TELEVISION CRITICS ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES 2006 AWARD NOMINEES

"Earl," "Sopranos," top TCA nominations

NBC Garners 10 Nominations

May 31, 2006 (Los Angeles, CA) -- The Television Critics Association today unveiled its 2006 TCA Award nominations.

This year, NBC leads the list with 10 nominations on the strength of its strong comedy series. Freshmen series, "My Name Is Earl" and second year comedy "The Office" each received three nods. Long-running drama "The West Wing" received two nominations, including Heritage Award.

Veteran favorites, "The Sopranos" (HBO) and "24" (Fox), also earned three nominations apiece.

PBS programs dominated the news and information category, locking up four of the five nominations. Public television received seven notices overall. Fox received six nods, including a nomination for newcomer "Prison Break."

The 22nd annual TCA Awards honor the finest work of the 2005-06 season as selected by the association's 200-plus member critics and journalists. The winners will be announced at a July 23rd ceremony at the Ritz Carlton Huntington Hotel in Pasadena, Calif.

Mary Lynn Rajskub, from the hit Fox series "24," will open the show.

Past winners up for honors this year include Jon Stewart ("The Daily Show with Jon Stewart"), Hugh Laurie ("House"), James Gandolfini ("The Sopranos"), Fox's "24," Comedy Central's "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," HBO's "The Sopranos," PBS's "Frontline," ABC's "Lost" and Nickelodeon�s "Nick News."

NBC has two series, "The West Wing" and "Will & Grace," nominated for a TCA Heritage Award, which recognizes a long-standing program that made a lasting cultural or social impact. Also nominated in this category is "The Hallmark Hall of Fame," most of which have aired on CBS.

The TCA also voted for Outstanding Achievement in Children's programming with Nickelodeon series receiving two of the five nominations for "Dora the Explorer" and "Nick News." Disney Channel received a nod for their popular "High School Musical" TV movie.

Below is a complete list of this year's TCA Award nominations. Please note, career achievement nominees are not listed, but a winner in that category will be chosen by TCA members.

PROGRAM OF THE YEAR
"Grey's Anatomy" (ABC)
"Lost" (ABC)
"The Office" (NBC)
"The Sopranos" (HBO)
"24" (Fox)

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY
"The Daily Show" (Comedy Central)
"Everybody Hates Chris" (UPN)
"My Name is Earl" (NBC)
"The Office" (NBC)
"Scrubs" (NBC)

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA
"Grey's Anatomy" (ABC)
"House" (Fox)
"Lost" (ABC)
"The Sopranos" (HBO)
"24" (Fox)

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT MOVIES, MINI-SERIES AND SPECIALS
"American Masters: Bob Dylan: No Direction Home" (PBS)
"Elizabeth I" (HBO)
"Masterpiece Theatre: Bleak House" (PBS)
"Sleeper Cell" (Showtime)
"Viva Blackpool" (BBC America)

OUTSTANDING NEW PROGRAM OF THE YEAR
"Big Love" (HBO)
"The Colbert Report" (Comedy Central)
"Everybody Hates Chris" (UPN)
"My Name Is Earl" (NBC)
"Prison Break" (Fox)

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN COMEDY
Steve Carell ("The Office")
Stephen Colbert ("The Colbert Report")
Lauren Graham ("Gilmore Girls")
Jason Lee ("My Name Is Earl")
Jon Stewart (The Daily Show with Jon Stewart")

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DRAMA
Alan Alda ("West Wing")
James Gandolfini ("The Sopranos")
Hugh Laurie ("House")
Kiefer Sutherland ("24")
Kyra Sedgwick ("The Closer")

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN CHILDREN'S PROGRAMMING
"Dora the Explorer" (Nickelodeon)
"Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends" (Cartoon Network)
"High School Musical" (The Disney Channel)
"Nick News" (Nickelodeon)
"Sesame Street" (PBS)

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN NEWS & INFORMATION
"American Masters: Newhart" (PBS)
"Broadway: The Golden Age" (PBS)
"Frontline" (PBS)
"Frontline: Country Boys" (PBS)
"60 Minutes" (CBS)

HERITAGE AWARD
"Hallmark Hall of Fame" (CBS)
"The West Wing" (NBC)
�Will & Grace" (NBC)