‘Breaking Bad’ Defends its Title as Program of the Year Against Juggernauts ‘Game of Thrones,’ ‘Orange is the New Black,’ ‘True Detective,’ and ‘The Good Wife’

Critics Nominate Industry Icons Mark Burnett, James Burrows, Jay Leno, William Shatner and Valerie Harper for Career Achievement Award

The 30th Annual TCA Awards will be presented on Saturday, July 19, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel; Celebration reunites Former TCA Presidents and Past TCA Award Winners

LOS ANGELES – Tuesday, May 27, 2014 – 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 30th Annual TCA Awards. The 2014 TCA Awards recognize outstanding television programming in the 2013-2014 season, honoring actors, producers and programs in a variety of categories, including news and information, youth, reality, drama and comedy achievements.

The winners of the 30th Annual TCA Awards will be announced at the invitation-only presentation on Saturday, July 19, 2014, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, as part of the group’s bi-annual industry conference, the summer press tour. This year’s awards celebration pays tribute to the organization’s past presidents, former hosts and career achievement honorees.

The nominations for current programming are spread across four broadcast networks—ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX—as well as PBS, nine cable networks and the Internet streaming service Netflix. In 2014, CBS leads the way with nine nominations; HBO has eight; FX holds seven; and Fox finishes with six. This year’s crop of nominees includes a number of notable past winners, such as celebrated comic Louis C.K. and beloved actor Bryan Cranston, and shows ranging from the smash fantasy epic “Game of Thrones,” to childhood essential “Sesame Street,” newsroom satire “The Daily Show,” and reality TV titan “The Amazing Race.”

This year’s lineup also features a batch of newcomers, with first-time nominees including Logo’s hit “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” hosted by the goddess of glam herself; Netflix’s critically acclaimed women’s prison dramedy “Orange is the New Black”; FX’s “Fargo,” starring Billy Bob Thornton in the small-screen adaptation of the Coen Brothers’ masterpiece; Fox heavyweights “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and “Sleepy Hollow”; and ABC Family’s “The Fosters.”

Last year’s Program of the Year, AMC’s celebrated drama “Breaking Bad,” is once again up for the honor, alongside series star Bryan Cranston, whose turn as Walter White garnered a nomination for Individual Achievement in Drama. “Breaking Bad” will seek to defend its crown against a formidable quartet featuring Netflix’s “Orange is the New Black”; HBO’s “Game of Thrones”; CBS’ “The Good Wife”; and HBO’s gritty crime drama “True Detective,” starring recent Academy® Award Winner—and fellow Individual Achievement in Drama nominee—Matthew McConaughey as a homicide detective on the trail of a brutal serial killer.

“These nominations are generated by the TCA membership, and choosing the best in television is not an easy task,” said TCA President Scott D. Pierce. “Not because good television is hard to find, but because there are so many deserving shows from which to choose.

“Now TCA members face another difficult decision when they vote for the winners in each category,” Pierce continues. These awards are voted on by the critics who know what television has to offer, and we’ll learn what our membership has chosen as the best of the best when the winners are announced on July 19.”

“This is a monumental occasion for us, as we celebrate 30 years of the TCA Awards,” said Amber Dowling, TCA Vice President. “Starting with the unveiling of our new logo today, we have some special presentations in store to commemorate the event, as we welcome back past presidents and honorees, and announce our host next month. The evening is sure to be full of surprises, and I’m excited to share this incredible milestone with our members.”

In addition to honoring the absolute best that this year’s programming has to offer, 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 roster of some of TV’s most memorable and groundbreaking series, featuring the Comedy Central classic “South Park”; mind-bending ABC series “Lost,” the brainchild of J.J. Abrams; “Twin Peaks,” created by visionary auteur David Lynch; NBC’s comedy mainstay “Saturday Night Live”; and the sci-fi spectacular “Star Trek,” which has continued to inspire fans and filmmakers since its debut in 1966.

Additionally, the organization presents a Career Achievement Award to an individual who has influenced television through his or her work on the small screen. This year’s nominees include producer Mark Burnett, who put reality television on the map with hits such as “Survivor” and “The Apprentice”; director/producer/writer James Burrows, who helmed series such as “Taxi,” “Cheers,” “Will & Grace” and “Mike & Molly,” just to name a few; legendary late-night talk show host Jay Leno; fan-favorite renaissance man William Shatner; and the trailblazing actress Valerie Harper, best known as the star of “Rhoda” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.”

The Summer TCA kicks off Tuesday, July 8 with the cable portion of the tour; the broadcast segment starts Sunday, July 13; and the event concludes Wednesday, July 23 with the final day of PBS. The 16-day continuous tour also includes a day devoted to emerging networks and streaming services on Saturday, July 12 in addition to the TCA Awards on Saturday, July 19.

Below is the complete list of the 2014 Television Critics Association nominees.

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 30th 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 #TCAs14.
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Media Contact:
Cindy Ronzoni / Social Spread Media / 310-880-1961 / [email protected] / @cindyronzoni