Who will win the Emmys?

Answer 1

The 71st Primetime Emmy Awards will air on Sept. 22, 2019. While we don’t know the winners yet, by looking at past trends and the total number of nominations each show has received, we can make a few reasonable predictions. For the purposes of this answer, we’ll just look at a few key categories:

Outstanding Drama Series

Better Call Saul (AMC)

Bodyguard (Netflix)

Game of Thrones (HBO)

Killing Eve (BBC America)

Ozark (Netflix)

Pose (FX)

Succession (HBO)

This Is Us (NBC)

Prediction: Game of Thrones

Better Call Saul is consistently one of the best shows on television, and Killing Eve is probably headed for its share of Emmys, but Game of Thrones was a bonafide cultural phenomenon. Regardless of what viewers thought of the final episodes—the critical reception was mixed, to say the least—the Television Academy will likely give the biggest award of the night to the biggest show of the decade.

Outstanding Limited Series

Chernobyl (HBO)

Escape at Dannemora (Showtime)

Fosse/Verdon (FX)

Sharp Objects (HBO)

When They See Us (Netflix)

Prediction: When They See Us

Chernobyl is a stunning achievement, and Sharp Objects was one of the best binge shows of the year, but When They See Us has earned this one. The show, which details the miscarriage of justice surrounding the Central Park Five, gained critical accolades for creator Ava DuVernay, who was the first black female director to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. She didn’t win the Oscar, but she’ll take home the Emmy.

Outstanding Comedy Series

Barry (HBO)

Fleabag (Amazon Prime)

The Good Place (NBC)

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon Prime)

Russian Doll (Netflix)

Schitt’s Creek (Pop TV)

Veep (HBO)

Prediction: Veep

This is a tough one. Amazon’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel has the most nominations across all categories, but Veep aired its final season; Veep star Julia Louis-Drefuss’s starpower could push the HBO series ahead. Additionally, Barry and The Good Place have been hailed for their excellent writing, and either could pull an upset. Fleabag is also tremendous, and will likely gain its share of awards by the end of its run, but we still think Veep has a slight edge.

Lead Actress, Drama Series

Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones (HBO)

Jodie Comer, Killing Eve (BBC America)

Viola Davis, How to Get Away With Murder (ABC)

Laura Linney, Ozark (Netflix)

Mandy Moore, This Is Us (NBC)

Sandra Oh, Killing Eve (BBC America)

Robin Wright, House of Cards (Netflix)

Prediction: Emilia Clarke received the lion’s share (or the dragon’s share) of screentime in Game of Thrones, but that show hasn’t had much luck with acting Emmys, with the notable exception of Peter Dinklage. Sandra Oh’s performance on Killing Eve was overlooked by the academy last year, and since Killing Eve has killed it (sorry) at every awards show since then, she’s a slight favorite to win.

Lead Actor, Drama Series

Jason Bateman, Ozark (Netflix)

Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us (NBC)

Kit Harington, Game of Thrones (HBO)

Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul (AMC)

Billy Porter, Pose (FX)

Milo Ventimiglia, This Is Us (NBC)

Prediction: Billy Porter, Pose

Bob Odenkirk has done more than enough to win this category every year, but Better Call Saul isn’t as wildly popular as its predecessor, Breaking Bad, and Odenkirk won’t get the same recognition that Bryan Cranston received from the academy. That’s okay, as Bill Porter’s performance in the dance musical Pose shouldn’t be overlooked. Pose has been a critical success, and its socially conscious themes will likely resonate with voters.

Lead Actress, Comedy Series

Christina Applegate, Dead to Me (Netflix)

Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep (HBO)

Natasha Lyonne, Russian Doll (Netflix)

Catherine O'Hara, Schitt's Creek (Pop)

Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Fleabag (Amazon)

Prediction: Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Fleabag

One way or another, this will be a big night for people with hyphenated last names. Louis-Dreyfus is a frontrunner, but Waller-Bridge has earned this one. Fleabag is intelligent, it has emotional weight, and most importantly, it’s funny.

Lead Actor, Comedy Series

Anthony Anderson, Black-ish (ABC)

Don Cheadle, Black Monday (Showtime)

Ted Danson, The Good Place (NBC)

Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method (Netflix)

Bill Hader, Barry (HBO)

Eugene Levy, Schitt's Creek (Pop)

Prediction: This is another difficult category, but Bill Hader’s delightfully strange performance in Barry should win him the Emmy. Hader plays a contract killer who tries to quit his job to become an actor, which leads to plenty of show-stopping scenes in the show’s second season—and if there’s one thing that award shows like, it’s a story about the difficulties of acting.

Supporting Actress, Drama

Gwendoline Christie, Game of Thrones (HBO)

Julia Garner, Ozark (Netflix)

Lena Headey, Game of Thrones (HBO)

Fiona Shaw, Killing Eve (BBC America)

Sophie Turner, Game of Thrones (HBO)

Maisie Williams, Game of Thrones (HBO)

Prediction: Maisie Williams, Game of Thrones

Julia Garner’s performance as Ruth Langmore in Ozark is unforgettable, but it’s probably not enough to beat Maisie Williams, who brought new dimensions to Arya Stark on the final season of Game of Thrones. Still, there’s hope for Garner—the Game of Thrones nominations could split the vote, clearing a path for the other candidates. Supporting Actor, Drama

Alfie Allen, Game of Thrones (HBO)

Jonathan Banks, Better Call Saul (AMC)

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Game of Thrones (HBO)

Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones (HBO)

Giancarlo Esposito, Better Call Saul (AMC)

Michael Kelly, House of Cards (Netflix)

Chris Sullivan, This Is Us (NBC)

Prediction: Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones

Someone from the Game of Thrones cast will go home with this award, and while it’d be nice to see Nikolaj Coster-Waldau recognized for his portrayal of Jaime Lannister, Peter Dinklage is a perennial favorite. Expect Dinklage to receive one last trophy for his excellent work as Tyrion Lannister.

Supporting Actress, Comedy

Alex Borstein, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)

Anna Chlumsky, Veep (HBO)

Sian Clifford, Fleabag (Amazon)

Olivia Colman, Fleabag (Amazon)

Betty Gilpin, GLOW (Netflix)

Sarah Goldberg, Barry (HBO)

Marin Hinkle, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)

Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Prediction: Olivia Colman, Fleabag

Colman’s performance as The Godmother in Fleabag is fantastic, but she’ll mainly win on momentum. She won the 2019 Best Actress Academy Award for The Favourite, so she’s on voters' radar—and Colman, who started her career as a comedic actress, showed her range on Fleabag. Sarah Goldberg is the dark horse in this category, as she had several stunning scenes in Barry that could justify a win.

Supporting Actor, Comedy

Alan Arkin, The Kominsky Method (Netflix)

Anthony Carrigan, Barry (HBO)

Tony Hale, Veep (HBO)

Stephen Root, Barry (HBO)

Tony Shalhoub, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)

Henry Winkler, Barry (HBO)

Prediction: Tony Shalhoub, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Shalhoub is quietly one of the best comic actors in Hollywood, and his work as Abe in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel should win him an Emmy. With that said, Barry’s Henry Winkler, Stephen Root, and Anthony Carrigan are also worthy candidates. They’ll likely split the Barry vote, however, clearing the way for Shalhoub.