Alan Cumming, Kristin Chenoweth, Lea Michele, Matthew Morrison, Elaine Stritch, et al. Receive Primetime Emmy Nominations; Glee Leads with 19

The Primetime Emmy Award nominations have been announced. The prizes will be presented in a ceremony to be held on August 29 and broadcast live on ABC-TV.

FOX’s hit series Glee is the top nominee, with a total of 19 nominations, including one as Outstanding Comedy Series, as well as nods for performers Matthew Morrison and Lea Michele in lead performer categories and one for Jane Lynch as Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. In addition, Tony Award winner Kristin Chenoweth picked up a nomination for her guest appearance on the show as did Neil Patrick Harris, who has also been nominated for his work on How I Met Your Mother. Lynch received a second nomination for her guest appearance in Two and a Half Men.

Among the other nominated performers in lead categories are Alec Baldwin (30 Rock) and Tony Shalhoub (Monk), who are nominated alongside Morrison in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. Stage veteran Michael C. Hall (Dexter) has also received a nomination on the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, while actors such as Ian McKellen (The Prisoner), Michael Sheen (The Special Relationship) and Al Pacino (You Don’t Know Jack) have been nominated in Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie.

All of the actresses nominated in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie have stage credits, including Joan Allen (Georgia O’Keefe), Claire Danes (Temple Grandin), Hope Davis (The Special Relationship), Judi Dench (Return to Cranford), and Maggie Smith (Capturing Mary). Other stage veterans who have received nominations are Toni Collette (United States of Tara) and Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie), who, like Michele, have all been nominated in the Comedy Series category; and Glenn Close (Damages) and Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife) for Drama Series.

Other nominees include Hank Azaria, Dylan Baker, Bob Balaban, Christine Baranski, Kathy Bates, Andre Braugher, Beau Bridges, Ty Burrell, Alan Cumming, David Rockwell, Michael Emerson, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Michael Gambon, Sharon Gless, John Goodman, Anne Hathaway, Gregory Itzin, Shirley Jones, Jane Krakowski, John Lithgow, Jane Lynch, Robert Morse, Elisabeth Moss, Jonathan Pryce, Susan Sarandon, Marc Shaiman, Martin Short, John Slattery, Patrick Stewart, David Strathairn, Elaine Stritch, Holland Taylor, Lily Tomlin, and Eli Wallach.

The 63rd Annual Tony Awards also received multiple nominations including one as Outstanding Special Class Program, as well as for Outstanding Art Direction for Variety, Music or Nonfiction Programming and Outstanding Direction for a Variety, Music or Comedy Special for Glenn Weiss.

Among other nominated special programs with theater connections are Bill Maher’s …But I’m Not Wrong, Robin Williams: Weapons of Self Destruction, Believe: The Eddie Izzard Story, and Monty Python: Almost the Truth.

For further information, visit: www.emmys.com.