Predicting the Winners of the 2019 Emmys

And the Nominees are...



*Barry
*Fleabag
*The Good Place
*The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
*Russian Doll
*Schitt's Creek
*Veep

And the Emmy goes to...

**Veep**

Here we have one of the several categories where I, really, can't get a hold on the field. Veep should be the runaway favorite, but it missed several key nods, including a directing one. Last year's winner, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, scored 20 nominations and should feel like hot competition, but came out earlier than every other nominee (sans The Good Place), and missed a writing nomination (where it one last year). Barry shouldn't really be considered a major threat, but it scored a whopping 17 nominations, and outdid itself in almost every field that it was last year (three supporting actor noms, two directing, etc.). Fleabag should feel like an obscure pick here, nominated to placate the niche members of the Academy; instead, it's nominated for 11, with major nomination in every category where a winner should. What's winning? Barry and Fleabag are very viable candidates, but in a tough year I'm going with history; this category goes gaga for previous winners. Since 1990, only eight series have won this category once, leaving 20 years of repeat winners. It's been even harder to crack this in recent years as, since 2007, only four series have won this category; 30 Rock (2007-2009), Modern Family (2010-2014), Veep (2015-2017), The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2018). So then, Mrs. Maisel or Veep? Considering it, likely, would've kept the streak going if it'd been in last year, I'm partial to Veep. It also helps that HBO is on fire this year, and it's crazed political shenanigans feel closer to reality than most shows here. Again though, any of the top four could take it.

Power Rankings
1. Veep
2. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
3. Barry
4. Fleabag
5. Russian Doll
6. The Good Place
7. Schitt's Creek

And the Nominees are...



*Better Call Saul
*Bodyguard
*Game of Thrones
*Killing Eve
*Ozark
*Pose
*Succession
*This Is Us

And the Emmy goes to...

**Game of Thrones**

Despite a rather divisive reception, the departing HBO juggernaut scored a stunning 32 nominations for it's final season, the most for a series in a single season, ever. This is a decent field, but none of the others seem to have the weight that GOT's got. The sheer size and scope of the production, likely, ensures it it's fourth overall prize.

Power Rankings
1. Game of Thrones
2. Killing Eve
3. Better Call Saul
4. Succession
5. Ozark
6. Pose
7. This Is Us
8. Bodyguard

And the Nominees are...



*Chernobyl
*Escape at Dannemora
*Fosse/Verdon
*Sharp Objects
*When They See Us

And the Emmy goes to...

**When They See Us**

It's a coin flip; Chernobyl or When They See Us. Both have major momentum, critical acclaim, and timely stories. Either could win, so this is a gut call; I'm taking When They See Us. Both are searing works, but Netflix's four parter is the more timely of the two, the more socially impactful, and I think voters will eat that up. Also, historically the series with the most acting nominations wins here; When They See Us has eight, Chernobyl three. Trivial, sure, but history usually wins out here.

Power Rankings
1. When They See Us
2. Chernobyl
3. Escape at Dannemora
4. Fosse/Verdon
5. Sharp Objects

And the Nominees are...



*Black Mirror: Bandersnatch
*Brexit
*Deadwood: The Movie
*King Lear
*My Dinner with Hervé

And the Emmy goes to...

**Deadwood: The Movie**

None of them seem to have made much of an impact with voters (not one of these scored acting, directing or writing nominations), but Deadwood did pretty well overall, with eight total nods. Black Mirror's won this one for two straight years, but Bandersnatch felt more like an experiment than an actual story, whereas Deadwood closes out one of the most beloved television series ever. It could be either one, and my gut is telling me to go with the cocksuckers and cunts of Deadwood.

Power Rankings
1. Deadwood: The Movie
2. Black Mirror: Bandersnatch
3. King Lear
4. Brexit
5. My Dinner with Hervé

And the Nominees are...



*The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
*Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
*Jimmy Kimmel Live!
*Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
*The Late Late Show with James Corden
*The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

And the Emmy goes to...

**Last Week Tonight with John Oliver**

Pretty much a done deal. There's always a chance that voters want to change things up, but Oliver has won the last three, and scored nine nominations this year.

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

And the Nominees are...



*At Home with Amy Sedaris
*Documentary Now!
*Drunk History
*I Love You, America with Sarah Silverman
*Saturday Night Live
*Who Is America?

And the Emmy goes to...

**Saturday Night Live**

While I suppose that Documentary Now! might have a shot at spoiler, it was the only other show here to score a writing nomination, SNL is clearly the most visible series here, with 18 nominations, even for a season that most would agree was lackluster at best. It's probably got it's third straight in the bag.

Power Rankings
1. Saturday Night Live
2. Documentary Now!
3. Who is America?
4. Drunk History
5. At Home with Amy Sedaris
6. I Love You, America with Sarah Silverman

And the Nominees are...



