The 68th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards air Sept. 18 . Here are our predictions for some of the most anticipated categories.
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Outstanding Drama Series
“Game of Thrones”
“Mr. Robot”
“House of Cards”
“Downton Abbey”
“Better Call Saul”
“The Americans”
“Homeland”
Can anyone stop “Game of Thrones”? We think not. HBO’s smash hit won Outstanding Drama for the first time last year and dominated the rest of the award show as it broke the record for most wins in a single year with 12. After a hell of a sixth season, it’s got this category all but locked up.
Outstanding Comedy Series
“Veep”
“Transparent”
“Modern Family”
“Black-ish”
“Silicon Valley”
“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”
“Master of None”
This year rewarded first time nominees “Master of None” and “Black-ish,” which both brought some much-needed diversity to the world of comedy. While we’d love to see either series rewarded, “Veep” had yet another powerhouse of a season, and odds are good HBO will reign supreme yet again.
Outstanding Drama Actor
Kevin Spacey, “House of Cards”
Rami Malek, “Mr. Robot”
Bob Odenkirk, “Better Call Saul”
Liev Schreiber, “Ray Donovan”
Kyle Chandler, “Bloodline”
Matthew Rhys, “The Americans”
It’s hard to imagine that a relatively unknown actor like Rami Malek could beat out a field like this one, but coming off a Critic’s Choice award earlier this year, Mr. Robot may just take home the gold Sunday.
Outstanding Drama Actress
Robin Wright, “House of Cards”
Viola Davis, “How to Get Away with Murder”
Tatiana Maslany, “Orphan Black”
Claire Danes, “Homeland”
Taraji P. Henson, “Empire”
Keri Russell, “The Americans”
Talk about a tough category to call. With Emmy veterans like Robin Wright, Viola Davis and Claire Danes competing with long overdue nominees Tatiana Maslany, Keri Russell and Taraji P. Henson, it’s anyone’s game. We can’t help but hope Maslany gets some recognition for her insane portrayals on “Orphan Black,” but voters may sway toward the more familiar choices of Wright or Davis.
Outstanding Comedy Actor
Jeffrey Tambor, “Transparent”
Anthony Anderson, “Black-ish”
Will Forte, “The Last Man on Earth”
Thomas Middleditch, “Silicon Valley”
Aziz Ansari, “Master of None”
William H. Macy, “Shameless”
He won the Emmy last year, but after a Golden Globes snub, Jeffrey Tambor may be up for some healthy competition this time around. Aziz Ansari poses Tambor’s biggest threat for his honest performance in “Master of None,” but we think Tambor’s heart-wrenching portrayal as transgender matriarch Maura Pfefferman will win in the end.
Outstanding Comedy Actress
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep”
Amy Schumer, “Inside Amy Schumer”
Ellie Kemper, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”
Laurie Metcalf, “Getting On”
Tracee Ellis-Ross, “Black-ish”
Lily Tomlin, “Grace and Frankie”
Maybe the Emmys will be ready for a change after the “Veep” star’s four consecutive wins, but probably not. Five years in, Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ political satire chops are only improving. Long live the queen!
Outstanding Limited Series
“The People v. O.J. Simpson”
“Fargo”
“American Crime”
“Roots”
“The Night Manager”
This year saw a renewed interest in the O.J. Simpson trial with ESPN’s documentary and this popular FX miniseries. “The People v. O.J. Simpson” earned rave reviews and Emmy nods for most of the main cast, so it’s hard to imagine anything else taking home the gold.
Outstanding Supporting Actor, Comedy
Andre Braugher, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”
Ty Burrell, “Modern Family”
Matt Walsh, “Veep”
Louie Anderson, “Baskets”
Keegan-Michael Key, “Key & Peele”
Tituss Burgess, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”
Tony Hale, “Veep”
The men of “Veep” provide quite the hurdle for any other contenders in this category, but we have a good feeling about Keegan Michael-Key’s chances for the last season of “Key & Peele.” As Key would put it, “he was masterful in his job!”
Outstanding Supporting Actress, Comedy
Niecy Nash, “Getting On”
Kate McKinnon, “Saturday Night Live”
Gaby Hoffman, “Transparent”
Allison Janney, “Mom”
Judith Light, “Transparent”
Anna Chlumsky, “Veep”
No one, except for maybe Louis-Dreyfus, racks up the Emmys like Allison Janney, but after two consecutive wins for “Mom,” the Television Academy may be ready to crown someone else. Who better than Kate McKinnon, who is coming off a hilarious SNL season and a scene-stealing turn in Ghostbusters?
Outstanding Supporting Actor, Drama
Jonathan Banks, “Better Call Saul”
Ben Mendelsohn, “Bloodline”
Peter Dinklage, “Game of Thrones”
Kit Harington, “Game of Thrones”
Michael Kelly, “House of Cards”
Jon Voight, “Ray Donovan”
While the sad puppy act may not be everyone’s cup of tea, Kit Harington’s resurrected Jon Snow was all over headlines this year, and Emmy voters will have taken note. He may face stiff competition from co-star and former winner Peter Dinklage, but when it comes to this season of “Game of Thrones,” no one played a bigger role than Harington.
Outstanding Supporting Actress, Drama
Maggie Smith, “Downton Abbey”
Lena Headey, “Game of Thrones”
Emilia Clarke, “Game of Thrones”
Maisie Williams, “Game of Thrones”
Maura Tierney, “The Affair”
Constance Zimmer, “Unreal”
Dame Maggie Smith may have a shot here for her final portrayal of the Dowager Countess in the last season of “Downton Abbey,” but she’ll have to top the “Game of Thrones” trifecta in order to take the prize. Our money is on Lena Headey, who we all know isn’t above using a few pyrotechnics to take out the competition. Watch out, ladies.
