Top 10 Breakthrough Nominations Emmy Awards 2010

Here are top 10 breakthrough nominations emmy awards 2010. Jane Lynch, Kyle Chandler, Amy Poehler -- see who's either heard their name on Emmy's honor roll for the first time, or for the first time in their current roles and series.


Top 1. Jane Lynch (Glee)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy

Lynch lost the 2010 Golden Globe to Big Love's Chloë Sevigny, but in a category just for comedy, Sue Sylvester — local Ohio celebrity, over-the-top ambitious cheerleading coach, and a fashion icon in her own right — sinks our battleship, and she sinks it hard. If Lynch doesn't win, Emmy voters beware. On some dark, cold night, she will steal away into your house...and punch you in the face. And that's the way EW 'C's it.


Top 2. Julie Bowen (Modern Family)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy

She's come a long way from playing the love interests of Happy Gilmore and ER's Dr. Carter. Since 2000, Bowen's starred in Ed and Boston Legal and guested memorably on Lost and Weeds. But she's really found a comedic sweet spot as Modern Family's Claire Dunphy — like Jason Bateman in Arrested Development, Bowen has a knack for playing the straight (wo)man of a thoroughly wacky family while being hilariously and endearingly flawed herself.


Top 3. Sofia Vergara (Modern Family)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy

She was the best thing about ABC's short-lived series Hot Properties and The Knights of Prosperity. Good thing ABC kept the faith in this hilarious Colombian bombshell. Her combination of sly intelligence, fierce maternal instinct, and va-va-va-voom outrageousness makes her Gloria Delgado-Pritchett a total TV original — and an absolute hoot to boot.


Top 4. Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife)

Outstanding Actress in a Drama

She had many nominations as fan favorite nurse Carol Hathaway on ER, including a win in this category in 1995; now, Margulies' quiet and graceful portrayal of a betrayed wife who stands by her man has brought her back to the honor roll in The Good Wife's very first season.


Top 5. The Good Wife

Outstanding Drama

The freshman series took a headline staple (disgraced politician's wife stands by his side in a public display of support) and gave us a woman who didn't deserve our pity or scorn, just our respect.

Top 6. Christine Baranski (The Good Wife)

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series

She won an Emmy in 1995 for her role as the wisecracking Maryann Thorpe on Cybill. As law firm partner Diane Lockhart on The Good Wife, Baranski gets to be funny but keeps it tightly controlled as the woman in charge.

Top 7. Archie Panjabi (The Good Wife)

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series

Panjabi's Kalinda Sharma is full of secrets; finding them and keeping them — all while wearing short skirts and tall boots with high heels, no less — is what she's all about. But it's her personal secrets, from her sexual preference to her seemingly shifting allegiances — that make her one compelling character. Plus the tough cookie couldn't help but take a liking to our heroine, Alicia (Julianna Margulies).

Top 8. Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights)

Outstanding Actor in a Drama

Nuance, thy name is Coach Taylor. Chandler's Eric is an icon of quiet compassion and loyalty, and the performance is as much about tough football leadership as it is about a crinkly smile and knowing nod.

Top 9. Christina Hendricks (Mad Men)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama

When Hendricks pulled on an accordion and murmured ''oh la la la,'' her face registered every ounce of Joan's inner conflict: She gave up a place of tenuous authority at Sterling Cooper for this tortured marriage? Oof. In that one short song, Joan took on a new air of tragedy, and Hendricks was, well, magnifique.

Top 10. Nurse Jackie

Outstanding Comedy

It's a doctor show about a nurse and a comedy about agony — yeah, Nurse Jackie zigs where everything else zags. All Saints Hospital may be full of sinners, but we wouldn't have it any other way.

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