Emmys: 27 Breakthrough Nominations!

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy

Lynch lost the 2010 Golden Globe to Big Love's Chloë Sevigny, but in a category just for comedy, Sue Sylvester — local Ohio celebrity, over-the-top ambitious cheerleading coach, and a fashion icon in her own right — sinks our battleship, and she sinks it hard. If Lynch doesn't win, Emmy voters beware. On some dark, cold night, she will steal away into your house...and punch you in the face. And that's the way EW 'C's it. —Annie Barrett

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy

She's come a long way from playing the love interests of Happy Gilmore and ER's Dr. Carter. Since 2000, Bowen's starred in Ed and Boston Legal and guested memorably on Lost and Weeds. But she's really found a comedic sweet spot as Modern Family's Claire Dunphy — like Jason Bateman in Arrested Development, Bowen has a knack for playing the straight (wo)man of a thoroughly wacky family while being hilariously and endearingly flawed herself. —AB

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy

She was the best thing about ABC's short-lived series Hot Properties and The Knights of Prosperity. Good thing ABC kept the faith in this hilarious Colombian bombshell. Her combination of sly intelligence, fierce maternal instinct, and va-va-va-voom outrageousness makes her Gloria Delgado-Pritchett a total TV original — and an absolute hoot to boot. —Michael Slezak

Outstanding Actress in a Drama

She had many nominations as fan favorite nurse Carol Hathaway on ER, including a win in this category in 1995; now, Margulies' quiet and graceful portrayal of a betrayed wife who stands by her man has brought her back to the honor roll in The Good Wife's very first season. —Abby West

Outstanding Drama

The freshman series took a headline staple (disgraced politician's wife stands by his side in a public display of support) and gave us a woman who didn't deserve our pity or scorn, just our respect. —AW

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series

She won an Emmy in 1995 for her role as the wisecracking Maryann Thorpe on Cybill. As law firm partner Diane Lockhart on The Good Wife, Baranski gets to be funny but keeps it tightly controlled as the woman in charge. —AW

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series

Panjabi's Kalinda Sharma is full of secrets; finding them and keeping them — all while wearing short skirts and tall boots with high heels, no less — is what she's all about. But it's her personal secrets, from her sexual preference to her seemingly shifting allegiances — that make her one compelling character. Plus the tough cookie couldn't help but take a liking to our heroine, Alicia (Julianna Margulies). —AW

Outstanding Actor in a Drama

Nuance, thy name is Coach Taylor. Chandler's Eric is an icon of quiet compassion and loyalty, and the performance is as much about tough football leadership as it is about a crinkly smile and knowing nod. —Margaret Lyons

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama

When Hendricks pulled on an accordion and murmured ''oh la la la,'' her face registered every ounce of Joan's inner conflict: She gave up a place of tenuous authority at Sterling Cooper for this tortured marriage? Oof. In that one short song, Joan took on a new air of tragedy, and Hendricks was, well, magnifique. —ML

Outstanding Comedy

It's a doctor show about a nurse and a comedy about agony — yeah, Nurse Jackie zigs where everything else zags. All Saints Hospital may be full of sinners, but we wouldn't have it any other way. —ML

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy

The uptight Mitchell doesn't get the goofy lines like Phil or heart-swelling ones like Cam. But Ferguson seamlessly takes Mitchell from neurotic pigeon slayer to buoyantly silly confessionalizer. —ML

Outstanding Drama

A nomination in the Drama category feels like validation for Summer TV and everyone who likes theirs sexy, sudsy, and supernatural. In other words, we no longer have to feel guilty for knowing what VILF stands for. —Mandi Bierly

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy

In the great tradition of Clark W. Griswold, Phil Dunphy is a well-intentioned husband and father with frequent poorly executed plans. What's unique about Burrell's performance: We've never doubted that Phil's wife, Claire (Julie Bowen), would actually be crazy about him. Somewhere along the line — perhaps the Christmas episode when he wore that blue henley? — Phil became more than enough, he became the ideal. —MB

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama

It's Sharon Gless' 10th Emmy nomination (she won twice for Cagney & Lacey) but the first for a cast member of Burn Notice. As the mother of Jeffrey Donovan's burned spy Michael Westen, a man trained to control his emotions, Gless revels in letting hers loose. —MB

