The Critics' Choice Awards Get it Right Again; Nominate Justified, Jane the Virgin, and More

It's been a few months since we've praised anyone or handed out trophies to people for pretending to be other people. The folks in Hollywood-land were getting anxious and a little insecure about their only abilities that make them (semi-)worthy as human beings, so it's a good thing the Broadcast Television Journalists Association announced the nominations for the 2015 Critics' Choice Television Awards on Wednesday.

Justified's excellent final season is finally getting the show the attention it's probably always deserved with five nominations, including Best Drama Series. The FX series and HBO's Olive Kitteredge lead the field, while The Americans, Bessie, The Good Wife, Transparent, and Wolf Hall all received four nominations each.

The 5th annual Critics' Choice Television Awards (not to be confused with the Television Critics Association Awards) will be broadcast live Sunday, May 31 at 8pm on A&E. If the series aired between June 1, 2014 through May 31, 2015, it was eligible. Which means you won't find Hannibal at all. Thanks, NBC! Anyway, the full list of nominees is below.

Best Comedy Series

Broad City

Jane the Virgin

Mom

Silicon Valley

Transparent

Veep

You're the Worst

What we think of the category: This is a very solid line-up that highlights the variety of comedy available right now. Jane the Virgin's heartfelt telenovela is nominated alongside the acerbic stylings of Veep and Broad City. Meanwhile, a multi-camera sitcom like Mom is honored next to a series that gave us the greatest dick joke of all time (Silicon Valley), Amazon's Transparent, and FXX's You're the Worst. All of these nominations are great, but the best part is that there's no Modern Family in sight.

Best Actor in a Comedy Series

Anthony Anderson, Blackish

Chris Messina, The Mindy Project

Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent

Johnny Galecki, The Big Bang Theory

Thomas Middleditch, Silicon Valley

Will Forte, The Last Man on Earth

What we think of the category: Any organization that wants to honor Chris Messina is all right with me, because he's one of the best things The Mindy Project has going for it. I could probably do without Johnny Galecki but I also don't know who I'd replace him with other than maybe Jim Parsons or Adam Scott? This is a tough category because a lot of comedy's great performances right now are considered supporting.

Best Actress in a Comedy Series

Amy Schumer, Inside Amy Schumer

Constance Wu, Fresh Off the Boat

Gina Rodriguez, Jane the Virgin

Ilana Glazer, Broad City

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep

Lisa Kudrow, The Comeback

What we think of the category: Amy Schumer is a national treasure and it's great to see her get some love in this category once again alongside the likes of comedy veterans like Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who's still kicking butt on Veep. The same can be said for Jane's Gina Rodriguez, who took home the equivalent of this award at the Golden Globes earlier this year and will probably snag this trophy too. But how can you nominate Ilana Glazer for Broad City and not also nominate Abbi Jacobson? This is the second year in a row this has happened. Also, whereTF is Amy Poehler's nomination for the final season of Parks and Recreation? I'd have picked her over Lisa Kudrow for sure.

Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Adam Driver, Girls

Cameron Monaghan, Shameless

Jaime Camil, Jane the Virgin

T.J. Miller, Silicon Valley

Tituss Burgess, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Tony Hale, Veep

What we think of the category: Shameless' dual nature as both a heartbreaking drama and a black comedy is once again throwing everything off balance. Last year it was Jeremy Allen White sticking out like a sore thumb and and this year it's his co-star Cameron Monaghan. Monaghan turned in the best performance of his Shameless career in Season 5 as a young man struggling with mental illness. He deserves mountains of praise for his work, but how do you compare what Monaghan did to Jaime Camil's excellent comedic timing as Rogelio De La Vega on Jane the Virgin or T.J. Miller's performance as Erlich on Silicon Valley? They're not even close. And on an unrelated note, the fact that Nick Offerman was snubbed for Parks and Rec is outrageous.

Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Allison Janney, Mom

Carrie Brownstein, Portlandia

Eden Sher, The Middle

Judith Light, Transparent

Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory

Melanie Lynskey, Togetherness

What we think of the category: This category is kind of predictable, but not necessarily in a bad way. Allison Janney earning a nomination is now the equivalent of the sun rising in the morning: you just know it's going to happen. Eden Sher has been nominated before by the Critics' Choice Awards, and it's nice to see they're still honoring her work on The Middle since no one else will. Meanwhile, Melanie Lynskey was great on Togetherness and Mayim Bialik is still solid on The Big Bang Theory.

Best Guest Performer in a Comedy Series

Becky Ann Baker, Girls

Bradley Whitford, Transparent

Josh Charles, Inside Amy Schumer

Laurie Metcalf, The Big Bang Theory

Peter Gallagher, Togetherness

Susie Essman, Broad City

What we think of the category: The Critics' Choice Awards does not care whether a guest performer is male or female, which is kind of frustrating if only because I'd have liked to see full categories for each, not because I don't think the ladies can kick it with the dudes (because they obviously can). The absence of Looking's Lauren Weedman this year is rather unfortunate.

Best Drama Series

The Americans

Empire

Game of Thrones

The Good Wife

Homeland

Justified

Orange Is the New Black

What we think of the category: I know a lot of people came back around on Homeland in Season 4, but I was not one of them, so to see it included here feels a little out of place. Since Hannibal isn't eligible this year and Mad Men's final run hasn't been overwhelmingly great, I'd probably replace it with something like Rectify or even Marvel's Daredevil (YEAH, I SAID IT). Still, it's nice to see Justified getting award love alongside The Americans, because both series are underrated and often overlooked by the fancy-pants Emmys.

