Predicting the Winners of the 2017 Emmys

And the Nominees are...



*Better Call Saul
*The Crown
*The Handmaid's Tale
*House of Cards
*Stranger Things
*This Is Us
*Westworld

**The Handmaid's Tale**

This is easily the toughest category of the night. Any of the five new series could win. The Handmaid's Tale has the relevancy and potency; Stranger Things has the broad, blockbuster acclaim; This Is Us is an emotion-packed crowd-pleaser that has become a ratings hit; Westworld is another hit HBO mindgame; The Crown is the most prestigious prestige series in the race. Of them, I'd say it's better those first three mentioned. Each have strong movements behind them, and all have rabid fanbases. Stranger Things took all of the guild awards last year/early this year, and has been able to stay in the conversation for over a year, while The Handmaid's Tale hit hard just a few months ago. It's incredibly close, but I think the timeliness and power behind The Handmaid's Tale will power it to a win (the first ever for a streaming service). This is no lock, so get ready for this to go down to the wire.

Power Rankings
1. The Handmaid's Tale
2. Stranger Things
3. This Is Us
4. Westworld
5. The Crown
6. Better Call Saul
7. House of Cards

And the Nominees are...



*Atlanta
*Black-ish
*Master of None
*Modern Family
*Silicon Valley
*Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
*Veep

**Veep**

This category is, undoubtedly, coming down to Atlanta and Veep. They were the most buzzed about of the category, and have the most support. While many would argue that Atlanta had the stronger season, I still see Veep prevailing for a third straight win. It's got the most support, 17 nominations compared to Atlanta's six, and the political climate adds a dose of relevancy to it. Atlanta, while critically adored, is more of a niche series, and straight comedies have historically done much better here.

Power Rankings
1. Veep
2. Atlanta
3. Master of None
4. Silicon Valley
5. Black-ish
6. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
7. Modern Family

And the Nominees are...



*Big Little Lies
*Fargo
*Feud: Bette and Joan
*Genius.
*The Night Of

**Big Little Lies**

In a very strong category,Big Little Lies is still the frontrunner. It had the most consistent run, and entered into the zeitgeist in a way that the others didn't. It received 16 nominations (but I can't see it winning), meaning it has broad support, and HBO backing never hurts. The Night Of was also an HBO hit, but it came out a year ago and reactions weren't as positive towards the end of it's run. Feud scored the most nominations here, 19, and was another female-fronted critical success, but Ryan Murphy just took this category last year and the series didn't hit as hard as Lies. Any of those could win, but Big Little Lies just seems to have the strongest case.

Power Rankings
1. Big Little Lies
2. The Night Of
3. Feud: Bette and Joan
4. Fargo
5. Genius.

And the Nominees are...



*Black Mirror: San Junipero
*Dolly Parton's Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love
*The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
*Sherlock: The Lying Detective
*The Wizard of Lies

**Black Mirror: San Junipero**

This is a rather dull field, which likely means that voters are looking for something different. While the TV Academy has a lot of love for Sherlock and HBO, I think Black Mirror will stir up passion in a category lacking it.

Power Rankings
1. Black Mirror: San Junipero
2. Sherlock: The Lying Detective
3. The Wizard of Lies
4. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
5. Dolly Parton's Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love

And the Nominees are...



*Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
*Jimmy Kimmel Live!
*Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
*The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
*The Late Late Show with James Corden
*Real Time with Bill Maher

**The Late Show with Stephen Colbert**

This is an extremely close three-way race; Full Frontal, Last Week Tonight and The Late Show are at the front of the pack. While Bee and Oliver have, arguably, the more polished and pointed approach, the fact that they're on only once a week, I feel, puts them at a disadvantage. While they're doing excellent work, Colbert is able to capture national attention five nights a week. Adding to that is the host's comeback narrative; after a slow start, the last year has seen Colbert getting political again, criticizing the president every night. Viewers and critics have responded exceptionally well to this, and I see that being a major boost to his chances.

Power Rankings
1. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
2. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
3. Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
4. Jimmy Kimmel Live!
5. The Late Late Show with James Corden
6. Real Time with Bill Maher

And the nominees are...



*Billy on the Street
*Documentary Now!
*Drunk History
*Portlandia
*Saturday Night Live
*Tracey Ullman's Show

**Saturday Night Live**

With Inside Amy Schumer and Key & Peele gone, and with the series having a highly publicized year, this one is more than likely going to Saturday Night Live. There's really nothing else here that seems like it could compete.

And the Nominees are...



*Carrie Coon- Fargo
*Felicity Huffman- American Crime
*Nicole Kidman- Big Little Lies
*Jessica Lange- Feud: Bette and Joan
*Susan Sarandon- Feud: Bette and Joan
*Reese Witherspoon- Big Little Lies

**Nicole Kidman- Big Little Lies**

In what is likely the strongest acting category of the night,we have several nominees with strong paths to victory. At this point, Kidman seems to be the favorite; Big Little Lies is the probable winner, and Kidman's work shined brightest throughout the series. Her work as a woman trapped in an abusive relationship has been hailed as a career best, and she has so many showstopper scenes that she probably could've compete against Sarah Paulson last year. And yet, she is not the runaway favorite this year.

