Actors Jami Gertz and Michael Imperioli helped announce the nominees for the television honors. Winners will be announced on the 57th Annual Emmy Awards telecast Sept. 18 on CBS.
Hugh Jackman earned an Emmy nomination for Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program for his hosting duties at the 58th Annual Tony Awards (2004) — he'll vie against Whoopi Goldberg in her filmed Broadway turn of "Whoopi Back to Broadway - The 20th Anniversary." The Tony telecast is also up for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special.
The Special Class Program Emmy features the PBS airing of Stephen Sondheim's "Passion (Live From Lincoln Center)," PBS Great Performances' "Candide In Concert" and the PBS series "Broadway: The American Musical." The latter is also up for Writing for Nonfiction Programming, Sound Editing and Sound Mixing.
All the acting categories include nominees who have trod the boards. Hank Azaria — who recently starred in Monty Python's Spamalot — was nominated as Lead Actor in a Drama for his turn on the Showtime series "Huff."
Glenn Close (Sunset Boulevard) and Frances Conroy (The Ride Down Mt. Morgan) are up for Lead Actress in a Drama Series for their work on "The Shield" and "Six Feet Under," respectively. Blythe Danner (Follies) is nominated in three categories. She competes for Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie for "Back When We Were Grownups" with current Birdie Blue star S. Epatha Merkerson (for the Made for Television Movie Emmy nominee "Lackawanna Blues") and upcoming Rabbit Hole star Cynthia Nixon ("Warm Springs"). Then as a Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, her turn in "Huff" was acknowledged along with "Judging Amy" star Tyne Daly (Gypsy) and "The West Wing" first lady Stockard Channing (Joe Egg, Six Degrees of Separation). She was also given a nod for as Guest Actress in a Comedy for "Will & Grace."
For Lead Actor in a Comedy, Tony Shalhoub (Conversations With My Father) for "Monk", Zach Braff (Twelfth Night) for "Scrubs" and Eric McCormack (The Music Man) for "Will & Grace" are nominated.
Ed Harris (Fool For Love, Precious Sons), Kenneth Branagh (Edmond) and William H. Macy (American Buffalo) compete in the Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie category. They starred in "Empire Falls," "Warm Springs" and "The Wool Cap."
Current Glengarry Glen Ross stars Jeffrey Tambor and Alan Alda were also mentioned. Tambor is up for Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for "Arrested Development" opposite "Entourage" agent Jeremy Piven (Fat Pig) and "Everybody Loves Raymond" brother Brad Garrett (upcoming The Odd Couple). Alda's "The West Wing" performance will take on "Boston Legal"'s William Shatner (A Shot in the Dark) and "Huff" star Oliver Platt (Twelfth Night) for Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.
"Empire Falls" actors Paul Newman (Our Town) and Philip Seymour Hoffman (Long Day's Journey Into Night) team up against "Our Fathers" stars Christopher Plummer (Barrymore) and Brian Dennehy (Long Day's Journey Into Night) for Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie.
For Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, "Arrested Development" matriarch Jessica Walter (Rumor) competes with "Everybody Loves Raymond" matriarch Doris Roberts (Last of the Red Hot Lovers) and "Will & Grace" star Megan Mullally (How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying).
Other Emmy nominees of interest to theatre folk include Joanne Woodward (Our Town) for "Empire Falls" and "Warm Springs" stars Jane Alexander (What of the Night) and Kathy Bates ('night, Mother) in Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie; Victor Garber (Art, Assassins), Jeff Goldblum (The Pillowman), Bobby Cannavale (Hurlyburly) and Alec Baldwin (Twentieth Century) all in the Guest Actor in a Comedy Series category for their spots on "Will & Grace"; the late Ossie Davis (Purlie Victorious, A Raisin in the Sun) for "The L Word," Ray Liotta (Match) for "ER," Martin Landau (Middle of the Night) for "Without a Trace" and Charles Durning (The Best Man, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) for "NCIS" in the Guest Actor in a Drama Series category; Swoosie Kurtz (Frozen) for "Huff," Amanda Plummer (Agnes of God) for "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," Angela Lansbury (Sweeney Todd) for "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit/Trial By Jury" and Jill Clayburgh (upcoming Barefoot in the Park) for "Nip/Tuck" in the Guest Actress in a Drama Series category; and the Dan Studney-Kevin Murphy song "Mary Jane/Mary Lane" from the stage-turned-TV musical "Reefer Madness" is up for Music and Lyrics.
The complete list of Primetime Emmy nominations and other Academy news and information is available at the Academy's website, located at http://www.emmys.tv.
