61st Primetime Emmy Awards#Directing

|+ {{sronly|Programs}}

• 30 Rock (NBC)
• Entourage (HBO)
• Family Guy (Fox)
• Flight of the Conchords (HBO)
• How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
• The Office (NBC)
• Weeds (Showtime)

| style="vertical-align:top;" width="50%" | {{Award category|#EEDD82|Outstanding Drama Series}}

• Mad Men (AMC)
• Big Love (HBO)
• Breaking Bad (AMC)
• Damages (FX)
• Dexter (Showtime)
• House (Fox)
• Lost (ABC)

| style="vertical-align:top;" width="50%" | {{Award category|#EEDD82|Outstanding Miniseries}}

• Little Dorrit (PBS)
• Generation Kill (HBO)

| style="vertical-align:top;" width="50%" | {{Award category|#EEDD82|Outstanding Reality-Competition Program}}

• The Amazing Race (CBS)
• American Idol (Fox)
• Dancing with the Stars (ABC)
• Project Runway (Bravo)
• Top Chef (Bravo)

|+ {{sronly|Lead performances}}

• Alec Baldwin – 30 Rock as Jack Donaghy (NBC)
• Steve Carell – The Office as Michael Scott (NBC)
• Jemaine Clement – Flight of the Conchords as Jemaine (HBO)
• Jim Parsons – The Big Bang Theory as Dr. Sheldon Cooper (CBS)(Episode: “The Bath Gift Hypothesis”)
• Tony Shalhoub – Monk as Adrian Monk (USA)
• Charlie Sheen – Two and a Half Men as Charlie Harper (CBS)

| style="vertical-align:top;" width="50%" | {{Award category|#EEDD82|Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series}}

• Toni Collette – United States of Tara as Tara Gregson (Showtime)
• Christina Applegate – Samantha Who? as Samantha Newly (ABC)
• Tina Fey – 30 Rock as Liz Lemon (NBC)
• Julia Louis-Dreyfus – The New Adventures of Old Christine as Christine Campbell (CBS)
• Mary-Louise Parker – Weeds as Nancy Botwin (Showtime)
• Sarah Silverman – The Sarah Silverman Program as herself (Comedy Central)

| style="vertical-align:top;" width="50%" | {{Award category|#EEDD82|Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series}}

• Glenn Close – Damages as Patty Hewes (FX)
• Sally Field – Brothers & Sisters as Nora Walker (ABC)
• Mariska Hargitay – Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Olivia Benson (NBC)
• Holly Hunter – Saving Grace as Grace Hanadarko (TNT)
• Elisabeth Moss – Mad Men as Peggy Olson (AMC)
• Kyra Sedgwick – The Closer as Brenda Leigh Johnson (TNT)

| style="vertical-align:top;" width="50%" | {{Award category|#EEDD82|Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie}}

• Jessica Lange – Grey Gardens as Edith "Big Edie" Beale (HBO)
• Drew Barrymore – Grey Gardens as Edith "Little Edie" Beale (HBO)
• Shirley MacLaine – Coco Chanel as Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel (Lifetime)
• Sigourney Weaver – Prayers for Bobby as Mary Griffith (Lifetime)
• Chandra Wilson – Accidental Friendship as Yvonne Caldwell (Hallmark Channel)

|+ {{sronly|Supporting performances}}

• Jon Cryer – Two and a Half Men as Dr. Alan Harper (CBS)
• Kevin Dillon – Entourage as Johnny "Drama" Chase (HBO)
• Neil Patrick Harris – How I Met Your Mother as Barney Stinson (CBS)
• Jack McBrayer – 30 Rock as Kenneth Parcell (NBC)
• Tracy Morgan – 30 Rock as Tracy Jordan (NBC)
• Rainn Wilson – The Office as Dwight Schrute (NBC)

| style="vertical-align:top;" width="50%" | {{Award category|#EEDD82|Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series}}

• Kristin Chenoweth – Pushing Daisies as Olive Snook (ABC)
• Jane Krakowski – 30 Rock as Jenna Maroney (NBC)
• Elizabeth Perkins – Weeds as Celia Hodes (Showtime)
• Amy Poehler – Saturday Night Live as various characters (NBC)
• Kristen Wiig – Saturday Night Live as various characters (NBC)
• Vanessa Williams – Ugly Betty as Wilhelmina Slater (ABC)

| style="vertical-align:top;" width="50%" | {{Award category|#EEDD82|Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series}}

