Best Actress in a Comedy
Some of the industry's most talented actresses are showcased in comedic roles.
Showtime's trio of Edie Falco, Toni Collette and Laura Linney already have been mentioned. Linney is already something of an awards favorite.
In January, she won a Golden Globe for The Big C, and her shelf currently holds three Emmys (most recently for her 2008 performance as Abigail Adams in HBO's John Adams) to go with her two Oscar nods.
Tina Fey, triple threat of 30 Rock, can never be counted out, nor should her good friend, Parks and Recreation's Amy Poehler, who manages to turn bureaucracy into good fun. Glee's Lea Michele was nominated in this category last year and could repeat, although her role isn't particularly funny.
Possible newcomers in the category include Melissa McCarthy (Mike and Molly), coming off an unlikely star turn in Bridesmaids, and Patricia Heaton (The Middle), who is hardly a newcomer to Emmy (having won two for Everybody Loves Raymond) but who has not been nominated for her current show. Cougar Town's Courteney Cox, a primetime mainstay, would love nothing more than to finally nab a nomination.