Lange is a perennial winner here, and Feud gave her several big Emmy moments. Her biggest drawback is likely Sarandon; both are strong in the series, so much so that it'll likely split voters as to who was best. While Witherspoon could split votes with Kidman, but the former's performance,
though acclaimed, just didn't receive the same praise as the latter. If that were to happen though, as well as the Feud ladies splitting, don't be surprised to see Coon slip in. Between Fargo and The Leftovers,
she arguably been 2017's television MVP and could easily gain the support to win.

Power Rankings
1. Kidman
2. Lange
3. Coon
4. Sarandon
5. Witherspoon
6. Huffman

And the nominees are...



*Anthony Anderson- Black-ish
*Aziz Ansari- Master of None
*Zach Galifianakis- Baskets
*Donald Glover- Atlanta
*William H. Macy- Shameless
*Jeffrey Tambor- Transparent

**Donald Glover- Atlanta**

I was originally going to go with Ansari, but the hype for Glover is a bit too loud to ignore. While I don't see Atlanta doing as grandly as others, I still see a few strong winners here. Glover has, essentially, won every acting accolade that he's been up for, outside of the SAG (which he was not nominated at, and Macy won). While I don't think he's the lock that many see him as, Ansari and Tambor have very strong fan bases, it would be a bit surprising to see him miss.

Power Rankings
1. Donald Glover- "The Big Bang"
2. Aziz Ansari- "The Dinner Party"
3. Jeffrey Tambor- "Elizah"
4. Anthony Anderson- "Lemons"
5. Zach Galifianakis- "Future Fever"
6. William H. Macy- "You Sold Me the Laundromat, Remember?"

And the nominees are...



*Viola Davis- How to Get Away with Murder
*Claire Foy- The Crown
*Elisabeth Moss- The Handmaid's Tale
*Keri Russell- The Americans
*Evan Rachel Wood- Westworld
*Robin Wright- House of Cards

And the Emmy goes to...

**Elisabeth Moss- The Handmaid's Tale**

Even in an exceptionally strong class of nominees, Moss seems like the overwhelming favorite. The Handmaid's Tale caught caught on like lightning, capturing the zeitgeist with it's (abstractly) timely tale of women's rights being under attack. At the center of most of these positive notices was Moss's powerhouse performance. The work will be what ultimately, likely, wins it for her, but the fact that she's been nominated six times without winning should help give her nomination a sheen of urgency. Foy is the closest spoiler here; she won the Globe and SAG award (though those were awarded before The Handmaid's Tale premiered)
and she played a real person. It's a strong case, but I don't think it'll be enough. Most of the time, they TV Academy drops the ball, but sometimes they get it right and go with the flow.

Power Rankings
1. Elisabeth Moss- "Night"
2. Claire Foy- "Assassins"
3. Robin Wright- "Chapter 65"
4. Evan Rachel Wood- "The Bicameral Mind"
5. Viola Davis- "Wes"
6. Keri Russell- "Dyatkovo"

And the nominees are...



*Riz Ahmed- The Night Of
*Benedict Cumberbatch- Shelock: The Lying Detective
*Robert De Niro- The Wizard of Lies
*Ewan McGregor- Fargo
*Geoffrey Rush- Genius.
*John Turturro- The Night Of

And the Emmy goes to...

**Ewan McGregor- Fargo**

This is probably my biggest gamble of the night. Ahmed is widely seen as the favorite, but he's got a few factors working against him; first, he's up against a costar, which could take away a few key votes; second, The Night Of premiered over a year ago, where as the other nominees series were from 2017, later in 2017 (two of which, McGregor and Rush, had shows still on by the time voting started). While it's certainly quite possible, likely even probable, I think those elements will contribute to a surprise. The TV Academy has, as of late, taken to awarding dual roles; they, likely, see crafting two characters as being more difficult than just one. In a rather odd year, I think something like that could be enough to compel voters to award Fargo it's sole acting award.

While De Niro is a legend, The Wizard of Lies wasn't exactly the most warmly received, with the TV Academy seemingly losing faith in HBO's movies over the past few years. Rush is in a similar position, could come through on top as well; awards love the shit out of biographies, more often than not they win here, and Rush is playing Albert fucking Einstein. Genius. had a surprisingly strong showing this year, and that could translate to an award here. But I have a hard time seeing anyone really caring all that much about the series. It really didn't capture much attention, and feels more like filler here. Cumberbatch has surprised here before, but it seems like voters caught some Sherlock fatigue this year, with the series only scoring four nominations.

Power Rankings
1. McGregor
2. Ahmed
3. De Niro
4. Rush
5. Turturro
6. Cumberbatch

And the nominees are...



*Pamela Adlon- Better Things
*Jane Fonda- Grace and Frankie
*Allison Janney- Mom
*Elle Kemper- Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
*Julia Louis-Dreyfus- Veep
*Tracee Ellis Ross- Black-ish
*Lily Tomlin- Grace and Frankie

And the Emmy goes to...

**Julia Louis-Dreyfus- Veep**

Yeah, this is gonna happen again. I mean, Kemper or Ross could surprise, but Veep is still the top dog around these parts, and that mentality should win out.