*Jason Bateman- Ozark
*Sterling K. Brown- This Is Us
*Kit Harington- Game of Thrones
*Bob Odenkirk- Better Call Saul
*Billy Porter- Pose
*Milo Ventimiglia- This Is Us

And the Emmy goes to...

**Jason Bateman- Ozark**

Of all the acting races this year, this is the one I find toughest to grasp. Bateman won the SAG award, so he should be the de facto favorite, but Ozark's second season is almost a year old. Odenkirk's been here since the beginning, and continues to give an immersive, tricky performance, but Saul's had a difficult time gaining any traction within the TV Academy past nominations. Porter's the breakout performer from a freshman series nominee, and his show's been playing throughout the voting period, but this is a category that usually goes to the hottest shows, or industry veterans who haven't been rewarded before. I expect it to be one of the three above, though Harington could ride a GOT love-fest to the top, and, of those three, Bateman seems to be the safest; despite it's age, Ozark made major leaps in nominations from last year, and he seems quite respected by this body, scoring acting and directing nominations. He's the slight favorite here though, and I could easily see Odenkirk or Porter scoring.

Power Rankings
1. Jason Bateman- "Reparations"
2. Bob Odenkirk- "Winner"
3. Billy Porter- "Love Is the Message"
4. Kit Harington- "The Iron Throne"
5. Sterling K. Brown- "R&B"
6. Milo Ventimiglia- "Sometimes"

And the Nominees are...



*Amy Adams- Sharp Objects
*Patricia Arquette- Escape at Dannemora
*Aunjanue Ellis- When They See Us
*Joey King- The Act
*Niecy Nash- When They See Us
*Michelle Williams- Fosse/Verdon

And the Emmy goes to...

**Michelle Williams- Fosse/Verdon**

This is a very close one. While the whole category is strong, this looks to be a showdown between Arquette and Williams, with Adams possibly playing spoiler, if they split. Arquette surprised many when she swept the Winter awards-season; Critics' Choice, Golden Globe, and SAG Award wins. That's some hefty hardware, indicating a lot of respect for the Oscar winner's performance as the manipulative Tilly Mitchell, and would lead many to believe that she's the runaway favorite; that is until Williams entered the race. Her performance was met with typical acclaim, for her nailing both the real-life figure and her dancing skills. It could go either way, but my feeling is that Williams just has the momentum now; her series is fresher in the mind, and her character is the more typical winner. This is a category that is, almost always, won by women playing heroes and/or suffering spouses, both roles that could fit her character here (less so the former, but still). Arquette's character is many things, but hero she is not. In fact, she's really the villain of the story, and I think that'll hurt her; in the end, voters just wanna be happy, and reward people for playing celebrities that made them happy.

Power Rankings
1. Williams
2. Arquette
3. Adams
4. Nash
5. King
6. Ellis

And the Nominees are...



*Anthony Anderson- Black-ish
*Don Cheadle- Black Monday
*Ted Danson- The Good Place
*Michael Douglas- The Kominsky Method
*Bill Hader- Barry
*Eugene Levy- Schitt's Creek

And the Emmy goes to...

**Bill Hader- Barry**

This one looks like Hader's to lose. He's nominated for five Emmys this year, Barry snagged 17 nomination in total (second most for a comedy series; most for a half-hour series), and his closest competitor's series, Douglas, missed a nomination for top prize (only twice has an actor from a non-series nominated series won this award this decade). Douglas is still a Hollywood legend, so he's got a decent shot, but it appears that the television academy is still in love, if not more this time out, with Barry.

Power Rankings
1. Bill Hader- "The Truth Has a Ring to It"
2. Michael Douglas- "Chapter One: An Actor Avoids"
3. Ted Danson- "The Worst Possible Use of Free Will"
4. Don Cheadle- "365"
5. Eugene Levy- "Rock On!"
6. Anthony Anderson- "Purple Rain"

And the Nominees are...



*Emilia Clarke- Game of Thrones
*Jodie Comer- Killing Eve
*Viola Davis- How to Get Away with Murder
*Laura Linney- Ozark
*Mandy Moore- This Is Us
*Sandra Oh- Killing Eve
*Robin Wright- House of Cards

And the Emmy goes to...

