The Outstanding Actress in a Miniseries or TV Movie is probably the toughest category to choose. The category includes three past winners and together the actresses have 30 nominations in Emmy history. Like the other categories this race is wide open.
Jessica Lange ("American Horror Story: Asylum"): Lange received her fifth nomination for work as Sister Jude Martin. The actress previously won for "American Horror Story" for her role as Constance Langdon and for her work in "Grey Gardens." Lange has already garnered numerous accolades for her work in "Asylum" including a Golden Globe nomination and a Screen Actors Guild nomination. However, she failed to claim the awards and that could hurt her chances at this year's Emmys.
Helen Mirren ("Phil Spector"): Mirren garnered her 11th nomination for her role as Linda Kennery-Baden. The actress has won four Emmys for her work in "Prime suspect," "The Passion of Ayn Rand" and "Elizabeth 1." While the movie "Phil Spector" received mixed reviews, Mirren was praised. Critics stated, "Mirren keeps Phil Spector watchable," and "Pacino and Mirren make for a dynamic pair." Phil Spector's" reception may ultimately harm Mirren's chances as voters may not want to go back to it.
Sigourney Weaver ("Political Animals"): Weaver's nomination marks the actress' third nomination. She was previous recognized for her work on "Prayers for Bobby" and "Snow White: A Tale of Terror. For her role as Elaine Barrish Hammond, Weaver has already been nominated for the Golden Globe, Satellite and Screen Actors Guild awards. Her failure to win these previous awards and the fact that the mini-series was seen last year may hurt her opportunities of winning her first Emmy.
Laura Linney ("The Big C: Hereafter"): Linney garnered her fifth recognition at the Emmys for her role as Cathy Jamison. The actress was previously a recipient of the Emmy three times for her roles in "John Adams," "Frasier" and "Wild Iris." Linney has already won various awards for her partipation in the series and is a front-runner given the reception the min-series has obtained throughout the year. The Emmy's may want to recognize her after winning a Satellite and the Golden Globe for her work on the show.
Elizabeth Moss ("Top of the Lake"): Moss obtained her sixth nomination at the Emmys for her work as Robin. This year the starlet is also nominated for "Mad Men" for which she has previously been nominated for four other times. The actress has never won a single Emmy and this could be a reason alone to give her first. Additionally, the organization nominated the film in nine categories which is a sign that it was well regarded.
Prediction: Elizabeth Moss may win her first Emmy as "Top of the Lake" is among the most nominated series of the year.