Power Rankings
1. Julia Louis-Dreyfus- "Groundbreaking"
2. Tracee Ellis Ross- "Being Bow-racial"
3. Ellie Kemper- "Kimmy Goes to College!"
4. Allison Janney- "Tush Push and Some Radishes"
5. Pamela Adlon- "Future Fever"
6. Lily Tomlin- "The Burglary"
7. Jane Fonda- "The Pot"

And the Nominees are...



*Sterling K. Brown- This Is Us
*Anthony Hopkins- Westworld
*Bob Odenkirk- Better Call Saul
*Matthew Rhys- The Americans
*Liev Schreiber- Ray Donovan
*Kevin Spacey- House of Cards
*Milo Ventimiglia- This Is Us

**Sterling K. Brown- This Is Us**

I see this one coming down to Brown and Odenkirk. Despite an elongated nominee field, their work easily rises to the top. It's exceptionally, but I see Brown taking the prize. This Is Us has the buzz this year, and Brown's compelling work is likely the most evident reason why; his story had the most emotion and staying power. While his costar Ventimiglia could take several of his votes, he had a lot of monologues, Brown's stuff shined through more than other nominees in dual series nominated categories. Odenkirk still has a great shot (he's gotta win eventually, right?), but the momentum just doesn't seem to be there this year.

Power Rankings
1. Sterling K. Brown- "Memphis"
2. Bob Odenkirk- "Expenses"
3. Anthony Hopkins- "Trompe L'Oeil"
4. Milo Ventimiglia- "Moonshadow"
5. Kevin Spacey- "Chapter 53"
6. Matthew Rhys- "Crossbreed"
7. Liev Schreiber- Rattus Rattus

And the nominees are...



*Vanessa Bayer- Saturday Night Live
*Anna Chlumsky- Veep
*Kathryn Hahn- Transparent
*Leslie Jones- Saturday Night Live
*Judith Light- Transparent
*Kate McKinnon- Saturday Night Live

And the Emmy goes to...

**Kate McKinnon- Saturday Night Live**

With three nominees in the category, history would tell us that they'll split each others votes, and all lose. McKinnon, however,
is the obvious lead of the group, and is the most visible of the current cast. The fact that she played such an important role of the show in the Presidential election will give her nomination more relevancy. Also, this is a category that frequently rewards previous winners.

Power Rankings
1. Kate McKinnon- "Host: Dave Chappelle"
2. Judith Light- "Exciting and New"
3. Anna Chlumsky- "Groundbreaking"
4. Leslie Jones- "Host: Tom Hanks"
5. Kathryn Hahn- "Life Sucks and Then You Die"
6. Vanessa Bayer- "Host: Dwayne Johnson"

And the nominees are...



*Jonathan Banks- Better Call Saul
*David Harbour- Stranger Things
*Ron Cephas Jones- This Is Us
*Michael Kelly- House of Cards
*John Lithgow- The Crown
*Mandy Patinkin- Homeland
*Jeffrey Wright- Westworld

And the Emmy goes to...

**Ron Cephas Jones- This Is Us**

Another large-ish upset that I see coming. Lithgow is the favorite here; he's a perennial Emmy winner giving an award-worthy/bait performance on a prestige series. That might also, however, upend his chance of winning. It almost feels too routine to check his name off; it's the obvious choice and,
despite the excellence of the performance, many people like bucking trends. The fact that he's won five of these awards in the past certainly doesn't add much in the way of urgency. Those considerations point me towards the category's, likely, emotional pick, Ron Cephas Jones

His storyline was one of the most warmly relieved on a warmly received series, proving to be, arguably, the most emotional. His episode submission, "Memphis", is the series best, and the type of powerhouse submission that voters often can't turn away. While Lithgow is likely the favorite, with Harbour and Wright also in contention to play spoiler, I'm going with my gut and predicting that emotion will trump reason.

Power Rankings
1. Ron Cephas Jones- "Memphis"
2. John Lithgow- "Assassins"
3. David Harbour- "Chapter Eight: The Upside Down"
4. Jeffrey Wright- "The Well-Tempered Clavier"
5. Jonathan Banks- "Witness"
6. Michael Kelly- "Chapter 64"
7. Mandy Patinkin- "America First"

And the nominees are...



*Judy Davis- Feud: Bette and Joan
*Laura Dern- Big Little Lies
*Jackie Hoffman- Feud: Bette and Joan
*Regina King- American Crime
*Michelle Pfeiffer- The Wizard of Lies
*Shailene Woodley- Big Little Lies

And the Emmy goes to...

**Shailene Woodley- Big Little Lies**

I'm predicting another substantial upset here with Woodley winning. Going by the profession prognosticators, Dern appears to be the favorite, but this category often proves one thing; you can't really predict this category. If you go for the favorite, then you're almost assuredly going to miss. In the four previous lists that I've done, I've always gone for the favorites, and always picked wrong. While I'm probably going to be wrong again this time, I'm expecting it, I might as well go outside the box. Woodley didn't get the most press for her part in Big Little Lies, but her often internal performance was the most awards-ready. Dern had some strong moments, but her character was never as essential as Woodley's. Davis is another favorite here, and has won multiple Emmys, but her Hedda Hopper wasn't really given all that much screentime. If there's a Feud lady that I could see winning here, it's Jackie Hoffman. Her character was a surprising emotional anchored for the series, and respected character actors are often able to drum up a decent amount of support. King is, as always, a strong possibility, though three in a row seems like a big long shot (though I would've said that about two in a row).