Outstanding Actress in a Comedy

In the realm of television newcomers, no one made their debut quite like Glee's resident glass-shattering, power vocalist, Lea Michele. Here's hoping her character's bubbly yet competitive nature holds its own against some stiff competition. Win or lose, with all of the show's success, we doubt anything would rain on this first-time Emmy nominee's parade. —Sandra Gonzalez

Outstanding Actress in a Comedy

As bright-eyed and hilarious Leslie Knope on NBC's most improved Thursday night comedy of the year, the Saturday Night Live alum has managed to escape the shadows of the sketch-show personas that earned her two Supporting Actress Emmy nods in the past. And like Tina Fey — another late-night grad who also found second life on NBC and an eventual place in the lead actress category — we think this is only the beginning. —SG

Outstanding Actor in a Comedy

Whether you love him like Emma or hate him like Sue, it's undeniable that Glee just wouldn't have been what it is without Mr. Schue's fake-baby drama, rap numbers, and hair — just imagine all the jokes that never would have been. The actor was previously nominated for a Golden Globe for his work on the show and a Tony for his stage work, but this is his first Emmy nomination. —SG

Outstanding Comedy

Just as the critical masses had declared heart-filled family-centered sitcoms DOA, RIP, and everything else that means gone forever, ABC's documentary-style comedy put equal parts heart, humor, and dysfunction back into our TV lineup. Suddenly, being pegged a family sitcom isn't such a bad thing anymore. —SG

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy

Expectations were high for ''drama queen'' Cam after he introduced his and Mitchell's adopted daugther, Lily, to the family by raising her above his head, to music from The Lion King, in a spotlight. And Stonestreet delivered all season long. He has a way of making even the broadest moments (explaining why he cried when he couldn't get tickets to Billy Elliot, verbally sparring with his former caroling troupe, spritzing Lily in the face with water to keep her awake so she'd sleep on the flight to Hawaii) seem subtle. —MB

Outstanding Actress in a Drama

The fourth year turned out to be the charm for first-time nominee Connie Britton, whose remarkably subtle work as mother, coach's wife, and all-around awesome individual Tami Taylor on Friday Night Lights went unnoticed for the first three seasons. Why? We tend to think Britton's acting style is so real voters only now realized that she's been, you know, ACTING. Whatever the reason, we're just happy she's finally getting her due. —Michael Ausiello

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama

Andre ?Braugher's been nominated before — five times to be exact, with wins for his roles on Homicide: Life on the Street and in the made-for-TV movie Thief — but we were particularly stoked to see him get recognized for his funny, affecting work on TNT's not-as-buzzed-about-as-it-should-be drama about three buddies grappling with work and relationships and the onset of middle age. —MS

Outstanding Actor in a Drama

Hard to believe it took six seasons before the man who's arguably the central force of one of TV's all-time great ensembles got recognized by Emmy. But based on that series-finale bamboo field scene alone — if you know Lost, you know what I'm talking about — voters had no choice but to rectify the injustice. —MS

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama

Previously Emmy nominated for his work in a variety of comedic works, Short scored his latest nod in a role that was deathly dramatic — Damages' sycophant/con man Leonard Winstone, a lawyer for a Bernie Madoff-esque Ponzi schemer whose own nefarious background eventually came back to get him. Short was alternately creepy, devious, and always riveting in the third season of FX's dark, twisted drama. —MS

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Kurt Hummell, the style maven with a range to rival Rachel's, has shown such growth throughout the first season; he made us love him so as he came out to friends and family and forged a deeper bond with his father. Colfer's ability to go between sass and tender vulnerability made his nod an obvious one. —AW

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

This year, Betty Draper went from being a neglected bored housewife to an outraged spouse ready to fly into the arms of another golden savior. Jones and her pretty scowl are as integral to Mad Men's winning ensemble as Don and his dapper hat. —AW

Outstanding Comedy Series

This breakout series combined the age-old rally point of high school outcasts with singing, dancing, and plenty of drama for its winning freshman season. —AW

Outstanding Actress in a Comedy

Jackie's a bitter liar, a scheming adulteress, and a rampant drug addict. Remind us again why we love her? Oh, right: Falco's captivating performance lends Jackie a warmth and humanity that draw us to her, even as she pushes us away.—ML