Mad Men, Game of Thrones and Empire lead Television Critics Association nominees

The US awards are unique in that they make no distinction between actors and actresses or lead and supporting roles, which means Mad Men's Jon Hamm shares the nomination list with Empire's Taraji P. Henson in the Individual Achievement in Drama category.

British dramas The Honourable Woman and Wolf Hall both make the cut in the Miniseries, Movies and Specials category.

Better Call Saul, Empire, superhero series The Flash, comedy Jane the Virgin and Transparent are all nominated in the Outstanding New Program category, while The Big Bang Theory jukes it out with the likes of Netflix's Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt in the comedy shortlist.

British comedian John Oliver goes up against his former boss Jon Stewart in the Outstanding Achievement in News and Information category, which curiously also includes straight news programmes such as US current affairs staple 60 Minutes on CBS.

Check out the full shortlist below

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep – HBO
Gina Rodriguez, Jane The Virgin – The CW
Amy Schumer, Inside Amy Schumer – Comedy Central
Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent – Amazon
Constance Wu, Fresh Off the Boat – ABC

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA
Viola Davis, How to Get Away with Murder – ABC
Jon Hamm, Mad Men – AMC
Taraji P. Henson, Empire – Fox
Matthew Rhys, The Americans – FX
Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul – AMC

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN NEWS AND INFORMATION
CBS Sunday Morning – CBS
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart – Comedy Central
Frontline – PBS
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver – HBO
60 Minutes – CBS

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN REALITY PROGRAMMING
The Amazing Race – CBS
The Chair – Starz
Dancing with the Stars – ABC
RuPaul's Drag Race – Logo
Shark Tank – ABC

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN YOUTH PROGRAMMING
Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood – PBS
The Fosters – ABC Family
The Legend of Korra – Nickelodeon
Sesame Street – PBS
Switched at Birth – ABC Family

OUTSTANDING NEW PROGRAM
Better Call Saul – AMC
Empire – Fox
The Flash – The CW
Jane the Virgin – The CW
Transparent – Amazon

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN MOVIES, MINISERIES AND SPECIALS
Bessie – HBO
The Honourable Woman – SundanceTV
The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst – HBO
Olive Kitteridge – HBO
Wolf Hall – PBS

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY
The Big Bang Theory – CBS
Inside Amy Schumer – Comedy Central
Jane the Virgin – The CW
Transparent – Amazon
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt – Netflix

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA
The Americans – FX
Empire – Fox
Game of Thrones – HBO
Justified – FX
Mad Men – AMC

HERITAGE AWARD
Friends – NBC
Late Show/Late Night with David Letterman – CBS/NBC
The Shield – FX
Star Trek – NBC
Twin Peaks – ABC

PROGRAM OF THE YEAR
The Americans – FX
Empire – Fox
Game of Thrones – HBO
Mad Men – AMC
Transparent – Amazon