• Cherry Jones – 24 as President Allison Taylor (Fox)
• Rose Byrne – Damages as Ellen Parsons (FX)
• Hope Davis – In Treatment as Mia Nesky (HBO)
• Sandra Oh – Grey's Anatomy as Dr. Cristina Yang (ABC)
• Dianne Wiest – In Treatment as Dr. Gina Toll (HBO)
• Chandra Wilson – Grey's Anatomy as Dr. Miranda Bailey (ABC)

| style="vertical-align:top;" width="50%" | {{Award category|#EEDD82|Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie}}

• Shohreh Aghdashloo – House of Saddam as Sajida Talfah (HBO)
• Marcia Gay Harden – The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler as Janina Krzyżanowska (CBS)
• Janet McTeer – Into the Storm as Clementine Churchill (HBO)
• Jeanne Tripplehorn – Grey Gardens as Jacqueline "Jackie" Onassis (HBO)
• Cicely Tyson – Relative Stranger as Pearl (Hallmark Channel)

|+ {{sronly|Hosting}}

• Jeff Probst – Survivor (CBS)
• Tom Bergeron – Dancing with the Stars (ABC)
• Phil Keoghan – The Amazing Race (CBS)
• Heidi Klum – Project Runway (Bravo)
• Padma Lakshmi and Tom Colicchio – Top Chef (Bravo)
• Ryan Seacrest – American Idol (Fox)

|+ {{sronly|Music}}

• The 81st Annual Academy Awards: "Hugh Jackman Opening Number" – Music by William Ross & John Kimbrough; Lyrics by Dan Harmon, Rob Schrab & Ben Schwartz (ABC)
• The 2008 ESPYS: "I Love Sports" – Music by Katreese Barnes; Lyrics by Justin Timberlake, Steve Higgins, Alex Baze, Rachel Hamilton, Kevin Miller, Jonathan Drubner & Dave Drabik (ESPN)
• A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All: "Much Worse Things" – Music by Adam Schlesinger; Lyrics by David Javerbaum (Comedy Central)
• Flight of the Conchords: "Carol Brown" (from "Unnatural Love" – Music and Lyrics by James Bobin, Bret McKenzie & Jemaine Clement (HBO)
• A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa: "I Wish I Could Be Santa Claus" – Music and Lyrics by Paul Williams (NBC)
• Saturday Night Live: "Motherlover" (from "Host: Justin Timberlake") – Music by Asa Taccone & Drew Campbell; Lyrics by Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone, Andy Samberg & Justin Timberlake (NBC)

|+ {{sronly|Directing}}

• The Office: "Stress Relief" – Jeffrey Blitz (NBC)
• 30 Rock: "Apollo, Apollo" – Millicent Shelton (NBC)
• 30 Rock: "Generalissimo" – Todd Holland (NBC)
• 30 Rock: "Reunion" – Beth McCarthy-Miller (NBC)
• Entourage: "Tree Trippers" – Julian Farino (HBO)
• Flight of the Conchords: "The Tough Brets" – James Bobin (HBO)

| style="vertical-align:top;" width="50%" | {{Award category|#EEDD82|Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series}}

• ER: "And in the End..." – Rod Holcomb (NBC)
• Battlestar Galactica: "Daybreak, Part 2" – Michael Rymer (Sci Fi)
• Boston Legal: "Made in China" / "Last Call" – Bill D'Elia (ABC)
• Damages: "Trust Me" – Todd A. Kessler (FX)
• Mad Men: "The Jet Set" – Phil Abraham (AMC)

| style="vertical-align:top;" width="50%" | {{Award category|#EEDD82|Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special}}

