Mad Men, Mildred Pierce leading Emmy nominations

Los Angeles: Television period drama Mad Men and Kate Winslet starrer mini series Mildred Pierce are leading the 63rd Emmy Award nominations with 19 and 21 nods respectively.

Winslet is nominated for the best actress in the title role award for the HBO miniseries adapted from James M Cain's 1941 novel.

Controversial mini series The Kennedys which was dropped by the History channel and given a second chance by the lesser-known Reelz Channel, received 10 nominations.

The show received nominations for best mini series and acting bids for Greg Kinnear as President John F Kennedy, Barry Pepper as Robert Kennedy and Tom Wilkinson as family patriarch Joe Kennedy. However, Katie Holmes, who played Jackie Kennedy, did not receive a nomination in the lead miniseries actress category.

Other leading contenders include the Prohibition-era drama Boardwalk Empire with 18 bids, Modern Family with 17 and Saturday Night Live with 16, said The Hollywood Reporter.

Fantasy Game of Thrones and the sitcom 30 Rock got 13 bids each.

Two perennially snubbed broadcast series finally received Emmy nominations this year. Friday Night Lights received a nomination in the drama category and CBS' The Big Bang Theory is pitted against Glee, Modern Family, The Office, 30 Rock and Parks and Recreation in the comedy series category.

Host Heidi Klum's Project Runway was nominated in the reality show category for the seventh consecutive year. The show has never won, but Klum said getting nominated proved it is still relevant.

Jon Hamm received his fourth lead acting nod for Mad Men and his competition includes Steve Buscemi, who received a Golden Globe for his performance as an Atlantic City political boss in Boardwalk Empire.