Celebrated Dramas ‘The Americans’, ‘Empire’, ‘Game of Thrones’, ‘Mad Men’ and ‘Transparent’ Go Head-To-Head for the Title of Program of the Year

The 31st Annual TCA Awards will be presented on Saturday, August 8, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel

LOS ANGELES – Thursday, June 4, 2015 – The Television Critics Association (TCA) — a media organization with more than 200 professional TV critics and journalists from the United States and Canada — announced today the nominations for the 31st Annual TCA Awards. The 2015 TCA Awards recognize outstanding television programming in the 2014-2015 season, honoring actors, producers and programs in a variety of categories, including news and information, youth, reality, drama and comedy. The winners of the 31st Annual TCA Awards will be announced at the invitation-only presentation on Saturday, August 8, 2015, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, as part of the group’s bi-annual industry conference, the summer press tour. The celebrity host for the event will be announced later this month.

The nominations are spread across five broadcast networks—ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and The CW —as well as PBS, nine cable networks and Internet streaming services Netflix and Amazon. HBO leads the way with seven nominations; ABC, CBS, AMC, and FX each have five; Fox, PBS, The CW, and Amazon each have four; NBC and Comedy Central each have three; ABC Family has two; and Netflix, Starz, Logo, Nickelodeon and SundanceTV each finish with one. This year’s roster of notable nominees includes “Veep” star and 2014 TCA Award winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Mad Men” standout Jon Hamm, comedy sensation Amy Schumer, and Oscar® nominee Viola Davis; as well as a wide variety of programming ranging from “Game of Thrones,” “The Big Bang Theory” and “Justified,” to “Sesame Street,” “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” and “Dancing with the Stars,” among others.

This year’s lineup also features a fresh batch of newcomers, with first-time nominees including AMC’s hit “Breaking Bad”-spinoff “Better Call Saul,” starring Bob Odenkirk; Fox’s music industry drama “Empire”; Netflix’s critically acclaimed series “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” co-created by Tina Fey; Amazon’s family dramedy “Transparent,” starring Jeffrey Tambor; HBO news show “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”; The CW favorites “Jane the Virgin” and “The Flash”; and ABC standouts “How To Get Away With Murder” and “Fresh Off The Boat.”

Looking to claim the title of Program of the Year from previous winner, “Breaking Bad”, is a crop of celebrated dramas — FX’s Soviet spy caper “The Americans”; Fox hit “Empire,” created by Oscar®-nominated filmmaker Lee Daniels; HBO’s sweeping fantasy epic “Game of Thrones,” adapted from George R.R. Martin’s esteemed book series; AMC’s decade-spanning ad agency mainstay “Mad Men”; and the first-year Amazon original series “Transparent.”

“TCA members face yet another difficult decision this year, as they prepare to cast their votes for the winners in each category. This was an incredible season for returning favorites and new additions alike, and we’re looking forward to seeing what our members have chosen as the best of the best, when the winners are announced on August 8,” said TCA President Scott D. Pierce, television critic at The Salt Lake Tribune.

The TCA Awards will also bestow a special Heritage Award trophy to one long-standing program that has had a major cultural or social impact. This year, the TCA members have nominated an impressive lineup of some of TV’s most memorable and groundbreaking series, featuring the long-running late night staple “Late Show/Late Night with David Letterman”; beloved sitcom “Friends”; police precinct drama “The Shield,” starring Michael Chiklis and Walton Goggins; Gene Roddenberry’s influential sci-fi saga “Star Trek”; and the mind-bending small town murder mystery “Twin Peaks,” created by visionary auteur David Lynch.

In addition to honoring the absolute best that this year’s programming has to offer, the organization presents a Career Achievement Award to an individual who has influenced television through his or her work on the small screen.

The Summer TCA kicks off Tuesday, July 28 with Netflix; the cable portion of the tour begins Wednesday, July 29; PBS rolls in Saturday, August 1; Amazon presents Monday, August 3; the broadcast segment starts Tuesday, August 4; digital networks present on Sunday, August 9; and the event concludes Thursday, August 13.

Below is the complete list of the 2015 Television Critics Association nominees.

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep,” HBO – (2014 Winner in Category)
Gina Rodriguez, “Jane The Virgin,” The CW
Amy Schumer, “Inside Amy Schumer,” Comedy Central
Jeffrey Tambor, “Transparent,” Amazon
Constance Wu, “Fresh Off the Boat,” ABC

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA
Viola Davis, “How to Get Away with Murder,” ABC
Jon Hamm, “Mad Men,” AMC
Taraji P. Henson, “Empire,” Fox
Matthew Rhys, “The Americans,” FX
Bob Odenkirk, “Better Call Saul,” AMC

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN NEWS AND INFORMATION
“CBS Sunday Morning,” CBS
“The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” Comedy Central
“Frontline,” PBS
“Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,” HBO
“60 Minutes,” CBS

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN REALITY PROGRAMMING
“The Amazing Race,” CBS
“The Chair,” Starz
“Dancing with the Stars,” ABC
“RuPaul’s Drag Race,” Logo – (2014 Winner in Category)
“Shark Tank,” ABC

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN YOUTH PROGRAMMING
“Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood,” PBS
“The Fosters,” ABC Family – (2014 Winner in Category)
“The Legend of Korra,” Nickelodeon
“Sesame Street,” PBS
“Switched at Birth,” ABC Family

OUTSTANDING NEW PROGRAM
“Better Call Saul,” AMC
“Empire,” Fox
“The Flash,” The CW
“Jane the Virgin,” The CW
“Transparent,” Amazon

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN MOVIES, MINISERIES AND SPECIALS
“Bessie,” HBO
“The Honorable Woman,” SundanceTV
“The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst,” HBO
“Olive Kitteridge,” HBO
“Wolf Hall,” PBS

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY
“The Big Bang Theory,” CBS
“Inside Amy Schumer,” Comedy Central
“Jane the Virgin,” The CW
“Transparent,” Amazon
“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” Netflix

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA
“The Americans,” FX
“Empire,” Fox
“Game of Thrones,” HBO
“Justified,” FX
“Mad Men,” AMC

HERITAGE AWARD
“Friends,” NBC
“Late Show/Late Night with David Letterman,” CBS/NBC
“The Shield,” FX
“Star Trek,” NBC
“Twin Peaks,” ABC

PROGRAM OF THE YEAR
“The Americans,” FX
“Empire,” Fox
“Game of Thrones,” HBO
“Mad Men,” AMC
“Transparent,” Amazon

Past TCA Award winners are listed on the organization’s official website, tvcritics.org/tca-awards.

ABOUT THE TELEVISION CRITICS ASSOCIATION
The Television Critics Association (TCA) represents more than 200 professional journalists who cover television for publications across the United States and Canada. The members reach tens of millions of consumers each week, and are considered experts within the industry, representing their employers as moderators, panelists, radio/TV guests and more. The prestigious organization honors outstanding achievements in television and enduring contributions to the medium’s heritage through the TCA Awards each year. This year’s TCA Awards are the organization’s 31st anniversary. For additional information about the TCA, visit www.tvcritics.org; Facebook; and Twitter. To follow the Summer TCA on twitter, follow tweets with the hashtag #TCA15.

Media Contact:
Cindy Ronzoni / Social Spread Media / 310-880-1961 / [email protected] / @cindyronzoni