**Sandra Oh- Killing Eve**

I think it'll be Oh. I think. She's the only return nominee, and has won all of the precursors leading up to this for the past year; Critics' Choice, Golden Globe and SAG Awards. There's a problem gnawing at me though; her scene-stealing costar Comer is here too. While I do think Oh's got enough clout to take it, she's been in the industry for a long time and this is her seventh nomination without a victory (not to mention the historical possibility of an Asian-American woman winning this for the first time), Comer is a blast in her breakout role, so much though that I could easily see her taking a lot of votes away from Oh. I don't think Comer could get enough to win over her though (Oh is still the recognizable name of the two), but I could see Clarke or Linney taking it in her place. Despite a lot of problems people had with her character this season, it's hard to argue that Clarke was incredible this season; strong enough to sell the whiplash inducing plot turns of GOT last season (well, strong enough in the moment). She's also been nominated three previous times, so some may see her as being due for her breakthrough role. Linney is, too, a major threat; she's won three previous Emmys, and her role on Ozark was dramatically expanded in the second season, arguably becoming the series' lead. Oh's still the favorite, but this is a very deep roster.

Power Rankings
1. Sandra Oh- "You're Mine"
2. Emilia Clarke- "The Last of the Starks"
3. Laura Linney- "One Way Out"
4. Jodie Comer- "I Hope You Like Missionary!"
5. Robin Wright- "Chapter 70"
6. Viola Davis- "He Betrayed Us Both"
7. Mandy Moore- "The Graduates"

And the Nominees are...



*Mahershala Ali- True Detective
*Benicio Del Toro- Escape at Dannemora
*Hugh Grant- A Very English Scandal
*Jared Harris- Chernobyl
*Jharrel Jerome- When They See Us
*Sam Rockwell- Fosse/Verdon

And the Emmy goes to...

**Jharrel Jerome- When They See Us**

Possibly the finest acting category this year, and maybe the decade, this category is complete with heavy hitters who, in other years, would be easy winners. In this one category, though, there are a few that are getting boxed out; Del Toro and Grant aren't winning, and, likely, neither is Ali. That leaves Harris, Jerome and Rockwell. While strong work, Rockwell may have to settle for the nomination here; the other two are coming from the miniseries with the most heat, and his costar seems to be the more likely winner of the two. Of the final two, it's tough; Harris is subtly superb in his role, drawing on some everyman humanity to make his character into a symbol of truth in an unjust society that values image above all else. It tremendous work. Unfortunately, he's in a category with Jerome. The young star get's the series' showcase in the last episode, giving an emotionally searing performance that resonates at every turn. If "Part Four" had been released in theaters, Jerome would probably be the early favorite for the Oscar. As is, I see his breakout performance as the favorite to win this category.

Power Rankings
1. Jerome
2. Harris
3. Rockwell
4. Ali
5. Del Toro
6. Grant

And the nominees are...



*Christina Applegate- Dead to Me
*Rachel Brosnahan- The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
*Julia Louis-Dreyfus- Veep
*Natasha Lyonne- Russian Doll
*Catherine O'Hara- Schitt's Creek
*Phoebe Waller-Bridge- Fleabag

And the Emmy goes to...

**Julia Louis-Dreyfus- Veep**

Despite this being the strongest that this category has been in about a decade, it also looks pretty sewn-up. While she's not a lock, it would be a huge surprise if Louis-Dreyfus doesn't win again. She's won for the previous six seasons of Veep, and each year had plenty of strong competition. Though it's been a couple of years, I'd say the love for her continues one last time.

Power Rankings
1. Julia Louis-Dreyfus- "Veep"
2. Rachel Brosnahan- "Midnight at the Concord"
3. Phoebe Waller-Bridge- "Episode 1"
4. Natasha Lyonne- "Nothing in This World Is Easy"
5. Catherine O'Hara- "The Crowening"
6. Christina Applegate- "I've Gotta Get Away"

And the Nominees are...



*Alfie Allen- Game of Thrones
*Jonathan Banks- Better Call Saul
*Nikolaj Coster-Waldau- Game of Thrones
*Peter Dinklage- Game of Thrones
*Giancarlo Esposito- Better Call Saul
*Michael Kelly- House of Cards
*Chris Sullivan- This Is Us

And the Emmy goes to...

**Peter Dinklage- Game of Thrones**

Where the multiple nominees for GOT may hurt it in other categories, this one looks fairly immune; Dinklage will always be the most beloved of the Thrones cast, and stand out in any pack. While I think Coster-Waldau could have an outside shot, if enough voters want to finally spread the love (or even Banks if there was enough for a split), I'd say that Dinklage will take his fourth, making him the winningest man ever in this category.

Power Rankings
1. Peter Dinklage- "The Iron Throne"
2. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau- "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms"
3. Jonathan Banks- "Winner"
4. Michael Kelly- "Chapter 73"
5. Alfie Allen- "The Long Night"
6. Giancarlo Esposito- "Piñata"
7. Chris Sullivan- "Toby"

And the Nominees are...



*Patricia Arquette- The Act
*Marsha Stephanie Blake- When They See Us
*Patricia Clarkson- Sharp Objects
*Vera Farmiga- When They See Us
*Margaret Qualley- Fosse/Verdon
*Emily Watson- Chernobyl

And the Emmy goes to...

