Once again, we'll overlook the fact that Schumer submitted as a supporting actress when her name is in the show's title. Instead, we'll focus on how funny and committed she is every time she's on screen, whether she's spoofing Aaron Sorkin shows with Josh Charles, doing a joint session with her therapist to help with her mother's computer problems, or discovering the animated meerkat she's been hired to voice isn't exactly flattering. Her singular voice always winds up feeling universal (which is almost scary). —Mandi Bierly

Is there any performance that's more charming—or, for that matter, underrated—than Eden Sher's magnificent comic work as middle child Sue Heck? Likely not. In a show that's largely flown under the radar for years, Sher is the reason to keep coming back for more. Sue is optimistic and awkward, but always great for a one-liner, and when Sue smiles...well, we smile, too. —Marc Snetiker

Take Our Poll Best Supporting Actress:

A veteran character actor, Jonathan Banks rose to well-earned minor stardom on Breaking Bad, where his tough-but-fair Mike became the bruised conscience of the show's amoral landscape. And for his next trick, Banks took over the ''old white guy'' seat at Community's table from Chevy Chase. But far from being a mere pinch hitter, Banks' recurring turn on season 5 provided the show with a whole new flavor. Whether he was serving as a mentor figure to the younger characters, fixing his relationship with his son via Dungeons & Dragons, or zipping through the halls with a motorized desk in the apocalyptic Hot Lava episode, Banks created a character as iconic as any of Community's original cast. —Darren Franich

No disrespect to Justin Timberlake, but Drake was the best SNL host/musical guest this season. Granted, JT was only a musical guest this year, but after Miley Cyrus and Lady Gaga both pulled double duties, Drake reminded everyone that he once was on a little Canadian teen soap opera called Degrassi that may have taught him a thing or two about acting. Highlights of the episode included an opening-monologue flashback to the half-Jewish star's Bar Mitzvah and an impressive double impression of Lil Wayne's take on Steve Urkel from Family Matters. Oh yeah, and he did a little rapping, too. —Jake Perlman

The Justified star with an appreciation for great dialogue was the perfect choice to play the executor of Pierce's (Chevy Chase) will: Not only because he could keep a straight face while bestowing liquid nitrogen-cooled cylinders of Pierce's hyper-virile sperm to the study group, but because he could also warm your heart with the slightest hint of a smile when he informed Annie (Alison Brie) that she was always Pierce's favorite and convey the weight of Pierce's request that Troy (Donald Glover) sail around the world solo to become his own man (and a millionaire). —Mandi Bierly

Despite being best known for his dramatic work on Law & Order: SVU, Christopher Meloni entered the realm of Veep with a swagger that was both contagious and hilarious. Playing Ray, Selina's (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) personal trainer and sexual guru of sorts, Meloni could've been swallowed by the many comedians around him. But he knew when to stand aside and when to jump into a scene, and every single time, he left the audience wanting more. —Samantha Highfill

After polishing his sitcom skills on Ryan Murphy's short-lived The New Normal, Broadway alum Andrew Rannells returned to Lena Dunham's series as everyone's favorite now gay ex-boyfriend Elijah. We first met Hannah's (Dunham) college beau in season 1, and the two were even roommates at the top of season two. Even amid all the shade thrown and truth bombs dropped in ''Beach House,'' Rannells stole a few scenes—perhaps enough to get him series regular status in season 4. —Jake Perlman

Playing a character nicknamed Pornstache, Pablo Schreiber had a delicate balance to maintain on Orange: He had to be the bad guy of the prison, but he also had to be funny and, at times, likable. It was a tall order, but one that Schreiber handled perfectly. Yes, Pornstache was a cretin a lot of the time. Others, he was utterly relatable. And no matter what, he was always hilarious. —Samantha Highfill

Take Our Poll

MOBILE USERS VOTE HERE

Before she appeared on Louie as Louis C.K.'s seldom interested crush, Pamela Adlon played his wife on the short-lived HBO series Lucky Louie. It's easy to see why C.K. goes to her for that role: Adlon's quick wit and sharp tongue have a habit of reducing C.K. to a stammering oaf. His attempts to turn their friendship into a romance are painful at best, disturbing at worst (like a scene this season that seemed heading toward rape). It doesn't seem like C.K. and Adlon will ever make it work on the show, but she remains a welcome presence. —Kyle Ryan

Undoubtedly the most talked-about moment of Louie's ambitious third season was Sarah Baker's heartbreaking speech in ''So Did the Fat Lady'' about being an overweight woman looking for real love. Her character, a waitress at one of the clubs where Louis C.K. performs, boldly called him out for lying when he tried to deny she was heavy. It was an especially painful, honest scene, even for a show that's known for them. Baker's appearance—sadly limited to this one episode—will rank as one of Louie's series highlights, not just this season's. —Kyle Ryan

The film actress has made numerous TV show appearances in her career, notably a recurring role on 30 Rock that racked up two Emmy nominations in this category. We first met Sal, the friend of Mitch (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and Cam (Eric Stonestreet) with more than just commitment issues, in Modern Family's first season as a hilarious foe to their baby daughter Lily (Aubrey Anderson-Emmons). With her character's life slightly back on track, Sal returned for the two-part season 5 finale to officiate Mitch and Cam's wedding. And wouldn't you know it, she just happened to be nine months pregnant; of course her water broke with perfectly imperfect timing. Now that Sal has a modern family of her own, future guest appearances with Banks are a must. —Jake Perlman

Adam Sackler (Adam Driver) is an intense character, so intense that you practically need a break (in a good way) after watching an episode of Girls. Matching that intensity is a challenge, but Gaby Hoffmann jumped in this season to play Adam's wacky sister Caroline and crushed it. She's able to go from an eccentric fun-lover to a devastatingly sad character in just the course of one half-hour episode, and she does it with heart. Come back and sleep on Hannah's (Lena Dunham) couch anytime, Caroline. —Ariana Bacle

Playing the daughter of a dying patient in an elderly care hospital may not sound like comedy, but Molly Shannon used her SNL training well in portraying the complex Phyllis Marmatan, a woman given wrong information about her mother's health in three episodes (half the season) of HBO's female-driven comedy. The lack of an Emmy nod may actually be because Shannon brought more than just laughs; alas, the Best Guest Actress in a Dramedy category doesn't exist yet. —Jake Perlman

The Emmy-nominated star of ABC's Scandal was strong straight out the gate during her SNL gig, poking fun at the show's lack of diversity among its female performers by playing Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, and Beyoncé...all in the show's cold open. The rest of the show followed suit, with memorable sketches including a shockingly-not-irritating ''What Does The Fox Say'' digital parody and a B.A.P.S.-esque role as the assistant to Nasim Pedrad's motivational speaker Heshy. —Jake Perlman

Take Our Poll

MOBILE USERS VOTE HERE