From Game of Thrones to Veep: cheat sheet for the Emmy Awards
If this year’s Emmy Awards will be about anything, it will be saying goodbye to two of the biggest, most impactful series of the last decade: HBO’S Game of Thrones and Veep.
With both of Phoebe Waller-bridge’s series (Killing Eve, Fleabag) in contention for Emmy wins, and with a few underdogs who might finally find some space in the spotlight (think Bob Odenkirk, Jared Harris), there will certainly be some surprises. However, the the nominees for this year’s limited series award will provide the closest competition. It was a big year in this category with Chernobyl, Escape at Dannemora, Fosse/verdon, When They See Us and Sharp Objects, making it a very tough call for voters.
The Emmys, which will go hostless for only the fourth time in the show’s history, air live on Sept. 22 on CTV.
Here are this year’s nominees alongside our predictions of who will win and our thoughts on who should win:
OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
Barry
Fleabag — SHOULD WIN The Good Place
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Russian Doll
Schitt’s Creek
Veep — WILL WIN
Although The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel has been toppling competition since it debuted in 2017 (having won eight Emmys last year), the critical love for the series has waned ever so slightly in its second season. It’s Waller-bridge’s powerful Fleabag that won the most love from viewers and critics this year, to the point it helped sell out the now iconic jumpsuit sported by its lead in the premiere episode. But with Veep having aired its final season this year, and having won this award for three consecutive years before it took a season off, you can bet it’ll receive one final honour.
OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
Better Call Saul Bodyguard
Game of Thrones — WILL WIN
Killing Eve — SHOULD WIN Ozark Pose Succession This Is Us
Even though Game of Thrones ‘s final season was a bumpy one, it remains one of the most beloved, biggest-budgeted and decorated series to ever grace the Emmy stage. That means it would be a massive shock for it not to receive the top award as a last goodbye, which is unfortunate for the shows that dared to do something different this year, like Killing Eve or Pose.
As a kind of Game of Thrones minus literal blood, Succession could be the runner-up, satisfying both viewers craving something new and Emmy voters who live for splashy wins. Chernobyl — SHOULD WIN Escape at Dannemora Fosse/verdon
Sharp Objects
When They See Us — WILL WIN
Timing is everything, which is why a show like Sharp Objects — with its wonderful cast, crew, writing and direction — has lost steam since debuting a year ago. It’s also why the recent When They See Us, a look at the Central Park Five with stalwart Ava Duvernay at the helm, will be tough to beat. It also scored the most nods (19) for a limited series. If anything can top it, it’ll be the gripping Chernobyl, a technical achievement that, similarly to When They See Us, told a massive story in only a handful of episodes. The latter, however, likely cut deepest with Emmy voters thanks to the gut-wrenching performances of its young cast.
Mahershala Ali, True Detective
Benicio Del Toro, Escape at Dannemora
Hugh Grant, A Very English Scandal — SHOULD WIN
Jared Harris, Chernobyl — WILL WIN
Jharrel Jerome, When They See Us
Sam Rockwell, Fosse/verdon
One of the great delights of the year’s nominees is A Very English Scandal, particularly for veteran actor Hugh Grant, who has made a splash of late with turns in Paddington 2 and this limited series based on the 1976 Jeremy Thorpe sex/murder scandal. Given an incentive, Grant might keep the renaissance alive. But don’t count out Jared Harris, a perpetual underdog who was never honoured for his work in Mad Men. He turns in a quietly heartbreaking performance in Chernobyl. But also keep an eye out for Jharrel Jerome, who, despite turning in one of the best performances of his category, might be a little too young yet, at a wee 2, to receive award acknowledgement. LEAD ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE
Amy Adams, Sharp Objects — SHOULD WIN
Patricia Arquette, Escape at Dannemora — WILL WIN
Aunjanue Ellis, When They See us
Joey King, The Act Niecy Nash, When They See Us
Michelle Williams, Fosse/ Verdon
It’s time we get some justice for Amy Adams, who has made a career out of being the bridesmaid and never the bride (to date, she has been nominated for six Oscars and never won), time and again losing out to the buzzier nominee. Having turned in the most devastating work of the women in her category, it’ll still be tough for her to stand a chance against Patricia Arquette, an awards favourite who picked up the Golden Globe for her role in Escape at Dannemora, or Michelle Williams and her eccentric character work in Fosse/verdon. SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE
Ben Whishaw, A Very English Scandal — WILL WIN Stellan Skarsgard, Chernobyl Paul Dano, Escape at Dannemora
John Leguizamo, When They See Us
Michael K. Williams, When They See Us — SHOULD WIN
Asante Blackk, When They See Us
Ben Whishaw, one of the most underrated actors working today, has been sweeping the television awards circuit with his performance in A Very English Scandal, winning a Golden Globe and BAFTA, among others. This is a lock, but if it was to go another way, Michael K. Williams put together a tearjerking performance in When They See Us — when doesn’t he? Emily Watson, Chernobyl Margaret Qualley, Fosse/ Verdon
Patricia Clarkson, Sharp Objects — WILL WIN, SHOULD WIN Patricia Arquette, The Act Marsha Stephanie Blake, When They See Us
Vera Farmiga, When They See Us
It’s Patricia vs. Patricia here, and with Arquette a sure thing for her buzzier performance in Escape at Dannemora , this one should go to Clarkson, who turns in a chilling performance that would put Joan Crawford to shame in Sharp Objects, a haunting series that deserves at least one win on Sunday. Anthony Anderson, Black-ish Don Cheadle, Black Monday Ted Danson, The Good Place Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method
Bill Hader, Barry — WILL WIN
Eugene Levy, Schitt’s Creek — SHOULD WIN
Bill Hader is such a delightful surprise on Barry, and if it weren’t for Eugene Levy and Schitt’s Creek, the rare Canadian series to win acclaim across the border, I’d say Hader should win every year. But with one season left to go, this may be Levy’s only shot for this hilarious sitcom to win some overdue recognition.
Christina Applegate, Dead To Me
Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Julia Louis-dreyfus, Veep — WILL WIN
Natasha Lyonne, Russian Doll Catherine O’hara, Schitt’s Creek
Phoebe Waller-bridge, Fleabag — SHOULD WIN
As beloved as she is and with Veep on its way out (she’s been nominated 24 times and won 11, with one for every season of the HBO sitcom), this trophy is Julia Louis-dreyfus’s. That’s unfortunate for Waller-bridge and Natasha Lyonne, who both delivered incomparably quirky performances in series they created — but there’s no doubt they’ll be back. Stephen Root, Barry Henry Winkler, Barry Anthony Carrigan, Barry — SHOULD WIN
Alan Arkin, The Kominsky Method
Tony Shalhoub, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel — WILL WIN
Tony Hale, Veep
This one’s a tough call with Tony Hale receiving a potential final Emmy for Veep, but he’ll face tough competition from last year’s winner Henry Winkler, along with Tony Shalhoub. If there’s any justice in the world, though, the trophy will go to Anthony Carrigan, the best character actor on television right now, if only for his loving pronunciation of “Barrrrrry .” Sarah Goldberg, Barry Sian Clifford, Fleabag Olivia Colman, Fleabag — SHOULD WIN
Betty Gilpin, GLOW Kate Mckinnon, Saturday Night Live
Alex Borstein, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel — WILL WIN
Marin Hinkle, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Anna Chlumsky, Veep
Much of this year’s battle
is between Veep’s final season and Maisel’s second season, which may not have as much of the love it initially found. If it does, Alex Borstein is likely to keep her win from last year, but it would be nice to see Anna Chlumsky finally get some recognition. If these women face any competition, it’s going to come from Olivia Colman, one of the best parts of Fleabag (which really only has good parts) and who now has a very fancy Oscar to her name. Jason Bateman, Ozark Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us Kit Harington, Game of Thrones
Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul — SHOULD WIN, WILL WIN
Billy Porter, Pose
Milo Ventimiglia, This Is Us
Often a category for longsuffering underdogs (think Mad Men ‘s Jon Hamm and The Americans ‘ Matthew Rhys), this year’s trophy might finally go to Bob Odenkirk, who has been turning in heartbreaking work year after year in Breaking Bad and now Better Call Saul.
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 — WILL WIN, SHOULD WIN
Robin Wright, House of Cards
When Claire Foy scored this award last year for The Crown, she said in her speech that the trophy should have gone to Sandra Oh for her work in Killing Eve. She was absolutely right, and if there truly is a television god, Oh might just get what she deserves.