Power Rankings
1. Shailene Woodley- "Push Comes to Shove"
2. Jackie Hoffman- "More, or Less"
3. Laura Dern- "Once Bitten"
4. Regina King- "Episode Three"
5. Judy Davis- "And the Winner Is... (The Oscars of 1963)"
6. Michelle Pfeiffer

And the nominees are...



*Louie Anderson- Baskets
*Alec Baldwin- Saturday Night Live
*Tituss Burgess- Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
*Ty Burrell- Modern Family
*Tony Hale- Veep
*Matt Walsh- Veep

And the Emmy goes to...

**Alec Baldwin- Saturday Night Live**

This is a very strong category, but I think the winner's already been crowned. Baldwin might not have the best Trump impression, but it's the most public, and it gets under the infant-in-chief's skin. Even if voters aren't fans of the work, they'll likely see it as a big middle finger to the most powerful man on the planet. Anderson, Burgess, and Hale all have strong episodes, but it's gonna be tough this year.

Power Rankings
1. Alec Baldwin- "Host: Melissa McCarthy"
2. Tony Hale- "Judge"
3. Louie Anderson- "Denver"
4. Tituss Burgess- "Kimmy's Roommate Lemonades!"
5. Matt Walsh- "Chicklet"
6. Ty Burrell- "Grab It"

And the nominees are...



*Uzo Aduba- Orange is the New Black
*Millie Bobby Brown- Stanger Things
*Ann Dowd- The Handmaid's Tale
*Chrissy Metz- This Is Us
*Thandie Newton- Westworld
*Samira Wiley- The Handmaid's Tale

**Thandie Newton- Westworld**

This is a pretty solid category, with the race looking to come down to Bbrown, Metz and Newton. All three have their fanbases, but Newton's seems to bee the strongest. She's been nominated everywhere; Globes, Critics' Choice and SAG (she won the Critics' Choice), and is the consensus pick for the series' MVP prize. Brown could sneak in, but children rarely ever win these things, and Metz could, though I'm not sure she's the focal point of the This Is Us infatuation.

Power Rankings
1. Thandie Newton- "Trace Decay"
2. Millie Bobby Brown- "Chapter Seven: The Bathtub"
3. Chrissy Metz- "Pilot"
4. Samira Wiley- "Night"
5. Uzo Aduba- "People Persons"
6. Ann Dowd- "Offred"

And the nominees are...



*Bill Camp- The Night Of
*Alfred Molina- Feud: Bette and Joan
*Alexander Skarsgård- Big Little Lies
*David Thewlis- Fargo
*Stanley Tucci- Feud: Bette and Joan
*Michael K. Williams- The Night Of

And the Emmy goes to...

**Alexander Skarsgård- Big Little Lies**

This category usually goes to the performance with the most buzz and/or the most respected character actor. This category is, essentially, filled with those two categories. It's always a fool's errand predicting the supporting miniseries categories, but, luckily, I am a fool; and I think that this one is going to Skarsgård. It's the buzziest, most surprising performance of the bunch that resonates through sheer terror and fear. The fact that he's able to make his character, at least in the early goings, complex is a testament to the performance, and I think voters will say that.

Molina has a very strong chance too; he's playing a layered character in a Ryan Murphy production, who is also a real person. Molina is, also, a respected character actor who has yet to win an Emmy. If voters want a more sympathetic performance to go for, it's his. His chances though,
may be hindered by having another Feud actor here; Tucci visibly had a ball playing Jack Warner, stealing most of the scenes he was in. The biggest knock to his chances would be screentime, as he really isn't in the series all that much. Still, he could split a few votes with Molina.

Power Rankings
1. Alexander Skarsgård- "Living the Dream"
2. Alfred Molina- "Pilot"
3. Stanley Tucci- "Pilot"
4. David Thewlis- "The Narrow Escape Problem"
5. Michael K. Williams- "The Art of War"
6. Bill Camp- "Subtle Beast"

And the nominees are...



*Stephen Daldry- The Crown (Episode: "Hyde Park Corner")
*Kate Dennis- The Handmaid's Tale (Episode: "The Bridge")
*The Duffer Brothers- Stranger Things (Episode: "Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers")
*Vince Gilligan- Better Call Saul (Episode: "Witness")
*Lesli Linka Glatter- Homeland (Episode: "America First")
*Reed Morano- The Handmaid's Tale (Episode: "Offred (Pilot)")
*Jonathan Nolan- Westworld (Episode: "The Bicameral Mind")

And the Emmy goes to...

**Reed Morano- The Handmaid's Tale**

This category usually goes to the biggest nominee, or the show with the most nominations. This year, The Handmaid's Tale was the most nominated show here, scoring two nominations. This has been a good omen for Game of Thrones for the past two years, and Boardwalk Empire in 2011. While there is always a worry that a show with more than one nomination splits the vote, Morano's work on "Offred" set the tone for an incredibly acclaimed series. While "The Bridge" is a strong episode, it doesn't have to walk the balance the the pilot did.

That's not to say that this is a done deal. This is a category that often goes to the "biggest" episode; biggest in terms of story, biggest in terms of scope, biggest in terms of production. If that's the case this year, then it'll likely go to Jonathan Nolan for "The Bicameral Mind". Westworld scored the most nominations this year, mostly in the technical categories, so that gives you an idea as to how much Emmy voters respect the scale of this series. Also, don't count out Stranger Things which has a huge fan base with industry voters, and could well surprise.

