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: All six men can return this year! Two-time defending champion Ebon-Moss Bachrach (The Bear) is almost guaranteed to be back, as is three-time nominee Tyler James Williams (Abbott Elementary). Bowen Yang (Saturday Night Live) rejoined the lineup last year after a year off following two back-to-back bids, while Lionel Boyce (The Bear) and Paul W. Downs (Hacks) were nominated for the first time for their shows. Despite a reduced – and different – role, Paul Rudd (Only Murders in the Building) is once again eligible here due to a new Emmy rule about being considered a guest following a previous supporting or lead nomination.
Past nominees: The last time Kenan Thompson (Saturday Night Live) was nominated was back in 2021, his third bid in four years. Carl Clemons-Hopkins (Hacks) was also nominated in 2021 but missed out for seasons three and four. For season one of his show, Oliver Platt (The Bear) was nominated in the guest actor race but snubbed for season two when he switched to this category.
The rest: After missing out for season one, Harrison Ford (Shrinking) was nominated at both the Golden Globes and SAG, while the Critics Choice Association opted to award the prize to his costar Michael Urie (Shrinking). It’s also possible that voters will choose a past winner in this category, Brett Goldstein (Shrinking), from the same show. CCA recognized Asher Grodman (Ghosts) and Brandon Scott Jones (Ghosts), whose show has yet to earn a single Emmy nomination, as well as Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows), whose cast hasn’t been recognized much over the course of the show’s now-completed run. From the crop of new shows, Ike Barinholtz (The Studio) seems likeliest, with Colman Domingo (The Four Seasons), Will Forte (The Four Seasons), Marco Calvani (The Four Seasons), and Timothy Simons (Nobody Wants This) also possible. From existing series that have previously been nominated, new contenders (and past Emmy nominees) like Zach Galifianakis (Only Murders in the Building), Eugene Levy (Only Murders in the Building) could be nominated, as could Chris Perfetti (Abbott Elementary), who has yet to be nominated, or Walton Goggins (The Righteous Gemstones), who may benefit from an expected drama nomination for The White Lotus.
This year’s predicted nominees: Barinholtz, Domingo, Downs, Ford, Moss-Bachrach, Urie, Williams
What are your predictions for this category? Leave a comment and stick around for other major races!
