Emmys 2016: How to watch

The 68th annual Emmy Awards will air on Sept. 18 on ABC

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Photo: ABC

Calling all TV fanatics — it’s that time of year again! The 68th annual Emmy Awards are upon us to honor the best of the best of the past year of great TV. If you plan to tune in — whether it’s to see if your favorite show will take home the top prize or to determine which prestige streaming offering you should binge next — we’ve got the answers to all your questions about the who, what, where, and when of this year’s Emmys right here.

What time are the Emmys, and how can I watch?

Whoa, that’s two questions at once! Luckily, we have answers: The Emmys ceremony will take place Sunday, Sept. 18, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. The telecast will air live on ABC at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. ABC will also air live red carpet coverage at 5:00 p.m. ET/2:00 p.m. PT, two hours prior to the show itself.

Who’s hosting?

ABC has tapped one of its own to host the big show this year: Jimmy Kimmel, whose Jimmy Kimmel Live! airs on the network, will take on hosting duties for the second time, having previously carried the ceremony in 2012. He follows Andy Samberg, who took the reins when Fox (home to the Samberg-starring Brooklyn Nine-Nine) broadcasted the show in 2015.

Who’s presenting?

The Television Academy has already announced some of its presenters, many of whom are past winners or current nominees. In the days leading up to the ceremony, the Academy will announce more names of stars who will be on-hand to present statuettes (and there may be some surprises!), but the presenters we know so far include nominees Anthony Anderson, Aziz Ansari, James Corden, Larry David, Kit Harington, Taraji P. Henson, Chris Rock, Tracee Ellis Ross, Keri Russell, Liev Schreiber, Jeffrey Tambor, and Kerry Washington. Additionally, stars Kristen Bell, Julie Bowen, Priyanka Chopra, Laverne Cox, America Ferrera, Matt LeBlanc, Joel McHale, Mandy Moore, Randall Park, Andy Samberg, Damon Wayans, Michael Weatherly, and Constance Wu will also hand out awards.

Isn’t there another Emmy show before the main one?

As a matter of fact, there is! The winners in some artistic and technical categories will be announced at the Creative Arts Awards, which will be broadcast on Sept. 17 on FXX at 8:00 p.m. ET and PT and 7:00 p.m. CT.

Who’s nominated?

Well, for starters, Game of Thrones. The 6th season of HBO’s dragon drama picked up a whopping 23 nominations, the most of any series. The People vs. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story came in a close second with 22, and Fargo takes the third place spot with 18. Leading among comedy series was Veep, which nabbed 17 nods.

Especially noteworthy in this year’s nominations is the diversity among the acting categories: In a huge improvement over last year’s overwhelmingly white list of nominees, 21 non-white actors received Emmy nods this year. In the midst the #OscarsSoWhite controversy that has dominated the conversation surrounding that awards show in recent years, the Television Academy’s recognition of a more diverse group of actors is a step in the right direction.

Some of the show’s major categories are listed below. Check out the complete list of nominations (there are 113 categories!) here.

Outstanding Drama Series

Game of Thrones

Mr. Robot

House of Cards

Downton Abbey

Better Call Saul

The Americans

Homeland

Outstanding Comedy Series

Veep

Transparent

Modern Family

black-ish

Silicon Valley

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Master of None

Outstanding Drama Actor

Kevin Spacey, House of Cards

Rami Malek, Mr. Robot

Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul

Liev Schreiber, Ray Donovan

Kyle Chandler, Bloodline

Matthew Rhys, The Americans

Outstanding Drama Actress

Robin Wright, House of Cards

Viola Davis, How to Get Away with Murder

Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black

Claire Danes, Homeland

Taraji P. Henson, Empire

Keri Russell, The Americans

Oustanding Comedy Actor

Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent

Anthony Anderson, black-ish

Will Forte, The Last Man on Earth

Thomas Middleditch, Silicon Valley

Aziz Ansari, Master of None

William H. Macy, Shameless

Outstanding Comedy Actress

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep

Amy Schumer, Inside Amy Schumer

Ellie Kemper, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Laurie Metcalf, Getting On

Tracee Ellis Ross, black-ish

Lily Tomlin, Grace and Frankie

Outstanding Limited Series

The People v. O.J. Simpson

Fargo

American Crime

Roots

The Night Manager

Outstanding Reality Competition

The Voice

The Amazing Race

Top Chef

Project Runway

Dancing with the Stars

American Ninja Warrior

Who will win?

Well of course, we don’t know that yet! But keep checking back for predictions and commentary as we get closer to the show. In the meantime, check out our critics’ reactions to the outrageous snubs and happy surprises that the nominations brought.

Why didn’t __________ get nominated?!

We know, we know! There’s much more great programming in this Golden Age of Television than there is space in the nomination list to recognize all of it. But it’s okay — that’s what the Poppys are for! The 2016 EW Poppy Awards (formerly known as the EWwys), which are voted on by fans, honor series and performers that were snubbed by the Television Academy. The Poppy winners will be announced on Tuesday, Sept. 13, and voting is still open — for drama, comedy, and limited series/movie categories — now.

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