Power Rankings
1. "Offred (Pilot)"
2. "The Bicameral Mind"
3. "Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers"
4. "Hyde Park Corner"
5. "The Bridge"
6. "America First"
7. "Witness"

And the nominees are...



*Noah Hawley- Fargo (Episode: "The Law of Vacant Places")
*Ron Howard- Genius. (Episode: "Einstein: Chapter One")
*James Marsh- The Night Of (Episode: "The Art of War")
*Ryan Murphy- Feud: Bette and Joan (Episode: "And The Winner Is... (The Oscars of 1963)")
*Jean-Marc Vallée- Big Little Lies
*Steven Zaillian- The Night Of (Episode: "The Beach")

And the Emmy goes to...

**Jean-Marc Vallée- Big Little Lies**

This is a category that often goes either three ways; to the director of a TV movie (none in contention this year), to a director that directed every episode of a series, or the series that has multiple nominations. If that history holds true this time, the award will go to Marsh, Vallée or Zaillian. Of those three, I'm inclined to take Vallée. Directing a whole series gets you a lot of goodwill; spearheading an entire vision is likely seen as being more hard. With that in mind, Vallée navigated a tricky story to pull off, and he did it exceedingly well. If it's not him, it'll probably be Zaillian. While Marsh also got a nod, Zaillian directed seven of the series' eight episodes, as well as scoring writing credits on four episodes.

Power Rankings
1. Big Little Lies
2. "The Beach"
3. "The Art of War"
4. "And the Winner Is… (The Oscars of 1963)"
5. "The Law of Vacant Places"
6. "Einstein: Chapter One"

And the nominees are...



*Jamie Babbit- Silicon Valley (Episode: "Intellectual Property")
*Donald Glover- Atlanta (Episode: "B.A.N.")
*Mike Judge- Silicon Valley (Episode: "Server Error")
*David Mandel- Veep (Episode: "Groundbreaking")
*Morgan Sackett- Veep (Episode: "Blurb")
*Dale Stern- Veep (Episode: "Justice")

And the Emmy goes to...

**Donald Glover- Atlanta**

Much like last year, I see both Silicon Valley and Veep's episodes cancelling themselves out. Most of the Veep one's are so damn similar this year that they'll just run together. "Groundbreaking" is the only one that seems different, so it could benefit, but it's also seen by many as the season's weakest episode. Silicon Valley is on track to never win this award, but Judge could maybe sneak in. He's got more name recognition than Babbitt, and this is his fourth nomination for the series. Still, Glover's seems to be the favorite. It doesn't have to contend with other nominees from it's series, and it's the most outwardly "directed" episode.

Power Rankings
1. "B.A.N."
2. "Groundbreaking"
3. "Server Error"
4. "Blurb"
5. "Justice"
6. "Intellectual Property"

And the nominees are...



*Andy Fisher- Jimmy Kimmel Live! (Episode: "The (RED) Show")
*Jim Hoskinson- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (Episode: "Episode 0179")
*Don Roy King- Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Jimmy Fallon")
*Jeremy Konner and Derek Waters- Drunk History (Episode: "Hamilton")
*Paul Pennolino- Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (Episode: "Multi-Level Marketing")

**Jeremy Konner and Derek Waters- Drunk History**

Power Rankings
1. "Hamilton"
2. "Host: Jimmy Fallon"
3. "Episode 0179"
4. "Multi-Level Marketing"
5. "The (RED) Show"

And the nominees are...



*Charlie Brooker- Black Mirror: San Junipero
*Jaffe Cohen, Michael Zam and Ryan Murphy- Feud: Bette and Joan (Episode: "Pilot")
*Noah Hawley- Fargo (Episode: "The Law of Vacant Places")
*David E. Kelley- Big Little Lies
*Ryan Murphy- Feud: Bette and Joan (Episode: "And the Winner is... (The Oscars of 1963)")
*Richard Price and Steven Zaillian- The Night Of (Episode: "The Beach")

**Charlie Brooker- Black Mirror: San Junipero**

This category, historically, goes to either TV movies or miniseries from one single writer; last year's win for a single episode of American Crime Story being an outlier. Ryan Murphy is back again this year, twice, though I'm not sure either can sway. Feud was seen as a fun show, one that derived most of it's power from acting and directing. While the Oscars episode probably has a pretty good chance, I could see ample vote splitting here. Fargo, with what could be its last season, has been nominated here four times without winning. While it could rally, it is one of the best written series on television, the series' third season just doesn't have much heat on it. "The Beach" has a shot though, like Feud, writing was never the greatest accolade that many associated with The Night Of.

If we're keeping with history, this one is really down to frontrunner Big Little Lies and underdog Black Mirror. Unlike most underdogs, I actually think that San Junipero has the better shot. While Big Little Lies received acclaim for its writing, Kelley has won ten previous Emmys. While that may seem trivial, passion usually plays a real role here, something that Brooker's script obviously has (how else could it have been nominated if not?).San Junipero is the most original of the bunch, and originality and creativity usually driving forces behind writing winners.

