Our Emmy Picks and Predictions
It's almost time!
Tonight is the biggest night in television! No, it’s not the premiere of The Good Place. That’s not until next Thursday. No – no, it’s not Crisis on Infinite Earths, that’s in December. No! it’s not The Masked Singer! It’s the Emmys! The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences is giving out big, pointy awards and it will certainly be, at least, a night about television. We’ll be covering the glitzy event from the comfort of our couch, but before the hostless party starts, we have the full list of nominees and our picks for the winner of the biggest prizes. We’ve broken down our predictions into who should win and who will win, so you can seem extra smart when you’re tweeting about the show with the rest of us.
Outstanding Drama Series
Better Call Saul
Bodyguard
Game of Thrones
Killing Eve
Ozark
Pose
Succession
This Is Us
Should win: Succession. Will Win: Game of Thrones.
This is a tough field to predict, if only because the final season of Game of Thrones was so…what’s the word? Oh yes, bad. That’s only in terms of story and writing however, and the outstanding drama should, theoretically acknowledge the best television, overall. In terms of everything but the plot, Game of Thrones was an epic achievement in filmmaking. Many of the behind the scenes folks have won awards already t the creative arts Emmys. But will it translate to a win for best drama? Maybe but there’s a dark horse in the mix and it’s our favorite show of the late summer: Succession. It has the benefit it’s second season running while Emmy voters might have been casting their ballots for the first and that could translate t a huge upset that we would love.
Should win: Succession. Will Win: Game of Thrones.
Outstanding Comedy Series
Barry
Fleabag
The Good Place
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Russian Doll
Schitt’s Creek
Veep
Should win: The Good Place Will win: Marvelous Miss Mazel
I don’t think there’s any category more stacked than this one, which makes the choice so hard. We here at the Mary Sue would be thrilled for a win for Barry, or Russian Doll, or Fleabag or The Good Place OR Schitt’s Creek. All these shows aren’t just funny, they explore humanity and life and death and faith and more in incredible ways and they all deserve all the awards. With that said, the universe may just laugh at us and give this to Marvelous Miss Mazel again, because the Emmys are nothing if not repetitive. Even so, the latest season of The Good Place was an incredible achievement and simply “Janets” alone should win it.
(image: Pop)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Christina Applegate (Dead to Me)
Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep)
Natasha Lyonne (Russian Doll)
Catherine O’Hara (Schitt’s Creek)
Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag)
Should win: Catherine O’Hara. Will win: Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Another stacked category. We’re hoping Phoebe Waller Bridge wins for writing on Fleabag, and so here we’d love to see Moira Rose herself, Catherine O’Hara, take home the crown for her incredible work in Schitt’s Creek. However, since Veep has ended and Julia Louis Dreyfus is a perennial Emmys favorite, she’ll likely need to make more room on her Emmys shelf.
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Anderson (black-ish)
Don Cheadle (Black Monday)
Ted Danson (The Good Place)
Michael Douglas (The Kominsky Method)
Bill Hader (Barry)
Eugene Levy (Schitt’s Creek)
Should win: Bill Hader Will Win: Bill Hader.
We’re nothing if not Hader-heads here, if you haven’t noticed and Barry rests on his shoulders, so here’s hoping for a big night for Bill.
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones)
Jodie Comer (Killing Eve)
Viola Davis (How to Get Away With Murder)
Laura Linney (Ozark)
Mandy Moore (This Is Us)
Sandra Oh (Killing Eve)
Robin Wright (House of Cards)
Should win: Emilia Clarke Will win: Emilia Clarke
Emilia did amazing work this season, even when she had nothing to work with. Dany’s turn to genocide in “The Bells” was accomplished with no words and filmed with Clarke in front of a green screen riding a big piece of foam and she made it work as best she could. We think she’ll take home gold for that.
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Jason Bateman (Ozark)
Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us)
Kit Harington (Game of Thrones)
Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul)
Billy Porter (Pose)
Milo Ventimiglia (This Is Us)
Should win: Billy Porter Will Win: Billy Porter.
Billy Porter is having a year, and he should take home the big award for his outstanding work, but the Emmy voters do like their Thrones so it might be a Kit Harington upset. Still, we can’t wait to see Porter on the red carpet and hopefully, on the stage.
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Mahershela Ali (True Detective)
Benicio Del Toro (Escape at Dannemora)
Hugh Grant (A Very English Scandal)
Jared Harris (Chernobyl)
Jharrel Jerome (When They See Us)
Sam Rockwell (Fosse/Verdon)
Should win: Jharrel Jerome Will Win: Jared Harris
This category is incredibly stacked, but it comes down to the three projects that had everyone talking: Fosse/Verdon, When They See Us and Chernobyl. While a win for Jerome would be amazing, but Chernobyl might be too big a phenomena for more traditional Emmy voters to ignore.
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Amy Adams (Sharp Objects)
Patricia Arquette (Escape at Dannemora)
Aunjanue Ellis (When They See Us)
Joey King (The Act)
Niecy Nash (When They See Us)
Michelle Williams (Fosse/Verdon)
Should win: Michelle Williams Will Win: Michelle Williams
Williams transformation into Gwen Verdon is the stuff of legend and she’ll surely take home the trophy for it.
