The nominees for TV's most coveted awards ceremony will be announced on Thursday (Friday 1.30am AEST) in Los Angeles and Kidman, for Sydney-shot TV mini-series Top of the Lake: China Girl, and Watts, for Twin Peaks, are competing for nods in the same category.

Plenty of other Aussies are in the hunt for invites to the Emmys' 80th ceremony on September 17.

Watts could score nominations for different shows while Portia de Rossi, Hugo Weaving, Yvonne Strahovski, Elizabeth Debicki and Jim Jefferies are also chances for nods.

A year ago Kidman won two Emmys for starring in and producing the mini-series Big Little Lies and then went on to claim Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild acting gongs for her role as a physically, psychologically and sexually abused wife.

This year Kidman, for her performance as the mother of a rebellious daughter in Top of the Lake: China Girl, is Australia's best chance of a nomination in a loaded supporting actress in a mini-series field that also includes Watts (Twin Peaks), Debicki (The Tale), Penelope Cruz (Assassination of Gianni Versace), Laura Dern (Twin Peaks) and Angela Lansbury (Little Women).

Top of the Lake: China Girl and the re-make of the Australian classic Picnic at Hanging Rock are also in the running for best mini-series.

The Handmaid's Tale is expected to dominate multiple categories and Strahovski is a good shot in the supporting actress in a drama category.

The Handmaid's Tale's star, America's Elisabeth Moss, is almost certain to be nominated for best actress in a drama series for the role and best actress in a mini-series for Top of the Lake: China Girl.

Watts is expected to be squeezed out for a nomination in the crowded best actress in a drama series category for her role in Gypsy, with Moss (The Handmaid's Tale), Claire Foy (The Crown), Keri Russell (The Americans), Evan Rachel Wood (Westworld) and Mandy Moore (This Is Us) the frontrunners.

Weaving is a dark horse prospect for a supporting actor nomination for the mini-series Patrick Melrose.

De Rossi is an outsider for her support role in the comedy series Arrested Development.

Jefferies is also on the fringe for best variety series for The Jim Jefferies Show.

The Sydney-born comedian is competing for a nomination slot against the titans of US late night talkshows, including John Oliver, Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, Samantha Bee, James Corden and Bill Maher.

Australian Associated Press