Emmy nominations will be announced on July 15th. We’re running down the top contenders in a number of categories and offering predictions!
Last year’s nominees: Exactly zero out of six are eligible again this year. Imelda Staunton (The Crown) won’t be back since her show is over, winner Anna Sawai (Shōgun) won’t return when her show does, and Maya Erskine (Mr. and Mrs. Smith) may or may not be back when her show returns. Carrie Coon (The Gilded Age), Jennifer Aniston (The Morning Show), and Reese Witherspoon (The Morning Show) will all be eligible again next season since the latest seasons of their shows missed the window.
Returning contenders: From 2023, all but winner Sarah Snook (Succession) are back again after taking a season off the air: Sharon Horgan (Bad Sisters), Melanie Lynskey (Yellowjackets), Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale), Bella Ramsey (The Last of Us), and Keri Russell (The Diplomat).
Past nominees: Carrie Preston (Elsbeth) won the drama guest actress Emmy for the same role in 2013 and earned another nomination in 2016 but wasn’t nominated here for the show’s first season last year.
The rest: With just five slots this year, it could be those five, but one needs to be swapped out for Kathy Bates (Matlock), previously nominated twice in this category for Harry’s Law. Looking back at midyear prizes, Keira Knightley (Black Doves) and Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton) received bids from the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Association, and SAG, respectively. Emma D’Arcy (House of the Dragon) received a second Globe nomination, though they weren’t Emmy-nominated after the first. The CCA cited Shanola Hampton (Found), whose show was recently cancelled after two seasons, and Caitriona Balfe (Outlander), who, despite a previous CCA bid and four consecutive Golden Globe nominations, has seen her show received just four below-the-line Emmy bids over seven previous periods of eligibility. If their show ever catches on with voters, Marisa Abela (Industry) and Myha’la (Industry) could earn some love. Other possibilities include Lashana Lynch (The Day of the Jackal), Helen Mirren (1923), and Zoe Saldaña (Lioness). It’s strange to think of one of the year’s more popular shows not having its lead actress, Britt Lower (Severance), nominated, but it’s unclear if she’ll be able to pull it off after a poor season one showing across all awards bodies.
This year’s predicted nominees: Bates, Lower, Moss, Ramsey, Russell
What are your predictions for this category? Leave a comment and stick around for other major races!