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Jonathan Banks (Better Call Saul)
Giancarlo Esposito (Better Call Saul)
Alfie Allen (Game of Thrones)
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game of Thrones)
Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones)
Michael Kelly (House of Cards)
Chris Sullivan (This Is Us)
Should win: Anyone but Peter Dinklage. Will Win: Peter Dinklage.
Listen, we love Tyrion too. But the Emmys insistence on honoring only Dinklage for acting on Game of Thrones, even for seasons where he was barely on screen, is not only disrespectful of the many other good performances and much better accents on the show, it smacks of a kind of “we will only award the physically different performer” tokenism that’s always left me feeling like the Emmy voters were’ just patting themselves on the back and not really looking at the work.
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Carrigan (Barry)
Stephen Root (Barry)
Henry Winkler (Barry)
Alan Arkin (The Kominsky Method)
Tony Shalhoub (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)
Tony Hale (Veep)
Should win: Tony Hale Will Win: Tony Shaloub.
I just want Forky to have an Emmy, okay?
(via Pixar)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Sarah Goldberg (Barry)
Sian Clifford (Fleabag)
Olivia Coleman (Fleabag)
Betty Gilpin (GLOW)
Alex Borstein (The Marvelus Mrs. Maisel)
Marin Hinkle (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)
Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live)
Anna Chlumsky (Veep)
Should Win: D’Arcy Carden (The Good Place) Will Win: Alex Borstein
It’s a damn CRIME that D’Arcy Carden didn’t get nominated for her work in “Janets” where she perfectly played more characters in one episode than many actors play in a lifetime. We’re still mad and no, we will not get over it.
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones)
Lena Headey (Game of Thrones)
Sophie Turner (Game of Thrones)
Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones)
Fiona Shaw (Killing Eve)
Julia Garner (Ozark)
Should win: Lena Heady Will Win: Julia Garner
Was Lena Heady the best performer in drama in a season where she just looked out a window and drank wine? No. Would it make something in our hearts very happy to see Heady’s series-long work honored by more than memes? Yes.
Outstanding Limited Series
Chernobyl
Escape at Dannemora
Fosse/Verdon
Sharp Objects
When They See Us
Should win: Fosse/Verdon Will Win: Chernobyl
Listen. They’re all good. But we’re picking the one where one guy dies in the arms of the love of his live versus the one where everyone dies and the government is pretty complicit in it. Also there’s singing.
Here are the additional nominees:
Outstanding Television Movie
Bandersnatch
Brexit
Deadwood
King Lear
My Dinner with Hervé
Outstanding Reality-Competition Program
The Amazing Race
American Ninja Warrior
Nailed It!
Rupaul’s Drag Race
Top Chef
The Voice
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Stellan Skarsgård (Chernobyl)
Paul Dano (Escape at Dannemora)
Ben Whishaw (A Very English Scandal)
Aante Blackk (When They See Us)
John Leguizamo (When They See Us)
Michael K. Williams (When They See Us)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Emily Watson (Chernobyl)
Margaret Qualley (Fosse/Verdon)
Patricia Clarkson (Sharp Objects)
Patricia Arquette (The Act)
Marsha Stephanie Blake (When They See Us)
Vera Farmiga (When They See Us)
Outstanding Variety Talk Series
The Daily Show With Trevor Noah
Full Frontal With Samantha Bee
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
The Late Late Show With James Corden
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
Outstanding Variety Sketch Series
At Home With Amy Sedaris
Documentary Now!
Drunk History
I Love You, America With Sarah Silverman
Saturday Night Live
Who Is America?
Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program
Ellen DeGeneres (Ellen’s Game of Games)
Amy Poehler, Nick Offerman (Making It)
RuPaul (RuPaul’s Drag Race)
Marie Kondo (Tidying Up With Marie Kondo)
James Corden (The World’s Best)
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Michael McKean (Better Call Saul)
Bradley Whitford (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Glynn Turman (How To Get Away With Murder)
Ron Cephas (This Is Us)
Michael Angarano (This Is Us)
Kumail Nanjiani (The Twilight Zone)
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Jessica Lange (American Horror Story: Apocalypse)
Carice van Houten (Game of Thrones)
Cherry Jones (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Cicely Tyson (How To Get Away With Murder)
Laverne Cox (Orange Is the New Black)
Phylicia Rashad (This Is Us)
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Luke Kirby (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)
Rufus Sewell (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)
Adam Sandler (Saturday Night Live)
John Mulaney (Saturday Night Live)
Matt Damon (Saturday Night Live)
Robert De Niro (Saturday Night Live)
Peter MacNicol (Veep)
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Fiona Shaw (Fleabag)
Kristin Scott Thomas (Fleabag)
Maya Rudolph (The Good Place)
Jane Lynch (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)
Emma Thompson (Saturday Night Live)
Sandra Oh (Saturday Night Live)
The Emmys air tonight at 5:00 Pacific, 8:00 Eastern on Fox.
(Featured Image: HBO/Academy of Television Arts and Sciences)
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