**Patricia Clarkson- Sharp Objects**

This one looks to come down to the Patricias. Clarkson has been the heavy favorite since Sharp Objects premiered, and the precursors have helped to cement that; she won the Golden Globe and Critics' Choice Awards, and scored a nomination from the Screen Actors Guild. She's also one of those actors that's exceptionally respected, and has a few Emmys already; i.e. an easy pick. That said, it's been over a year since the show ended, and the series didn't quite hit it out of the park with the TV Academy (it did well, but it was certainly overshadowed). This could certainly work to Arquette and other's advantage. Arquette's in a tough lead category, and many could see this as an opportunity to award both roles. Again though, there are four other women that could take votes from her; Watson was in the beloved Chernobyl giving a strong performance; Farmiga's been nominated before, and people could see her as due; voters often go for younger up-starts, and Qualley has been on the rise lately. Clarkson's the favorite, but not the runaway favorite.

Power Rankings
1. Patricia Clarkson- "Closer"
2. Patricia Arquette- "Teeth"
3. Emily Watson- "Open Wide, O Earth"
4. Vera Farmiga- "Part Two"
5. Margaret Qualley- "Where Am I Going?"
6. Marsha Stephanie Blake- "Part Three"

And the Nominees are...



*Alan Arkin- The Kominsky Method
*Anthony Carrigan- Barry
*Tony Hale- Veep
*Stephen Root- Barry
*Tony Shalhoub- The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
*Henry Winkler- Barry

And the Emmy goes to...

**Alan Arkin- The Kominsky Method**

I've got no real clue here; it's a genuine stumper. I think the Barry guys will cancel each other out, making it tough for Winkler to repeat. He had a solid season, but Carrigan and Root had excellent seasons; i.e. too much competition from one show. That leaves Arkin, Hale and Shalhoub. Hale's been nominated six times, winning twice for his work on Veep; if he hadn't won before, I'd probably go with him, but there doesn't seem to be too much heat behind him this time. It doesn't help that Arkin and Shalhoub had more to do on their respective series. With the last two, it's a tough choice; Shalhoub won the SAG award over Arkin earlier in the year, and has three Emmys from his work on Monk. He's clearly a beloved figure with this voting body. That said, Arkin is an Oscar-winning legend who's never won an Emmy. There's a lot going on here, but I think Arkin's clout will score him the win.

Power Rankings
1. Alan Arkin- "Chapter Two: An Agent Grieves"
2. Tony Shalhoub- "We're Going to the Catskills!"
3. Tony Hale- "Veep"
4. Henry Winkler- "What?!"
5. Stephen Root- "berkman - block"
6. Anthony Carrigan- "Past = Present x Future Over Yesterday"

And the nominees are...



*Gwendoline Christie- Game of Thrones
*Julia Garner- Ozark
*Lena Headey- Game of Thrones
*Fiona Shaw- Killing Eve
*Sophie Turner- Game of Thrones
*Maisie Williams- Game of Thrones

And the Emmy goes to...

**Julia Garner- Ozark**

In theory, this should be one that GOT takes, easy; it's the biggest show around, the women took over in later seasons, and it's scored the most nominations for a series in this category in a single year with four. While those are some major achievements, I think they'll also prove to be a hindrance; with four women, with strong strong support, nominated, I see each of them pulling votes from the other. There's no real, clear favorite among the four; Headey's on her fifth nomination, which would normally tip it to her, but her role this season was more of a glorified cameo. Christie and Williams will, likely, split votes for the spot of "sentimental favorite", and Turner was, probably, never going to win anyway. With that in mind, I see Garner taking a well-deserve win; she's the only of the bunch to score a SAG nomination, and her breakout work has been a major part of Ozark's success.

Power Rankings
1. Julia Garner- "The Gold Coast"
2. Lena Headey- "The Bells"
3. Maisie Williams- "The Long Night"
4. Gwendoline Christie- "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms"
5. Sophie Turner- "Winterfell"
6. Fiona Shaw- "Nice and Neat"

And the nominees are...



*Asante Blackk- When They See Us
*Paul Dano- Escape at Dannemora
*John Leguizamo- When They See Us
*Stellan Skarsgård- Chernobyl
*Ben Whishaw- A Very English Scandal
*Michael K. Williams- When They See Us

And the Emmy goes to...

