Emmy Predictions: Comedy Categories

Emmy nominations will be announced on July 17^th.  Whereas only one of last year’s eight nominees for Outstanding Drama Series, The Crown, is eligible again, there’s more returning fare in contention for comedy. Last year’s winner, The Bear, will surely be back, as will two other nominees, Abbott Elementary and Only Murders in the Building. There’s also Hacks, which took a season off, and Curb Your Enthusiasm, which has managed to get nominated for all but its first season despite its irregular airing schedule.

Additionally, What We Do in the Shadows, a past nominee, is expected to return again this year, while Emily in Paris is unlikely to do the same and the new version of Frasier is a question mark since it’s nowhere near as acclaimed as the original, which still holds a record (tied with Modern Family) as the comedy series with the most wins (five) in the top category.

The bigger debate is whether The Bear and Hacks will leave room for any other show in many of the acting categories, particularly the guest races. Season two of The Bear received even more acclaim than the first, and season three didn’t drop in time for nominations voting but is likely to propel season two to another win. Hacks has a handful of supporting players who could figure into those races in addition to its many notable guest stars, and Abbott Elementary has yet to see two of its ensemble members, Chris Perfetti and Lisa Ann Walter, recognized. Selena Gomez wasn’t nominated for season one or two of Only Murders in the Building, and no one from the cast of What We Do in the Shadows has been cited yet.

With shows like Ted Lasso out of the running, could this finally be the year that ensemble comedy Ghosts gets in somewhere? The Righteous Gemstones, Girls5eva, and Reservation Dogs are also preexisting possibilities that haven’t previously caught on with voters. New shows like Palm Royale, Loot, and Ted might be popular, while Extended Family and Not Dead Yet might have initially seemed like contenders before being cancelled. There could also be some genuine surprises, but it’s likelier that the most popular series will simply dominate most of the lists.

Below, please find our predictions in the nine major Comedy Series categories!

Outstanding Comedy Series

Abbott Elementary

The Bear

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Ghosts

Hacks

Only Murders in the Building

Palm Royale

What We Do in the Shadows

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm)

Kelsey Grammer (Frasier)

Steve Martin (Only Murders in the Building)

Martin Short (Only Murders in the Building)

Jeremy Allen White (The Bear)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary)

Selena Gomez (Only Murders in the Building)

Ayo Edebiri (The Bear)

Maya Rudolph (Loot)

Jean Smart (Hacks)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Lionel Boyce (The Bear)

Paul W. Downs (Hacks)

Matty Matheson (The Bear)

Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear)

Oliver Platt (The Bear)

Tyler James Williams (Abbott Elementary)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Liza Colón-Zayas (The Bear)

Hannah Einbinder (Hacks)

Abby Elliott (The Bear)

Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary)

Meryl Streep (Only Murders in the Building)

Lisa Ann Walter (Abbott Elementary)

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

Jon Bernthal (The Bear)

Ryan Gosling (Saturday Night Live)

Christopher Lloyd (Hacks)

John Mulaney (The Bear)

Bob Odenkirk (The Bear)

Will Poulter (The Bear)

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series

Olivia Colman (The Bear)

Jamie Lee Curtis (The Bear)

Christina Hendricks (Hacks)

Kaitlin Olson (Hacks)

Sarah Paulson (The Bear)

J. Smith-Cameron (Hacks)

Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series

Fishes (The Bear)

Honeydew (The Bear)

No Lessons Learned (Curb Your Enthusiasm)

Bulletproof (Hacks)

I’m the Pappy (The Ms. Pat Show)

Sitzprobe (Only Murders in the Building)

Pilot (Palm Royale)

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series

Career Day (Abbott Elementary)

Fishes (The Bear)

Bulletproof (Hacks)

Opening Night (Only Murders in the Building)

Thirty (Only Murders in the Building)

Pride Parade (What We Do in the Shadows)

What shows and performers do you think are ahead? We’ll be back soon with predictions in other categories and detailed nominations coverage beginning July 17^th.