Power Rankings
1. "San Junipero"
2. "Big Little Lies"
3. "The Beach"
4. "And The Winner Is... (The Oscars of 1963)"
5. "The Law of Vacant Places"
6. "Pilot"

And the nominees are...



*Aziz Ansari & Lena Waithe- Master of None (Episode: "Thanksgiving")
*Alec Berg- Silicon Valley (Episode: "Success Failure")
*Donald Glover- Atlanta (Episode: "B.A.N.")
*Stephen Glover- Atlanta (Episode: "Streets on Lock")
*Billy Kimball- Veep (Episode: "Georgia")
*David Mandel- Veep (Episode: "Groundbreaking")

And the Emmy goes to...

**Aziz Ansari & Lena Waithe- Master of None**

With the Veep episodes likely cancelling each other out, as well as the Atlanta episodes doing the same (though "B.A.N." is extremely different than "Streets on Lock"), this one is likely to have a repeat winner. "Thanksgiving" had the similarly rapturous response to that of last year's winner "Parents". Master of None had another acclaimed season, and this is likely one of the few places to recognize that.

Power Rankings
1. "Thanksgiving"
2. "Groundbreaking"
3. "B.A.N."
4. "Streets on Lock"
5. "Georgia"
6. "Success Failure"

And the nominees are...



*The Duffer Brothers- Stranger Things (Episode: "Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers")
*Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan- Westworld (Episode: "The Bicameral Mind")
*Joel Fields & Joe Weisberg- The Americans (Episode: "The Soviet Division")
*Bruce Miller- The Handmaid's Tale (Episode: "Offred (Pilot)")
*Peter Morgan- The Crown (Episode: "Assassins")
*Gordon Smith- Better Call Saul (Episode: "Chicanery")

**Bruce Miller- The Handmaid's Tale**

Another incredibly strong category for drama series, this one is likely to come down to Miller and Morgan. Peter Morgan will get an increased amount of respect for writing the entirety of The Crown, but Miller wrote one of the most striking series debuts ever (though, do his chance's detriment, it's adapted from a hit book). There's always a chance that something as writer-driven as "Chicanery" surprises, but that is usually never the case. Either way, this is a very close category.

Power Rankings
1. "Offred"
2. "Assassins"
3. "Chicanery"
4. "Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers"
5. "The Soviet Division"
6. "The Bicameral Mind"

And the nominees are...

*Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
*Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
*Late Night with Seth Meyers
*The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
*Saturday Night Live

**Last Week Tonight with John Oliver**

Power Rankings
1. Last Week Tonight
2. Full Frontal
3. Late Show
4. Saturday Night Live
5. Late Night

And the nominees are...



*Riz Ahmed- Girls
*Dave Chappelle- Saturday Night Live
*Tom Hanks- Saturday Night Live
*Hugh Laurie- Veep
*Lin-Manuel Miranda- Saturday Night Live
*Matthew Rhys- Girls

**Hugh Laurie- Veep**

Power Rankings
1. Hugh Laurie- "Blurb"
2. Tom Hanks- "Host: Tom Hanks"
3. Dave Chappelle- "Host: Dave Chappelle"
4. Matthew Rhys- "American Bitch"
5. Lin-Manuel Miranda- "Host: Lin-Manuel Miranda"
6. Riz Ahmed- "All I Ever Wanted"

And the nominees are...



*Alexis Bledel- The Handmaid's Tale
*Laverne Cox- Orange is the New Black
*Ann Dowd- The Leftovers
*Shannon Purser- Stranger Things
*Cicely Tyson- How to Get Away with Murder
*Alison Wright- The Americans

And the Emmy goes to...

**Ann Dowd- The Leftovers**

Power Rankings
1. Ann Dowd- "The Most Powerful Man in the World (and His Identical Twin Brother)"
2. Alexis Bledel- "Late"
3. Laverne Cox- "Doctor Psycho"
4. Alison Wright- "The Soviet Division"
5. Cicely Tyson- "Go Cry Somewhere Else"
6. Shannon Purser- "Chapter Three: Holly Jolly"

And the nominees are...



*Hank Azaria- Ray Donovan
*Brian Tyree Henry- This Is Us
*Gerald McRaney- This Is Us
*Ben Mendelsohn- Bloodline
*Denis O'Hare- This Is Us
*BD Wong- Mr. Robot

And the Emmy goes to...

**Gerald McRaney- This is Us**

Power Rankings
1. Gerald McRaney- "The Big Day"
2. Hank Azaria- "Norman Saves the World"
3. Ben Mendelsohn- "Part 32"
4. Denis O'Hare- "Last Christmas"
5. Brian Tyree Henry- "Memphis"
6. BD Wong- "eps2.3_logic-b0mb.hc"

And the nominees are...



*Becky Ann Baker- Girls
*Angela Bassett- Master of None
*Carrie Fisher- Catastrophe
*Melissa McCarthy- Saturday Night Live
*Wanda Sykes- Black-ish
*Kristen Wiig- Saturday Night Live

And the Emmy goes to...

**Carrie Fisher- Catastrophe**

Power Rankings
1. Carrie Fisher- "Episode 6"
2. Melissa McCarthy- "Host: Melissa McCarthy"
3. Angela Bassett- "Thanksgiving"
4. Wanda Sykes- "Last Christmas"
5. Kristen Wiig- "Host: Kristen Wiig"
6. Becky Ann Baker- "Gummies"

Best Reality-Competition Program
**RuPaul's Drag Race**


Best Structured Reality Program
**Shark Tank**

Was I Right?: Yes.