**Ben Whishaw- A Very English Scandal**

Another supporting miniseries category that's had a favorite for a year; Whishaw is the slight favorite here. Despite his series being the only one not to score a limited series nod (historically not a great sign), he won the only to major precursors that have been awarded (Golden Globe, Critics' Choice), and his role is just the right combination of fussy and emotional that, usually, goes over well for voters. It also helps that it's a crowded field with no true spoiler; Dano would be the nominal choice, but Dannemora's buzz has cooled and his work may be to underplayed to elicit enough respect. Then you have the, likely, vote splitting of the three See Us nominees. Williams would be the most likely of the bunch to squeak in this is his third nomination, the show has the momentum, and he's a highly respected actor. That said, his presence in the series tapers as it goes on (though it is, quite, seering), and with two other nominees for the series, it may be difficult to get a leg up. Then you've got Skarsgård, who could win if everybody splits, which isn't totally out of the question. I'm not too confident, but Whishaw seems like the safest bet.

Power Rankings
1. Ben Whishaw- "Episode 3"
2. Paul Dano- "Part 7"
3. Michael K. Williams- "Part One"
4. Stellan Skarsgård- "Please Remain Calm"
5. John Leguizamo- "Part Three"
6. Asante Blackk- "Part One"

And the Nominees are...



*Alex Borstein- The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
*Anna Chlumsky- Veep
*Sian Clifford- Fleabag
*Olivia Colman- Fleabag
*Betty Gilpin- GLOW
*Sarah Goldberg- Barry
*Marin Hinkle- The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
*Kate McKinnon- Saturday Night Live

And the Emmy goes to...

**Alex Borstein- The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel**

For the third time in five years, this category expands to fit eight nominees. With so many nominees, things could a litany of different ways. That said, there are, really, about four women who I think have a great shot; Borstein, Chlumsky, Colman and McKinnon. McKinnon's the more outside shot of the bunch; she's won twice, but there's not much fire behind her this season. She's SNL's brightest star, but the show was cooly received this time out; maybe next time. Chlumsky could, finally, take the award that's long eluded her; it's her sixth nomination. Unfortunately, the last few seasons never gave her much to work with and, while she could garner some sympathy votes, that'll probably hurt her this time. That leaves Borstein and Colman, with my gut saying that the former will take her second in a row. In terms of material, it's a no-brainer; Borstein had a much larger impact on her series, with more screentime and more to do. Colman, though, is coming off of a whirlwind awards-season that culminated in her winning an Oscar; i.e. she's got a lot of heat. Emmy voters have shirked the Film Academy winners over the past few years though; a way of saying that they don't have to take the big-screen's lead. It also helps that of the eight awards given this decade, six have come from consecutive winners (Julie Bowen, Allison Janney, Kate McKinnon); i.e. they like to keep the love focused for a couple of years. It a close race though, with any of these eight woman having some chance.

Power Rankings
1. Alex Borstein- "Vote for Kennedy, Vote for Kennedy"
2. Olivia Colman- "Episode 4"
3. Anna Chlumsky- "Pledge"
4. Kate McKinnon- "Host: Liev Schreiber"
5. Marin Hinkle- "Simone"
6. Sian Clifford- "Episode 3"
7. Betty Gilpin- "Mother of All Matches"
8. Sarah Goldberg- "The Audition"

And the Nominees are...



*Better Call Saul- Peter Gould & Thomas Schnauz (Episode: "Winner")
*Bodyguard- Jed Mercurio (Episode: "Episode 1")
*Game of Thrones- David Benioff & D.B. Weiss (Episode: "The Iron Throne")
*The Handmaid's Tale- Bruce Miller & Kira Snyder (Episode: "Holly")
*Killing Eve- Emerald Fennell (Episode: "Nice and Neat")
*Succession- Jesse Armstrong (Episode: "Nobody Is Ever Missing")
And the Emmy goes to...

**Peter Gould & Thomas Schnauz- Better Call Saul**

I don't have a goddamn clue. I'm going with Saul, but I could see it going to any of these scoring a win. It's the weirdest category of the year.

Power Rankings
1. "Winner"
2. "Nice and Neat"
3. "Nobody Is Ever Missing"
4. "The Iron Throne"
5. "Episode 1"
6. "Holly"

And the Nominees are...



*Barry- Alec Berg & Bill Hader (Episode: "ronny/lily")
*Fleabag- Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Episode: "Episode 1")
*The Good Place- Josh Siegal & Dylan Morgan (Episode: "Janet(s)")
*Pen15- Maya Erksine & Anna Konkle (Episode: "Anna Ishii-Peters")
*Russian Doll- Natsha Lyonne, Leslye Headland and Amy Poehler (Episode: "Nothing in This World is Easy")
*Russian Doll- Allison Silverman (Episode: "A Warm Body")
*Veep- David Mandel (Episode: "Veep")

And the Emmy goes to...