• Little Dorrit – Dearbhla Walsh (PBS)
• Generation Kill: "Bomb in the Garden" – Susanna White (HBO)
• Grey Gardens – Michael Sucsy (HBO)
• Into the Storm – Thaddeus O'Sullivan (HBO)
• Taking Chance – Ross Katz (HBO)
• Wallander: One Step Behind – Philip Martin (PBS)

|+ {{sronly|Writing}}

• 30 Rock: "Reunion" – Matt Hubbard (NBC)
• 30 Rock: "Apollo, Apollo" – Robert Carlock (NBC)
• 30 Rock: "Kidney Now!" – Jack Burditt and Robert Carlock (NBC)
• 30 Rock: "Mamma Mia" – Ron Weiner (NBC)
• Flight of the Conchords: "Prime Minister" – James Bobin, Jemaine Clement, and Bret McKenzie (HBO)

| style="vertical-align:top;" width="50%" | {{Award category|#EEDD82|Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series}}

• Mad Men: "Meditations in an Emergency" – Kater Gordon and Matthew Weiner (AMC)
• Lost: "The Incident" – Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof (ABC)
• Mad Men: "A Night to Remember" – Robin Veith and Matthew Weiner (AMC)
• Mad Men: "The Jet Set" – Matthew Weiner (AMC)
• Mad Men: "Six Month Leave" – Andre Jacquemetton, Maria Jacquemetton, and Matthew Weiner (AMC)

| style="vertical-align:top;" width="50%" | {{Award category|#EEDD82|Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special}}

• Little Dorrit – Andrew Davies (PBS)
• Generation Kill: "Bomb in the Garden" – David Simon and Ed Burns (HBO)
• Grey Gardens – Patricia Rozema and Michael Sucsy (HBO)
• Into the Storm – Hugh Whitemore (HBO)
• Taking Chance – Ross Katz and Michael Strobl (HBO)

|+ Networks with multiple major nominations"Major" constitutes the categories listed above: Program, Acting, Directing, and Writing. Does not include the technical categories.

| HBO

| 38

| NBC

| 25

| CBS

| 17

| ABC

| 16

| AMC

| 12

|+ Programs with multiple major nominations

| 30 Rock

| Comedy

| NBC

| 13

| Mad Men

| Drama

| AMC

| 9

| Grey Gardens

| rowspan="2"|Movie

| rowspan="2"|HBO

| 7

| Into the Storm

| rowspan="2"|6

| Saturday Night Live

| Variety

| NBC

| Damages

| Drama

| FX

| rowspan="3"|5

| Flight of the Conchords

| Comedy

| HBO

| Little Dorrit

| Miniseries

| PBS

| The Office

| Comedy

| NBC

| rowspan="2"|4

| Taking Chance

| Movie

| HBO

| American Idol

| Competition

| Fox

| rowspan="11"|3

| Boston Legal

| rowspan="2"|Drama

| ABC

| Breaking Bad

| AMC

| The Colbert Report

| rowspan="2"|Variety

| rowspan="2"|Comedy Central

| The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

| Entourage

| Comedy

| rowspan="3"|HBO

| Generation Kill

| Miniseries

| In Treatment

| Drama

| Late Show with David Letterman

| Variety

| CBS

| Lost

| Drama

| ABC

| Weeds

| Comedy

| Showtime

| The Amazing Race

| Competition

| CBS

| rowspan="13"|2

| Coco Chanel

| Movie

| Lifetime

| Dancing with the Stars

| Competition

| ABC

| Dexter

| rowspan="3"|Drama

| Showtime

| Grey's Anatomy

| ABC

| House

| Fox

| How I Met Your Mother

| Comedy

| CBS

| Prayers for Bobby

| Movie

| Lifetime

| Project Runway

| Competition

| Bravo

| Real Time with Bill Maher

| Variety

| HBO

| Top Chef

| Competition

| Bravo

| Two and a Half Men

| Comedy

| CBS

| Wallander: One Step Behind

| Movie

| PBS

|+ Networks with multiple major awards"Major" constitutes the categories listed above: Program, Acting, Directing, and Writing. Does not include the technical categories.

| HBO

| rowspan="2"|5

| NBC

| ABC

| rowspan="4"|3

| AMC

| CBS

| PBS

| Comedy Central

| rowspan="2"|2

| Fox

|+ Programs with multiple major awards

| 30 Rock

| Comedy

| NBC

| rowspan="3"|3

| Grey Gardens

| Movie

| HBO

| Little Dorrit

| Miniseries

| PBS

| The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

| Variety

| Comedy Central

| rowspan="2"|2

| Mad Men

| Drama

| AMC