Best Unstructured Reality Program
**United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell**

Was I Right?: Yes.

Best Variety Special
**Stephen Colbert's Live Election Night Democracy's Series Finale: Who's Going to Clean Up This Sh*t?**

Was I Right?: No.

Best Informational Series or Special
**Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath**

Was I Right?: Yes.

Best Documentary or Nonfiction Series
**Planet Earth II**

Was I Right?: Yes.

Best Documentary or Nonfiction Special
**13th**

Was I Right?: Yes.

Best Animated Program
**Bob's Burgers (Episode: "Bob, Actually")**

Was I Right?: Yes.

Best Short-Format Animated Program
**Adventure Time (Episode: "Islands Part 4: Imaginary Resources")**

Was I Right?: Yes.

Best Children's Program
**Once Upon a Sesame Street Christmas**

Was I Right?: Yes.

Best Special Class Program
**Hairspray Live!**

Was I Right?: No.

Best Short Form Comedy or Drama Series
**Brown Girls**

Was I Right?: No.

Best Short Form Nonfiction or Reality Series
**Viceland at the Women's March**

Was I Right?: Yes.

Short Form Variety Series
**The Daily Show — Between the Scenes**

Was I Right?: Yes.

Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking
**O.J.: Made in America**

Was I Right?: No.

Best Original Interactive Program
**HITRECORD x ACLU: Are You There Democracy? It's Me, The Internet**

Was I Right?: No.

Best Interactive Program
**The Late Late Show with James Corden**

Was I Right?: No.

Best Creative Achievement in Interactive Media Within a Scripted Program
**Stranger Things VR Experience**

Was I Right?: No.

Best Creative Achievement in Interactive Media Within an Unscripted Program
**Stand For Rights: A Benefit for the ACLU with Tom Hanks**

Was I Right?: No.

Best Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series
**Alan Tudyk- Con Man**

Was I Right?: No.

Best Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series
**Jane Lynch- Dropping the Soap**

Was I Right?: Yes.

Best Character Voice-Over Performance
**Kevin Kline-Bob's Burgers (Episode: "The Last Gingerbread House on the Left")**

Was I Right?: No.

Best Narrator
**Meryl Streep- Five Came Back**

Was I Right?: Yes.

Best Casting for a Comedy Series
**Master of None**

Was I Right?: No.

Best Casting for a Drama Series
**The Crown**

Was I Right?: No.

Best Casting for a Limited Series, Movie, or Special
**Feud: Bette and Joan**

Was I Right?: No.

Best Casting for a Reality Program
**Born This Way**

Was I Right?: Yes.

Best Choreography
**Mandy Moore- So You Think You Can Dance (Routines: "Unsteady" / "This is Not the End")**

Was I Right?: Tie (Half Right)

Best Cinematography for a Multi-Camera Series
**Donald A. Morgan- The Ranch (Episode: "Easy Come, Easy Go")**

Was I Right?: Yes.

Best Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (Half-Hour)
**Jim Frohna- Transparent (Episode: "If I Were a Bell")**

Was I Right?: No.

Best Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (One-Hour)
**Paul Cameron- Westworld (Episode: "The Original")**

Was I Right?: No.

Best Cinematography for a Limited Series or Movie
**Dana Gonzales- Fargo (Episode: "The Law of Vacant Places")**

Was I Right?: No.

Best Cinematography for Nonfiction Programming
**Cinematography Team- Planet Earth II (Episode: "Cities**)

Was I Right?: No.

Best Cinematography for Reality Programming
**Deadliest Catch (Episode: "Uncharted Territory")**

Was I Right?: No.

Best Commercial
**Why I March**

Was I Right?: No.

Best Costumes for a Contemporary Series, Limited Series, or Movie
**Big Little Lies (Episode: "You Get What You Need")**

Was I Right?: Yes.

Best Costumes for a Period / Fantasy Series, Limited Series, or Movie
**The Crown (Episode: "Wolferton Splash")**

Was I Right?: Yes.

Best Costumes for A Variety, Nonfiction Or Reality Program
**Hairspray Live!**

Was I Right?: No.

Best Directing for Nonfiction Programming
*Ava DuVernay- 13th**

Was I Right?: No.

Best Directing for a Variety Special
**Glenn Weiss- 89th Academy Awards**

Was I Right?: Yes.

Best Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series
**The Crown (Episode: "Hyde Park Corner")**

Was I Right?: No.

Best Hairstyling for a Multi-Camera Series or Special
**RuPaul's Drag Race (Episode: "Oh. My. Gaga!**

Was I Right?: No.

Best Hairstyling for a Limited Series or Movie
**Feud: Bette and Joan**

Was I Right?: Yes.

Best Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program
**RuPaul- RuPaul's Drag Race**

Was I Right?: Yes.

Best Lighting Design / Lighting Direction for a Variety Series
**The Voice (Episode: "Live Finale (Part 2)")**

Was I Right?: No.

Best Lighting Design / Lighting Direction for a Variety Special
**Hairspray Live!**

Was I Right?: No.

Best Main Title Design
**Feud: Bette and Joan**

Was I Right?: No.