**Phoebe Waller-Bridge- Fleabag**

It's a close one, but I think this is where Waller-Bridge will get recognized. With a whopping 11 nominations, Fleabag not only surprised many, but blew away even the most reserved expectations ("Maybe series, actress and writing, but 11?"). While I think Veep will probably take Actress from her, writing is the perfect place to recognize the show's brilliance. Mandel's series finale is a tough competitor though; it's a brutal, pitch-black end to the satirical hit, and one of the series' best episodes. The fact that it is the show's final spot, as well as the fact that such a hit show has only won one writing award, may incline voters to give it a goodbye hug. Voters aren't really known for being sentimental though (final seasons and finales often go unrewarded), so Fleabag feels like the right call.

Power Rankings
1. "Episode 1"
2. "Veep"
3. "ronny/lily"
4. "Nothing In This World is Easy"
5. "Janet(s)"
6. "A Warm Body"
7. "Anna Ishii-Peters"

And the Nominees are...



*Chernobyl- Craig Mazin
*Escape at Dannemora- Brett Johnson, Michael Tolkin and Jerry Stahl (Episode: "Part 6")
*Escape at Dannemora- Brett Johnson & Michael Tolkin (Episode: "Part 7")
*Fosse/Verdon- Joel Fields and Steven Levenson (Episode: "Providence")
*A Very English Scandal- Russell T Davies
*When They See Us- Ava DuVernay and Michael Starrbury (Episode: "Part Four")

And the Emmy goes to...

**Craig Mazin- Chernobyl**

While they may be in a contentious battle in most categories, I think Mazin's got a leg in writing over When They See Us. While the latter has a strong emotional current giving, specifically, from it's filmmaking, Chernobyl's comes from it's storytelling, it's attention to detail, and it's uncovering of hidden truths. It's such an informative series that it'll probably be shown in history classes, as well as storytelling ones; marrying it's information with a vital story about truth. Either could win, or one of the Escape from Dannemora's could surprise (though with two parts nominated, it may be tough for one to stand apart), but Chernobyl, to me, has a small edge.

Power Rankings
1. Chernobyl
2. "Part Four"
3. "Part 7"
4. "Part 6"
5. A Very English Scandal
6. "Providence"

And the nominees are...

*Documentary Now!
*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

And the Emmy goes to...

**Last Week Tonight with John Oliver**

And the Nominees are...



*Alec Berg- Barry (Episode: "The Audition")
*Harry Bradbeer- Fleabag (Episode: "Episode 1")
*Mark Cendrowski- The Big Bang Theory (Episode: "The Stockholm Syndrome")
*Bill Hader- Barry (Episode: "ronny/lily")
*Daniel Palladino- The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Episode: "We're Going to the Catskills!")
*Amy Sherman-Palladino- The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Episode: "All Alone")

And the Emmy goes to...

**Bill Hader- Barry**

Hader seems like the easy choice. "ronny/lily" was, arguably, the most distinct episode of television of the year, so far; a singular work of dream logic and heightened comedy. Then again, so too was last year's "Teddy Perkins", and it lost. Barry's in a similar situation this year; one greatly admired episode is nominated with a respected one from the same series. Could Berg's "The Audition" split voters? It's possible, but there are a few things that Hader has going for him that "Teddy Perkins"' Hiro Murai didn't. Firstly, as respected as Berg is, Atlanta's other submission last year came from series' creator Donald Glover, who'd won the previous year; i.e. a tougher split than this one. Second, last year's winner, Amy Sherman-Palladino, is nominated alongside another Mrs. Maisel submission, which was not the case last year. While voters may want to go for the show again, it's hard to say that "All Alone" has the same heft as "We're Going to the Catskills!"; a harder split than Barry's got. Bradbeer has a shot if all of those split but, while strong, Fleabag's writing will outshine it's directing every time. It's another close one, but I'll take Hader to win his second of the night.

Power Rankings
1. "ronny/lily"
2. "All Alone"
3. "We're Going to the Catskills!"
4. "The Audition"
5. "Episode 1"
6. "The Stockholm Syndrome"

And the Nominees are...



*Jason Bateman- Ozark (Episode: "Reparations")
*David Benioff & D.B. Weiss- Game of Thrones (Episode: "The Iron Throne")
*Lisa Brühlmann- Killing Eve (Episode: "Desperate Times")
*Adam McKay- Succession (Episode: "Celebration")
*David Nutter- Game of Thrones (Episode:"The Last of the Starks")
*Daina Reid- The Handmaid's Tale (Episode: "Holly")
*Miguel Sapochnik- Game of Thrones (Episode: "The Long Night")

And the Emmy goes to...

