Kevin Spacey's online series House Of Cards looks set to topple the competition at the 2013 Primetime Emmy Awards after picking up a raft of top nominations.

The political thriller, which airs online via Netflix.com, won a nod in the Outstanding Drama Series category, while also picking up dramatic acting nominations for its leads, Spacey and Robin Wright.

Last year's (12) big winners Homeland and Breaking Bad are still keeping up with the competition - they both are up for Outstanding Drama Series, along with Mad Men, Game of Thrones and Downton Abbey.

Spacey faces tough competition from Homeland's Damian Lewis and Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston for Lead Actor in a Drama, as well as Downton Abbey's Hugh Bonneville, The Newsroom star Jeff Daniels, and Mad Men's Jon Hamm.

Meanwhile, Wright will be pitted against Connie Britton (Nashville), Claire Danes (Homeland), Vera Farmiga (Bates Motel), Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men), and Kerry Washington (Scandal) for the Lead Actress in a Drama prize.

In comedy, The Big Bang Theory, Girls, Louie, Modern Family, 30 Rock and Veep will vie for Outstanding Comedy Series.

Movie icon Michael Douglas will go up against his Behind the Candelabra co-star Matt Damon for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie category for his Liberace biopic, while Al Pacino landed a nod in the same category for his title role in Phil Spector.

Pacino's co-star Dame Helen Mirren is nominated alongside Sigourney Weaver (Political Animal) and Jessica Lange (American Horror Story: Asylum) for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie.

The nominations were announced by Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul and the upcoming prizegiving's host Neil Patrick Harris, who was a last-minute replacement for actress Kate Mara after she suffered travel problems on the way to Los Angeles.

The 65th Primetime Emmy Awards will take place at the Nokia Theatre in L.A. on 22 September (13).