The nominations for the 15th Annual OFTA Television Awards have been announced.
Best Drama Series nominee Boardwalk Empire lead the nominations with twenty mentions. With 16 nominations each, fellow Drama Series nominee Game of Thrones tied with Mildred Pierce, nominated for Best Motion Picture or Miniseries. Two more series nominees tied for fourth with fifteen nominations each. Last year’s category winners, Mad Men and Glee were both nominated again this year. The Pillars of the Earth, earning 13 nominations to land in sixth in the nomination tallies, is also nominated for Best Motion Picture or Miniseries.
Joining first time nominees Boardwalk Empire and Game of Thrones as well as last year’s winner Mad Men for Best Drama series are Friday Night Lights (6 nominations), The Good Wife (7 nominations) and True Blood (10 nominations).
In the Best Comedy Series category, Glee is joined by last year’s co-winner Modern Family (12 nominations) as well as 30 Rock (8 nominations), The Big Bang Theory (6 nominations), Community (5 nominations) and Parks and Recreation (6 nominations).
Mildred Pierce and Pillars of the Earth will face off in the race for Best Motion Picture or Miniseries with Carlos (9 nominations), Cinema Verite (9 nominations), Downton Abbey (11 nominations) and Sherlock (5 nominations).
The winners will be announced on Sunday, August 14, 2011. For a handful of non-performance facts and statistics, see below.
For the full list of nominees, visit the Awards page.
- Boardwalk Empire nets the highest nomination count in 9 years. Six Feet Under received 24 nominations for the 2001/2002 season.
- Boardwalk is ranked fourth for highest total nominations in its first year as a series. In 3rd place with 21 nominations was The Practice in 1998/99. And tied for first are Six Feet Under listed above and The West Wing which debuted in the 1999/2000 season.
- With fifteen nominations, Mad Men has the best fourth-season nomination total in history beating previous record holder The Sopranos which picked up 13 nods in its fourth year. Mad Men now holds the record for most third and fourth year nominations.
- With 65 nominations in four years, Mad Men now has the second-highest run-to-date total of any series. Only The West Wing had more nominations at this point in its run with 69.
- Mad Men is now ranked 10th on the list of all time top series nominees.
- Mildred Pierce is tied for sixth as the most nominated motion picture or miniseries.
- Carlos is the first foreign language motion picture/miniseries nominee in OFTA TV history.
- Lady Gaga: The Monster Ball Tour – Live From Madison Square Garden is the most nominated television special in history beating previous record-holder The 41st Grammy Awards back in 1998/99. (Note: This record is broken with access to more nominating categories than any year prior to 2009/2010 when specials were permitted to compete in design categories alongside motion pictures and miniseries)