( CNN ) -- When it comes to comedy , the Emmys are making room for `` Girls . '' `` Girls , '' the polarizing HBO comedy about four twentysomething women finding their way in 21st-century New York , received five nods Thursday when the nominations for the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards were announced . Among the show 's nominations were picks for best comedy series as well as best actress in a comedy for creator and writer Lena Dunham . `` Girls '' joined fellow newcomer `` Veep '' as well as comedy mainstays `` Modern Family '' -- which led all comedy series with 14 nominations -- `` 30 Rock '' ( 13 nods ) , `` The Big Bang Theory '' and `` Curb Your Enthusiasm '' among comedy series nominees . `` Family '' won the category last year . Several veteran shows were among the nominees for best drama series , including `` Mad Men '' -- which has won this category four years running -- `` Boardwalk Empire , '' `` Breaking Bad '' and `` Game of Thrones . '' PBS ' breakout hit `` Downton Abbey , '' which was nominated in the miniseries category last year , joined the crew for best drama , as did Showtime 's `` Homeland . '' Thanks to the showings of `` Thrones , '' `` Girls , '' `` Empire '' and the movie `` Game Change , '' HBO led all networks with 81 nominations . `` Mad Men '' and the FX series `` American Horror Story , '' which was put in the miniseries category , led all programs with 17 nominations each . `` Downton Abbey '' and the History Channel 's `` Hatfields and McCoys '' both earned 16 nods . CBS led broadcast networks with 60 nominations . `` Girls '' has divided both critics and viewers . Some have dismissed the show for its narrow take on New York and young women , noting the lack of African-American characters , its general hip and upscale settings , and Dunham 's willingness to make her audience squirm as she follows characters into both bedroom and bathroom . The show 's defenders , on the other hand , applaud Dunham for showing her characters in less-than-flattering lights and observe that `` Girls '' is n't the first series to take place in a perceived vacuum . Indeed , `` Sex and the City '' -- to which Dunham 's show has been compared -- also showed a thin slice of New York through the lives of four women ( and much more glamorously , to boot ) . The nominations were n't without their perceived snubs . Despite both critical acclaim and a growing audience , Louis C.K . 's FX series `` Louie '' did n't make the cut for comedy series , though the comedian-writer-DIY guy did receive a nod for best actor in a comedy . NBC 's `` Parks and Recreation '' missed out on best comedy series as well , though star Amy Poehler got a nomination . NBC 's self-referential sitcom `` Community , '' a critical darling that was the subject of heated controversy when the show 's creator , Dan Harmon , was forced out as executive producer in May , got just one nomination , for writing . Marquee : The nominees list . However , there were also some surprises . Don Cheadle , whose Showtime series `` House of Lies '' received an uneven reception upon its January premiere , earned a nomination for best actor in a comedy series . `` Homeland , '' about a CIA agent combating terrorism and her own demons , received plenty of attention , picking up nine nominations , including nods for best drama series and stars Claire Danes and Damian Lewis . `` It 's an incredible thrill to be nominated our first year out . When we wrote the pilot , we never imagined that the Television Academy would include us in the company of such extraordinary nominees , '' `` Homeland 's '' co-creators Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa said in a statement . And the ageless Betty White ( OK , she 's actually 90 ) was nominated for best reality show host for `` Betty White 's Off Their Rockers . '' ( Her comedy series , `` Hot in Cleveland , '' also got recognition , with two nominations . ) The prize for best drama series , usually considered the night 's capstone , looks to be a wide-open race . Though `` Mad Men '' has won it four consecutive years , AMC 's `` Breaking Bad , '' featuring Bryan Cranston 's best actor-nominated performance as a chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin , is coming off a strong year , and `` Downton Abbey '' offers a rich and sumptuous take on early 20th-century life . Moreover , `` Thrones , '' based on George R.R . Martin 's best-selling fantasy novels , `` Homeland '' and `` Boardwalk '' all have their partisans . The nominations were announced by Kerry Washington , star of ABC 's `` Scandal , '' and late-night host Jimmy Kimmel . Kimmel , who stepped in for `` Parks and Recreation '' actor Nick Offerman at the last minute ( Offerman suffered travel delays ) , showed up in pajamas . `` Who are you wearing ? '' asked Washington impishly . `` This is from the husky baby collection , '' Kimmel replied . The 64th Primetime Emmy Awards will take place September 23 . The show will air on ABC from Los Angeles ' Nokia Theatre .
HBO leads all networks with 81 Emmy nominations . There were some snubs , including Louis C.K . 's FX series `` Louie '' which was nominated for outstanding comedy series, and the show that won best drama series last year ( The Wire ) did not make it to this year's list of nominees. The HBO comedy `` Girls '' has divided both critics and viewers .