Every time the Emmys please you by doing something generally agreeable like nominating Breaking Bad, Big Love and How I Met Your Mother for best series nods or not nominating Jeremy Piven for Entourage (somewhat inexplicably since they remembered Kevin Dillon, of all people), they find a way to irritate you, like nominating Simon Baker for The Mentalist or nominating Family Guy for best comedy series when The Simpsons could never get there during its creative peak.
But, hey, ours is not to judge all that much. So here are the Emmy categories you actually care about, and if you want to see some hardcore hairstyling nominee action, you can find the full list of nominees here. (For the record, 30 Rock led all programs with 22 nominations, while HBO movie Grey Gardens pulled in 17 and Mad Men landed 16.)
Outstanding Comedy Series
30 Rock
Entourage
Family Guy
Flight Of The Conchords
How I Met Your Mother
The Office
Weeds
Outstanding Drama Series
Big Love
Breaking Bad
Damages
Dexter
House
Lost
Mad Men
Outstanding Made For Television Movie
Coco Chanel
Grey Gardens
Into The Storm
Prayers For Bobby
Taking Chance
Outstanding Miniseries
Generation Kill
Little Dorrit
Outstanding Reality – Competition Program
The Amazing Race
American Idol
Dancing with the Stars
Project Runway
Top Chef
Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Series
The Colbert Report
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Late Show with David Letterman
Real Time with Bill Maher
Saturday Night Live
Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Special
Chris Rock – Kill the Messenger
Kathy Griffin: She'll Cut a Bitch
The Kennedy Center Honors
Ricky Gervais: out of England – The Stand-Up Special
Will Ferrell: You're Welcome America. A Final Night With George W. Bush
Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Steve Carell, The Office
Jemaine Clement, Flight of the Conchords
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
Tony Shalhoub, Monk
Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men
Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series
Simon Baker, The Mentalist
Gabriel Byrne, In Treatment
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Hugh Laurie, House
Outstanding Lead Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie
Kevin Bacon, Taking Chance
Kenneth Branagh, Wallander: One Step Behind
Brendan Gleeson, Into The Storm
Kevin Kline, Cyrano de Bergerac (Great Performances)
Sir Ian McKellen, King Lear (Great Performances)
Kiefer Sutherland, 24: Redemption
Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series
Christina Applegate, Samantha Who?
Toni Collette, United States Of Tara
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures Of Old Christine
Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds
Sarah Silverman, The Sarah Silverman Program
Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series
Glenn Close, Damages
Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Holly Hunter, Saving Grace
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer
Outstanding Lead Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie
Drew Barrymore, Grey Gardens
Jessica Lange, Grey Gardens
Shirley MacLaine, Coco Chanel
Sigourney Weaver, Prayers For Bobby
Chandra Wilson, Accidental Friendship
Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series
Jon Cryer, Two And A Half Men
Kevin Dillon, Entourage
Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother
Jack McBrayer, 30 Rock
Tracy Morgan, 30 Rock
Rainn Wilson, The Office
Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series
Christian Clemenson, Boston Legal
Michael Emerson, Lost
William Hurt, Damages
Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad
William Shatner, Boston Legal
John Slattery, Mad Men
Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie
Len Cariou, Into The Storm
Tom Coutenay, Little Dorrit
Ken Howard, Grey Gardens
Bob Newhart, The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice
Andy Serkis, Little Dorrit
Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series
Kristin Chenoweth, Pushing Daisies
Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock
Elizabeth Perkins, Weeds
Amy Poehler, Saturday Night Live
Kristin Wiig, Saturday Night Live
Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty
Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series
Rose Byrne, Damages
Hope Davis, In Treatment
Cherry Jones, 24
Sandra Oh, Grey's Anatomy
Dianne Wiest, In Treatment
Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie
Shohreh Aghdashloo, House Of Saddam
Marcia Gay Harden, The Courageous Heart Of Irena Sendler (Hallmark Hall Of Fame Presentation)
Janet McTeer, Into The Storm
Jeanne Tripplehorn, Grey Gardens
Cicely Tyson, Relative Stranger
Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series
Alan Alda, 30 Rock
Beau Bridges, Desperate Housewives
Jon Hamm, 30 Rock
Steve Martin, 30 Rock
Justin Timberlake, Saturday Night Live
Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series
Edward Asner, CSI: NY
Ernest Borgnine, ER
Ted Danson, Damages
Michael J. Fox, Rescue Me
Jimmy Smits, Dexter
Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series
Jennifer Aniston, 30 Rock
Christine Baranski, The Big Bang Theory
Tina Fey, Saturday Night Live
Gena Rowlands, Monk
Elaine Stritch, 30 Rock
Betty White, My Name Is Earl
Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series
Brenda Blethyn, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Carol Burnett, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Ellen Burstyn, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Sharon Lawrence, Grey's Anatomy
CCH Pounder, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality-Competition Program
Tom Bergeron, Dancing With The Stars
Phil Keoghan, The Amazing Race
Heidi Klum, Project Runway
Padma Lakshmi and Tom Colicchio, Top Chef
Jeff Probst, Survivor
Ryan Seacrest, American Idol
Outstanding Voice-Over Performance
Hank Azaria, The Simpsons
Dan Castellaneta, The Simpsons
Seth Green, Robot Chicken
Seth MacFarlane, Family Guy
Ron Rifkin, American Masters
Harry Shearer, The Simpsons
Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series
Jeff Blitz, "Stress Relief," The Office
James Bobin, "The Tough Brets," Flight of the Conchords
Julian Farino, "Tree Trippers," Entourage
Todd Holland, "Generalissimo," 30 Rock
Beth McCarthy, "Reunion," 30 Rock
Millicent Shelton, "Apollo, Apollo," 30 Rock
Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series
Phil Abraham, "The Jet Set," Mad Men
Bill D'Elia, "Made in China/Last Call," Boston Legal
Rod Holcomb, "And in the End," ER
Todd A. Kessler, "Trust Me," Damages
Michael Rymer, "Daybreak (Part 2)," Battlestar Galactica
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
James Bobin, Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie, "Prime Minister," Flight Of The Conchords
Jack Burditt and Robert Carlock, "Kidney Now!" 30 Rock
Robert Carlock, "Apollo, Apollo," 30 Rock
Matt Hubbard, "Reunion," 30 Rock
Ron Weiner, "Mamma Mia," 30 Rock
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof, "The Incident," Lost
Kater Gordon and Matthew Weiner, "Meditations in an Emergency," Mad Men
Andre Jacquemetton, Maria Jacquemetton and Matthew Weiner, "Six Month Leave," Mad Men
Robin Veith and Matthew Weiner, "A Night to Remember," Mad Men
Matthew Weiner, "The Jet Set," Mad Men
Outstanding Animated Program (for programming less than one hour)
American Dad
Robot Chicken
The Simpsons
South Park
Outstanding Commercial
Airport Lounge • Amex / Platinum Card
Alec In Huluwood • Hulu
Bottled Courage • Nike
Circus • Anheuser-Busch Budweiser
Heist • Coca-Cola
Magazine Buyer • Anheuser-Busch Bud Light
Tips • Career Builder
Wedding • Sprint Nextel