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DRAMA

Rose Byrne, "Damages"

New to American primetime audiences, the Aussie native made an arresting first impression running through Gotham bloodied and clad only in an overcoat in the FX drama's opening moments. Even as Glenn Close held the "Damages" spotlight, Byrne was convincing as the in-too-deep ingenue attorney.

Natalie Dormer, "The Tudors"

Dormer's portrayal of the charismatic and cunning Anne Boleyn demonstrates that while the show's marketing campaign has revolved about Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Dormer is also pure gold as the ultimate gold digger.

Anne Dudek, "House"

It takes gusto to steal a scene from Hugh Laurie, but Dudek did just that more than a few times when putting House on the defensive about his relationship with Dr. Wilson. Dudek, so to speak, shared Wilson with House and the two had some great antagonistic chemistry together.

Lena Headey, "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles"

Headey brought a tenderness and toughness to a series that, unlike most new ones this season, actually excited both viewers and critics. She's refreshed a franchise that hadn't been on the radar for a while.

Yunjin Kim, "Lost"

Thesps on "Lost" can be knee deep in storylines for a few weeks and seemingly off the island the next. But it's a big cast, so don't hold that against them, especially Kim, who sent chills down viewers' spines when she screamed and watched in agony as her husband was killed -- or was he? -- on the blown-up freighter.

Adrianne Palicki, "Friday Night Lights"

In an ensemble overflowing with acting chops, Palicki emerged with distinction by conveying Tyra Collette's multidimensional personas. She rose to the challenge of humanizing a sensational plotline involving rape and manslaughter and has all kinds of onscreen potential.

Felicia Pearson, "The Wire"

"How my hair look, Mike?" With her final five words on the revered HBO drama, in unquestioning acceptance of her imminent execution, Pearson summed up her nakedly fearless performance as street-tough Snoop. There has never been an actress like her, and voters might only be hedging over whether the ex-con can stretch into other roles.

Parminder Nagra, "ER"

Yeah, the old girl might not be what she once was -- that's "ER," not Nagra -- but the actress delivered some terrific stuff this season, especially in treating a deathly ill Aida Turturro.

Katee Sackhoff, "Battlestar Galactica"

After a few seasons as a badass fighter jock, Sackhoff's character upped the dramatic ante as a near-messianic figure who potentially can chart the Colonial fleet's way toward that lost colony called Earth.

Sarah Shahi, "Life"

As anyone working on "House" can tell you, trying to get your fair share of attention while sharing scenes with a talented Brit thesp who's playing an eccentric American authority figure isn't always easy, yet Shahi is a nice ying to Damian Lewis' yang.

Jeanne Tripplehorn, "Big Love"

With eyes that richly express pain and uncertainty, Tripplehorn sells Barb Hendrickson's struggle for contentment in between two Mormon worlds. As far as kudo recognition, perhaps it's all too appropriate that her competition includes the actresses who play her sister wives, Chloe Sevigny and Ginnifer Goodwin.

COMEDY

Tichina Arnold, "Everybody Hates Chris"

On a series that CBS topper Leslie Moonves called the best of the 2005 lot, Arnold has delivered steady laughs without a drop of awards consideration. Just because "Chris" is nearly forgotten on the CW doesn't mean voters should hold that against her.

Judy Greer, "Miss Guided"

How many times would viewers see the talented Greer in a supporting role and wonder when she was going to get her own series? It finally happened with the ABC sitcom, but you might have missed it: Its seven-episode run was crammed into 2½ weeks, once again leaving her fans (and some voters) wanting to see more.

Patricia Heaton, "Back to You"

Certainly Heaton's a pro's pro after nine seasons on "Everybody Loves Raymond." While "You" didn't connect enough with audiences for Fox to give it a second-season renewal, the actress certainly did her part and developed a nice chemistry in consistently delivering laughs opposite Kelsey Grammer.

Cheryl Hines, "Curb Your Enthusiasm"

When Hines' alter-ego finally said goodbye to Larry near the end of last season, audiences asked, "What took you so long?" She continues to put Larry in his place when he needs it most, which is practically all the time.

Angela Kinsey, "The Office"

Kinsey never fails to entertain as her namesake Angela, but she had even more great moments this season while dealing with the deadly freezing of her beloved cat and the romantic interest of co-workers Dwight and Andy. As appreciation for "The Office" continues to grow, Kinsey might be next in line for recognition.

Jane Krakowski, "30 Rock"

While Tina Fey gets much of the credit for making "30 Rock" such a buzzworthy item, Krakowski deserves acknowledgement for playing the fool so well. Whether she's egging Liz on to date the wrong guy or gaining weight to become a star, Krakowski's contributions are noteworthy.

Natascha McElhone, "Californication"

McElhone blends beauty and intelligence as David Duchovny's lost love in a way that's remarkably believable. One doesn't doubt for a second this thinking person's pinup can be an accomplished architect. Few other TV actresses can say that.

Sarah Silverman, "The Sarah Silverman Program"

Although "30 Rock's" Fey might be the hottest woman in comedy, Silverman isn't far behind (the Matt Damon video was a massive YouTube hit). Her off-the-wall Comedy Central series taps right into Silverman's comic sensibilities, meaning if you like her standup, the series works as well.

Jean Smart, "Samantha Who?"

No stranger to Emmy, Smart has been nominated five times, winning twice. Upping the "Who" comedy quotient as Christina Applegate's mom, she's comfortable in any genre: Smart arrived here after a nice turn in ultra-serious "24."

Cobie Smulders, "How I Met Your Mother"

Her character's breakup with the "I" in "HIMYM" seemed to do wonders for Smulders, who emerged from the shadow of her co-stars to become more interesting -- and fun -- to watch onscreen. Robin sparkles, indeed.

Amy Pietz, "Aliens in America"

"Aliens" barely got much traction last season, but Pietz was wonderfully "Fargo"-esque in her portrayal of a mom who only wants what's best for her kids. Even if they're not really her own.