MAD MEN and AMERICAN HORROR STORY lead all 2012 Emmy nominees

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences released the nominees for the 64th Annual Prime Time Emmy Awards, and the creative teams from "Mad Men" and "American Horror Story" had to be feeling on top of the world. They tied with the most nominations—17—followed by "Downton Abbey" and "Hatfields & McCoys" with 16 apiece; "Hemingway & Gellhorn" with 15; "Modern Family" and Saturday Night Live" with 14 nominations; "Breaking Bad," "Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia (Masterpiece)" and "30 Rock" with 13, "Boardwalk Empire and "Game Change" with 12 each, and "Game of Thrones with 11. 

Those were the heavy hitters this 2012 awards season, and fans of the shows—and of awards shows—can watch the winners selected live on Sunday, September 23, on ABC-TV at 7 p.m. ET. 

Below are nominees for "best of shows." For a full list, see the Emmys website.

Outstanding Comedy Series:

• The Big Bang Theory • CBS • Chuck Lorre Productions, Inc. in association with Warner Bros. Television
• Curb Your Enthusiasm • HBO • HBO Entertainment
• Girls • HBO • Apatow Productions and I am Jenni Konner Productions in association with HBO Entertainment
• Modern Family • ABC • Levitan-Lloyd Productions in association with Twentieth Century Fox Television
• 30 Rock • NBC • Broadway Video, Little Stranger, Inc. in association with Universal Television
• Veep • HBO • Dundee Productions in association with HBO Entertainment

Outstanding Drama Series:

• Boardwalk Empire • HBO • Leverage, Closest to the Hole Productions, Sikelia Productions and Cold Front Productions in association with HBO Entertainment
• Breaking Bad • AMC • Sony Pictures Television
• Downton Abbey • PBS • A Carnival / Masterpiece Co-Production
• Game Of Thrones • HBO • Bighead, Littlehead, Generator Productions, Television 360, and Grok Television in association with HBO Entertainment
• Homeland • Showtime • Showtime Presents, Teakwood Lane Productions, Cherry Pie Productions, Keshet, Fox 21

• Mad Men • AMC • Lionsgate Television

Outstanding Miniseries or Movie:

• American Horror Story • FX Networks • Twentieth Century Fox Television
• Game Change • HBO • Playtone and Everyman Pictures in association with HBO Films
• Hatfields & McCoys • HISTORY • Thinkfactory Media in association with History
• Hemingway & Gellhorn • HBO • Attaboy Films and A Walrus & Associates in association with HBO Films
• Luther • BBC America • A BBC and BBC America Co-Production
• Sherlock: A Scandal In Belgravia (Masterpiece) • PBS • Hartswood West for BBC / Cymru Wales in co-production with Masterpiece

Outstanding Variety Series:

• The Colbert Report • Comedy Central • Hello Doggie, Inc. with Busboy Productions and Spartina Productions
• The Daily Show With Jon Stewart • Comedy Central • Central Productions, LLC
• Jimmy Kimmel Live • ABC • ABC Studios in association with Jackhole Industries, Inc.
• Late Night With Jimmy Fallon • NBC • Universal Television and Broadway Video
• Real Time With Bill Maher • HBO • Bill Maher Productions and Brad Grey Television in association with HBO Entertainment
• Saturday Night Live • NBC • SNL Studios in association with Universal Television and Broadway Video

Outstanding Animated Program:

• American Dad! • Hot Water • FOX • Fox Television Animation
• Bob's Burgers • BurgerBoss • FOX • BentoBox Entertainment
• Futurama • The Tip Of The Zoidberg • Comedy Central • The Curiosity Company in association with 20th Century Fox Television
• The Penguins Of Madagascar: The Return Of The Revenge Of Dr. Blowhole • Nickelodeon • Nickelodeon and DreamWorks Animation
• The Simpsons • Holidays Of Future Passed • FOX • Gracie Films in association with 20th Century Fox Television

Outstanding Children's Programa:

• Degrassi • TeenNick • Epitome Pictures in association with Nickelodeon
• Good Luck Charlie • Disney Channel • It's a Laugh Productions
• iCarly • Nickelodeon • Nickelodeon and Schneider's Bakery
• Victorious • Nickelodeon • Nickelodeon and Schneider's Bakery
• Wizards Of Waverly Place • Disney Channel • It's a Laugh Productions

Outstanding Reality Program:

• Antiques Roadshow • PBS • WGBH Boston
• Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution • ABC • Ryan Seacrest Productions and Fresh One Productions
• MythBusters • Discovery Channel • Beyond Productions Pty. Ltd. for the Discovery Channel
• Shark Tank • ABC • Sony Pictures Television
• Undercover Boss • CBS • Studio Lambert
• Who Do You Think You Are? • NBC • Is or Isn't Entertainment, Shed Media US, Wall to Wall Media Ltd.

Outstanding Reality-Competition Program:

• The Amazing Race • CBS • World Race Productions Inc.
• Dancing With The Stars • ABC • BBC Worldwide Productions
• Project Runway • Lifetime • The Weinstein Company, Bunim-Murray Productions and Full Picture in association with Lifetime Television
• So You Think You Can Dance • FOX • Dick Clark Productions, Inc. in association with 19 Entertainment
• Top Chef • Bravo • Magical Elves
• The Voice • NBC • One Three Inc. (a Hearst/Mark Burnett company), Talpa Media USA, Inc. and Warner Horizon Television

Outstanding Nonfiction Series:

• American Masters • PBS • A Production of B Plus Productions, LLC in association with Thirteen's American Masters for WNET
• Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations • Travel Channel • Zero Point Zero Production, Inc.
• Frozen Planet • Discovery Channel • A BBC / Discovery Channel / Antena 3 Television S.A. / ZDF / Skai / Open University Co-Production in association with Discovery Canada
• Inside The Actors Studio • Bravo • In The Moment Productions
• The Weight Of The Nation • HBO • HBO Documentary Films and the Institute of Medicine, in association with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health, and in partnership with the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation and Kaiser Permanente