Kiernan Shipka, "Mad Men"

Nomination Status: If Emmy voters are looking to find new ways to honor "Mad Men," might I suggest Kiernan Shipka?

In Her Favor: When Emmy voters love a show as much as they love "Mad Men," they can tell who the creators in have confidence in. In this last season, Kiernan Shipka became the biggest "Mad Men" surprise, as Matt Weiner kept giving her more and more to do, far beyond the bounds of what writers normally ask from an 11-year-old actress. And the more Weiner asked of Shipka, the better she got. If Emmy voters concentrate on "The Beautiful Girls," four or five "Mad Men" women could pick up nominations, with Shipka at the top of the heap. Watch that episode. She didn't give "a great performance for a child-actor." She gave a great performance.

Working Against Her: There's too much talent in this category and too much talent on her own show for Shipka to get the respect she may well deserve. Expect Weiner to just keep increasing Sally Draper's importance until audiences and Emmy voters notice this young star.