**Miguel Sapochnik- Game of Thrones**

I'm a bit shaky here. It looks to be too easy to go for Thrones here, but too damn hard to pass up. With three submissions here, there's a strong chance that they could split votes, resulting in another series win. Historically, series with three or more nominations here have had a hard time winning; only five times has it happened, and it's been 25 years since (and that year NYPD Blue had four of the five slots, so it would've taken a hell of a lot of vote splitting). Even just last year the series had a hard time with this, when only two submissions split the vote. With all of that said, however, there are some major differences this time. First, there's a clear favorite of the bunch; Sapochnik's a previous winner here, for another major battle ("of the Bastards", and "The Long Night" is, clearly, the biggest. Despite problems with the lighting of the episode, the scale of the production is, clearly, the biggest that television has ever seen. It also helps that there's no real spoiler (granted, that could be said last year when The Crown won, in a shocker). It could go a few ways, but Sapochnik winning his second seems the most likely.

Power Rankings
1. "The Long Night"
2. "The Iron Throne"
3. "Holly"
4. "Reparations"
5. "Desperate Times"
6. "The Last of the Starks"
7. "Celebration"

And the Nominees are...



*Ava DuVernay- When They See Us
*Stephen Frears- A Very English Scandal
*Thomas Kail- Fosse/Verdon (Episode: "Who's Got the Pain")
*Johan Renck- Chernobyl
*Ben Stiller- Escape at Dannemora
*Jessica Yu- Fosse/Verdon (Episode: "Glory")

And the Emmy goes to...

**Ava DuVernay- When They See Us**

An exceedingly loaded category that holds four series for one single directorial voice; i.e. it's a tough one to call. My gut, and head, says that DuVernay is the favorite; When They See Us has a lot of heat behind it, and most of that from the emotion that her filmmaking brings. From the claustrophobia and indignation of injustices on display, DuVernay packs her series full of sobering moments, along with some beautifully joyous ones. While Stiller and Renck did some extraordinary work on their projects (Stiller, in particular, possibly made the closest thing to a 1970s thriller since that decade ended), this is DuVernay's to lose.

Power Rankings
1. When They See Us
2. Escape at Dannemora
3. Chernobyl
4. "Glory"
5. "Who's Got the Pain"
6. A Very English Scandal

And the Nominees are...



*Documentary Now!- Alex Buono & Rhys Thomas (Episode: "Waiting for the Artist")
*Drunk History- Derek Waters (Episode: "Are You Afraid of the Drunk?")
*Last Week Tonight with John Oliver- Paul Pennolino (Episode: "Psychics")
*The Late Show with Stephen Colbert- Jim Hoskinson (Episode: "Live Midterm Election Show")
*Saturday Night Live- Don Roy KingHost: Adam Sandler")
*Who Is America?- Sacha Baron Cohen, Nathan Fielder, Daniel Gray Longino and Dan Mazer (Episode: "Episode 102")

And the Emmy goes to...

**Don Roy King- Saturday Night Live**

Power Rankings
1. "Host: Adam Sandler"
2. "Psychics"
3. "Waiting for the Artist"
4. "Live Midterm Election Show"
5. "Are You Afraid of the Drunk?"
6. "Episode 102"

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


Best Structured Reality Program
**Queer Eye**


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


Best Variety Special (Live)
**Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's All in the Family and The Jeffersons **


Best Variety Special (Pre-Recorded)
**Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé**


Best Informational Series or Special
**Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown**


Best Documentary or Nonfiction Series
**Our Planet**


Best Documentary or Nonfiction Special
**Leaving Neverland**


Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking
**RBG**


Best Animated Program
**BoJack Horseman (Episode: "Free Churro")**


Best Short-Format Animated Program
**Love, Death & Robots (Episode: "The Witness")**


Best Children's Program
**When You Wish Upon a Pickle: A Sesame Street Special**


Best Short Form Comedy or Drama Series
**Hack Into Broad City**


Best Short Form Nonfiction or Reality Series
**Pose: Identity, Family, Community (Inside Look)**


Best Short Form Variety Series
**Carpool Karaoke: The Series**


Best Original Interactive Program
**First Man VR**


Best Interactive Program
**Last Week Tonight with John Oliver**


Best Creative Achievement in Interactive Media Within a Scripted Program
**Black Mirror: Bandersnatch**


Best Creative Achievement in Interactive Media Within an Unscripted Program
**Conan Without Borders Japan & Australia**

Best Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
**John Mulaney- Saturday Night Live**


Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
**Jane Lynch- The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel**


Best Guest Actress in a Drama Series
**Phylicia Rashad- This Is Us**


Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series
**Michael McKean- Better Call Saul**


Best Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series
**Chris O'Dowd- State of the Union**


Best Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series
**Rosamund Pike- State of the Union**


Best Character Voice-Over Performance
**Eric Jacobson- Sesame Street (Episode: "When You Wish Upon a Pickle")**


Best Narrator
**Angela Bassett- The Flood (Episode: "First Pulse")**

Best Casting for a Comedy Series
**Cindy Tolan- The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel**


