AceShowbiz -

Nominees for this year's Television Critics Association annual awards are unearthed. FOX's hip-hop drama "Empire" and Amazon's comedy "Transparent" dominate the pack with four nods each, including a fierce battle for the coveted Program of the Year.

"Empire" leading lady Taraji P. Henson is nominated for Individual Achievement in Drama. She is joined by other contenders like Viola Davis ("How to Get Away with Murder"), Jon Hamm ("Mad Men"), Matthew Rhys ("The Americans", and Bob Odenkirk ("Better Call Saul").

Meanwhile, "Transparent" star Jeffrey Tambor is vying for Individual Achievement in Comedy along with Julia Louis-Dreyfus ("Veep"), Gina Rodriguez ("Jane The Virgin"), Amy Schumer ("Inside Amy Schumer"), and Constance Wu ("Fresh Off the Boat").

HBO leads the network count with 7 nominations including two for "Game of Thrones". ABC, CBS, AMC, and FX follow with 5 each, while Netflix manages to snatch one for the new show "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt". Winners will be announced August 8 as part of the summer TCA press tour.

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)

• 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)

• "CBS Sunday Morning" (CBS)
• "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" (Comedy Central)
• "Frontline" (PBS)
• "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" (HBO)
• "60 Minutes" (CBS)

• "The Amazing Race" (CBS)
• "The Chair" (Starz)
• "Dancing with the Stars" (ABC)
• "RuPaul's Drag Race" (Logo)
• "Shark Tank" (ABC)

• "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood" (PBS)
• "The Fosters" (ABC Family)
• "The Legend of Korra" (Nickelodeon)
• "Sesame Street" (PBS)
• "Switched at Birth" (ABC Family)

• "Better Call Saul" (AMC)
• "Empire" (FOX)
• "The Flash" (The CW)
• "Jane the Virgin" (The CW)
• "Transparent" (Amazon)

• "Bessie" (HBO)
• "The Honorable Woman" (SundanceTV)
• "The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst" (HBO)
• "Olive Kitteridge" (HBO)
• "Wolf Hall" (PBS)

• "The Big Bang Theory" (CBS)
• "Inside Amy Schumer" (Comedy Central)
• "Jane the Virgin" (The CW)
• "Transparent" (Amazon)
• "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" (Netflix)

• "The Americans" (FX)
• "Empire" (FOX)
• "Game of Thrones" (HBO)
• "Justified" (FX)
• "Mad Men" (AMC)

• "Friends" (NBC)
• "Late Night/Late Show with David Letterman" (NBC/CBS)
• "The Shield" (FX)
• "Star Trek" (NBC)
• "Twin Peaks" (ABC)

• "The Americans" (FX)
• "Empire" (FOX)
• "Game of Thrones" (HBO)
• "Mad Men" (AMC)
• "Transparent" (Amazon)