Taraji P. Henson steals the show as Cookie (Fox)

The anticipation for the biggest night in television has begun. Here are eight people/shows we should root for as we tune in for the evening broadcast:

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series: Taraji P. Henson as “Cookie Lyon” on "Empire"

Taraji P. Henson has always been a standout in her roles, but her portrayal of the brazen and independent Cookie Lyon on "Empire" blew everyone out of the water. Her no-bars, snappy remarks and take-no-crap attitude not only made her the Queen of Most-Reblogged GIFs, but the recipient of much praise from critics alike. While it is disappointing that she is the sole Primetime Emmy nomination for "Empire", which has brought in high ratings and stellar reviews for Fox and the actors starring on it, hopefully she takes home the Emmy for a job well done. 

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series: Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope on "Parks and Recreation"

"Parks and Recreation" wrapped up its final season in May, and fans are desperately hoping that leading lady Amy Poehler will finally take home a well-deserved Emmy for her hilarious portrayal and one-liners. “I am super chill all the time!” Enough said. 

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series or Movie: Jon Hamm as Don Draper on "Mad Men"

"Mad Men" ended with its seventh season in May, and this marks the eighth consecutive year that Jon Hamm has been nominated for an Emmy for his outstanding portrayal of Don Draper. For the past seven years, Hamm has lost, causing critics to be outraged— hopefully he’s able to cinch that win this year for his stunning work.  

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series/Movie: Sarah Paulson as Bette and Dot Tattler on "American Horror Story: Freak Show" 

In the first shot of the premiere episode of "American Horror Story: Freak Show," viewers were shocked that they were literally seeing double: "AHS"-veteran Sarah Paulson had not one, but two heads! She played conjoined twins Bette and Dot Tanner, with Bette being the more giggly and innocent twin, whereas Dot was serious and cynical. Paulson played the part of two women with completely different personalities literally sharing the same body tremendously well, bringing her wide praise from critics. This is Paulson’s fourth Emmy nomination, and she deserves it for her wonderful acting.

Amy Poehler deserves to take home an Emmy for her portrayal of funny-girl Leslie Knope (NBC)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series: Anthony Anderson as Dre Johnson on "Black-ish"

The first season of "Black-ish" starred Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross as married African-American couple Dre and Rainbow Johnson raising their four kids was a huge hit for ABC and brought in great ratings and reviews. While each starring actor brought in laughs and their own creativity, it was Anderson who stole the show. His attempts to instill in his kids what it’s like to be an African-American in “post-racial” America were met with hilariously disastrous results, his one-liners were comical, and his frustration with his co-workers were always funny. Anderson’s portrayal of Dre has revitalized his career, and he definitely deserves to win the Emmy.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series/Movie: Finn Wittrock as Dandy Mott on American Horror Story: Freak Show 

Julliard graduate Finn Wittrock had a major breakthrough with his role as the pretty-boy serial killer Dandy Mott. Each episode showed Dandy doing something increasingly disturbing and insane, from bathing in his mother’s blood to killing off majority of the carnie freaks in the final episode. Dandy was an integral character in "Freakshow," and Wittrock’s terrifying portrayal kept viewers coming back each week, winning him critical acclaim, and, hopefully, the Emmy. 

Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series: "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" 

Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross on Black-ish (ABC)

For the past sixteen years, Jon Stewart has done it better than practically anyone: he knows when to be funny and bring humor to a subject, but he also knows when to be serious about a topic and speak his mind honestly. Viewers and fans are still mourning about the end of his tenure on August 6. The writing on his show has been absolutely superb and is one of the main reasons why people kept coming back to the show, because of the unique balance that the writers and Stewart brought to it.  

Outstanding Limited Series: "American Horror Story, Freak Show" 

The fourth season of Ryan Murphy’s super-scary anthology series premiered in Oct. 2014 to a whooping 6.13 million viewers. Because of the high ratings, the show was immediately renewed for a fifth season. The fourth season was a standout and the wide range of characters and storylines were able to connect in a brilliant way. A horrific yet addicting bloodbath of a broadcast, "Freakshow" was another great "AHS" season and deserves the highest recognition. 

Reach Staff Reporter Adrianne Ramsey here and follow her on Twitter here.