Best Actress in a Drama Series

Eva Green, Penny Dreadful

Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife

Keri Russell, The Americans

Taraji P. Henson, Empire

Vera Farmiga, Bates Motel

Viola Davis, How to Get Away with Murder

What we think of the category: Once again, I'm not surprised by a single name on this list, but there is a glaring omission: Orphan Black's one-woman wonder Tatiana Maslany. She has won this award two years in a row, and although Season 3 only premiered a few weeks ago, it's definitely important to note her absence here. Also missing is Elisabeth Moss, whose work in the final season of Mad Men, especially in "Time & Life" and "Lost Horizon," has been fairly stellar. Still, it feels good to see Keri Russell repeat a nomination and Eva Green get some recognition for her work on Penny Dreadful.

Best Actor in a Drama Series

Aden Young, Rectify

Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul

Charlie Hunnam, Sons of Anarchy

Freddie Highmore, Bates Motel

Matthew Rhys, The Americans

Timothy Olyphant, Justified

What we think of the category: Having never seen Bates Motel I cannot say whether or not Freddie Highmore deserves to be nominated, but the rest of these nominees are solid choices. The final season of Sons of Anarchy might not have been very good, but Charlie Hunnam's performance was incredible throughout. Also, good on the critics for giving Aden Young much deserved love.

Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Carrie Coon, The Leftovers

Christine Baranski, The Good Wife

Joelle Carter, Justified

Katheryn Winnick, Vikings

Lorraine Toussaint, Orange Is the New Black

Mae Whitman, Parenthood

What we think of the category: I expected to see Christine Baranski and even Lorraine Toussaint, but I am pleasantly surprised to see Mae Whitman included here. I've been personally running the Give Mae All The Awards committee for years. She was Parenthood's greatest strength for six seasons and it's about time she earned a little recognition for it. Meanwhile, Carrie Coon was easily the best thing about The Leftovers and Joelle Carter had her best season since Season 1.

Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Ben Mendelsohn, Bloodline

Christopher Eccleston, The Leftovers

Craig T. Nelson, Parenthood

Jonathan Banks, Better Call Saul

Mandy Patinkin, Homeland

Walton Goggins, Justified

What we think of the category: I'll admit I was a little shocked to see Craig T. Nelson's name included alongside that of my boys Walton Goggins, Jonathan Banks, and Mandy Patinkin, but the more I think about it the more it seems right. The final season of Parenthood might have been about Zeek passing the torch, but the strength he brought to the final season grounded it in a way that definitely makes him a worthy contender. (I'm still rooting for Goggins, though).

Guest Performer in a Drama Series

Cicely Tyson, How to Get Away with Murder

Julianne Nicholson, Masters of Sex

Linda Lavin, The Good Wife

Lois Smith, The Americans

Sam Elliott, Justified

Walton Goggins, Sons of Anarchy

What we think of the category: Once again, I'd have liked to see two categories for guest performers, and not just because I think this is going to come down to a battle between the legendary Cicely Tyson and equally legendary Sam Elliott.

Best Movie Made for Television

Bessie

Killing Jesus

Nightingale

A Poet in New York

Stockholm, Pennsylvania

Best Limited Series

24: Live Another Day

American Crime

The Book of Negroes

The Honorable Woman

Olive Kitteridge

Wolf Hall

What we think of the category: For a moment, I was confused Fargo wasn't nominated, but then I remembered it was nominated last year and won.

Best Actor in a Movie or Limited Series

David Oyelowo, Nightingale

James Nesbitt, The Missing

Kiefer Sutherland, 24: Live Another Day

Mark Rylance, Wolf Hall

Michael Gambon, The Casual Vacancy

Richard Jenkins, Olive Kitteridge

Best Actress in a Movie or Limited Series

Aunjanue Ellis, The Book of Negroes

Felicity Huffman, American Crime

Frances McDormand, Olive Kitteridge

Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Freak Show

Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Honorable Woman

Queen Latifah, Bessie

Best Supporting Actor in a Movie or Limited Series

Bill Murray, Olive Kitteridge

Cory Michael Smith, Olive Kitteridge

Elvis Nolasco, American Crime

Finn Wittrock, American Horror Story: Freak Show

Jason Isaacs, Stockholm, Pennsylvania

Jonathan Pryce, Wolf Hall

Best Supporting Actress in a Movie or Limited Series

Claire Foy, Wolf Hall

Cynthia Nixon, Stockholm, Pennsylvania

Janet McTeer, The Honorable Woman

Khandi Alexander, Bessie

Mo'Nique, Bessie

Sarah Paulson, American Horror Story: Freak Show

Best Reality Series

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown

Deadliest Catch

Married at First Sight

MythBusters

Shark Tank

Undercover Boss

Best Reality Competition Series

The Amazing Race

America's Got Talent

Dancing With the Stars

Face Off

Master Chef Junior

The Voice

Best Reality Series Host

Anthony Bourdain, Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown

Betty White, Betty White's Off Their Rockers

Cat Deeley, So You Think You Can Dance

James Lipton, Inside the Actors Studio

Phil Keoghan, The Amazing Race

Tom Bergeron, Dancing with the Stars

Best Animated Series

Archer

Bob's Burgers

Gravity Falls

The Simpsons

South Park

Star Wars Rebels

Best Talk Show

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

The Graham Norton Show

Jimmy Kimmel Live

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

The Late Late Show with James Corden

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

What nomination surprised you? And what or who was snubbed that you think should have been nominated?