Best Make-up for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic)
**Penny Dreadful (Episode: "Perpetual Night")**

Was I Right?: No.

Best Make-up for a Multi-Camera Series or Special (Non-Prosthetic)
**Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Alec Baldwin")**

Was I Right?: Yes.

Best Make-up for a Limited Series or Movie (Non-Prosthetic)
**Feud: Bette and Joan**

Was I Right?: Yes.

Best Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Limited Series, Movie, or Special
**American Horror Story: Roanoke**

Was I Right?: Yes.

Best Music Composition for a Series
**Rupert Gregson-Williams- The Crown (Episode: "Hyde Park Corner")**

Was I Right?: No.

Best Music Composition for a Limited Series, Movie, or Special
**Jeff Russo- Fargo (Episode: "Aporia")**

Was I Right?: Yes.

Best Music Direction
**Super Bowl LI Halftime Show Starring Lady Gaga**

Was I Right?: No.

Best Original Music and Lyrics
**Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt- "Hell No" (Episode: "Kimmy's Roommate Lemonades!")**

Was I Right?: No.

Best Music Supervision
**Susan Jacobs- Big Little Lies (Episode: "You Get What You Need")**

Was I Right?: Yes.

Best Original Main Title Theme Music
**Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein- Stranger Things**

Theme
Was I Right?: Yes.

Best Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series
**Andrew Seklir- Westworld (Episode: "The Bicameral Mind")**

Was I Right?: No.

Best Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series
**Eric Kissack- Veep (Episode: "Groundbreaking")**

Was I Right?: No.

Best Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series
**Veronique Barbe, David Berman, Justin LaChance, Maxime Lahaie, Sylvain Lebel, Jim Vega- Big Little Lies (Episode: "You Get What You Need")**

Was I Right?: No.

Best Multi-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series
**Peter Chakos- The Big Bang Theory (Episode: "The Holiday Summation")**

Was I Right?: Yes.

Best Picture Editing for Variety Programming
**Anthony Miale- Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (Segment: "Fuck 2016")**

Was I Right?: Yes.

Best Picture Editing for Nonfiction Programming
**Bret Granato, Maya Mumma and Ben Sozanski- O.J.: Made in America**

Was I Right?: Yes.

Best Picture Editing for a Structured or Competition Reality Program
**Julian Gomez, Ryan Leamy, Jennifer Nelson, Paul C. Nielsen, Eric Beetner, Tori Rodman, Katherine Griffin- The Amazing Race (Episode: "Bucket List Type Stuff")**

Was I Right?: No.

Best Picture Editing for an Unstructured Reality Program
**Josh Earl, Rob Butler, Nathen Araiza, Ben Bulatao- Deadliest Catch (Episode: "Uncharted Territory")**

Was I Right?: No.

Best Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary or Fantasy Program (One Hour or More)
**Westworld (Episode: "The Original")**

Was I Right?: No.

Best Production Design for a Narrative Period Program (One Hour or More)
**The Crown (Episode: "Smoke and Mirrors")**

Was I Right?: Yes.

Best Production Design for a Narrative Program (Half-Hour of Less)
**Mozart in the Jungle (Episodes: "Now I Will Sing")**

Was I Right?: No.

Best Production Design for a Variety, Nonfiction, Reality, or Reality-Competition Series
**Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Alec Baldwin")**

Was I Right?: Yes.

Best Production Design for a Variety, Nonfiction, Event, or Award Special
**Hairspray Live!**

Was I Right?: Yes.

Best Sound Editing for a Series
**Black Sails (Episode: "XXXVII.")**
Was I Right?: No.

Best Sound Editing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Special
**Fargo (Episode: "Who Rules The Land Of Denial?")**
Was I Right?: No.

Best Sound Editing for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera)
**Planet Earth (Episode: "Cities")**
Was I Right?: No.

Best Sound Mixing for Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour)
**Stranger Things (Episode: "Chapter Eight: The Upside Down")**
Was I Right?: No.

Best Sound Mixing for a Limited Series or Movie
**Big Little Lies (Episode: "You Get What You Need")**
Was I Right?: No.

Best Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation
**Mozart in the Jungle (Episode: "Now I Will Sing")**
Was I Right?: Yes.

Best Sound Mixing for a Variety Series or Special
**Super Bowl LI Halftime Show Starring Lady Gaga**
Was I Right?: No.

Best Sound Mixing for Nonfiction Programming
**The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years**
Was I Right?: Yes.

Best Special Visual Effects
**Westworld (Episode: "The Bicameral Mind")**

Was I Right?: Yes.

Best Special Visual Effects in a Supporting Role
**The Crown (Episode: "Windsor")**

Was I Right?: No.

Best Stunt Coordination for a Comedy Series
**Saturday Night Live**

Was I Right?: No.

Best Stunt Coordination for a Drama Series
**MacGyver**

Was I Right?: No.

Best Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video Control for a Series
**Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Jimmy Fallon")**
Was I Right?: Yes.

Best Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video Control for a Limited Series, Movie, or Special
**Hairspray Live!**
Was I Right?: Yes.

Best Writing for Nonfiction Programming
**13th**
Was I Right?: Yes.

Best Writing for a Variety Special
**Louis C.K.- Louis C.K. 2017**
Was I Right?: No.