Best Casting for a Drama Series
**Nina Gold, Robert Sterne, Carla Stronge- Game of Thrones**


Best Casting for a Limited Series, Movie, or Special
**Aisha Coley, Billy Hopkins, Ashley Ingram- When They See Us**


Best Casting for a Reality Program
**Goloka Bolte and Ethan Petersen- RuPaul's Drag Race**


Best Choreography for Variety and Reality Programming
**Luther Brown- So You Think You Can Dance (Routines: "Juice"/"Bump"/"Yummy")**

Best Cinematography for a Multi-Camera Series
**Gary Baum- Will & Grace (Episode: "Family, Trip")**


Best Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (Half-Hour)
**Tod Campbell- Homecoming (Episode: "Optics")**


Best Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (One-Hour)
**Jonathan Freeman- Game of Thrones (Episode: "The Iron Throne")**


Best Cinematography for a Limited Series or Movie
**David Klein- Deadwood: The Movie**


Best Cinematography for Nonfiction Programming
**Jimmy Chin, Clair Popkin, Mikey Schaefer- Free Solo**


Best Cinematography for Reality Programming
**Garrett Rose- Queer Eye (Episode: "God Bless Gay")**

Best Commercial
**"Point of View"**


Best Costumes for a Period Series
**Donna Zakowska, Marina Reti, Tim McKelvey- The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Episode: "We're Going to the Catskills!")**


Best Costumes for a Fantasy/Sci-Fi Series
**Michele Clapton, Emma O'Loughlin, Kate O'Farrell- Game of Thrones
(Episode: "The Bells")**


Best Costumes for a Contemporary Series
**Alix Friedberg, Shawn Barry- Sharp Objects (Episode: "Closer")**


Best Costumes for a Variety, Nonfiction, or Reality Series
**Zaldy Goco, Art Conn- RuPaul's Drag Race (Episode: "Trump: The Rusical")**

Best Directing for Nonfiction Programming
*Dan Reed- Leaving Neverland**


Best Directing for a Variety Special
**James Burrows and Andy Fisher- Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's All in the Family and The Jeffersons**


Best Directing for a Reality Program
**Hisham Abed- Queer Eye**

Best Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series
**Pose (Episode: "Pilot")**


Best Hairstyling for a Multi-Camera Series or Special
**RuPaul's Drag Race (Episode: "Trump: The Rusical")**


Best Hairstyling for a Limited Series or Movie
**Fosse/Verdon**


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


Best Lighting Design / Lighting Direction for a Variety Series
**Dancing with the Stars (Episode: "Live Finale (Part 1)")**


Best Lighting Design / Lighting Direction for a Variety Special
**RENT**

Best Main Title Design
**Game of Thrones**


Best Make-up for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic)
**Pose (Episode: "Pilot")**


Best Make-up for a Multi-Camera Series or Special (Non-Prosthetic)
**RuPaul's Drag Race (Episode: "Trump: The Rusical")**


Best Make-up for a Limited Series or Movie (Non-Prosthetic)
**Chernobyl**


Best Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Limited Series, Movie, or Special
**Game of Thrones (Episode: "The Long Night")**

Best Music Composition for a Series
**Ramin Djawadi- Game of Thrones (Episode: "The Long Night")**


Best Music Composition for a Limited Series, Movie, or Special
**Kris Bowers- When They See Us (Episode: "Part Two")**


Best Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special
**Steven Price- Our Planet (Episode: "One Planet")**


Best Music Direction
**Alex Lacamoire- Fosse/Verdon (Episode: "Life is a Cabaret")**


Best Original Music and Lyrics
**Documentary Now!- "Holiday Party (I Did A Little Cocaine Tonight)" (Episode: "Original Cast Album: Co-op")**


Best Music Supervision
**Sean O'Meara- Fosse/Verdon (Episode: "Life is a Cabaret")**


Best Original Main Title Theme Music
**Nicholas Brittell- Succession**

Theme

Best Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series
**Tim Porter- Game of Thrones (Episode: "The Long Night")**


Best Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series
**Laura Weinberg- Russian Doll (Episode: "Ariadne")**


Best Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Limited Series or Movie
**Tim Streeto- Fosse/Verdon (Episode: "Life is a Cabaret")**


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


Best Picture Editing for Variety Programming
**Ryan Barger- Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
(Segment: "The Wax & The Furious")**


Best Picture Editing for Nonfiction Programming
**Bob Eisenhardt- Free Solo**


Best Picture Editing for a Structured or Competition Reality Program
**Joseph Deshano, Matthew Miller, Ryan Taylor, Carlos Gamarra, Iain Tibbles and Tony Zajkowski- Queer Eye**


Best Picture Editing for an Unstructured Reality Program
**Alessandro Soares- United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell
(Episode: "Hmong Americans and the Secret War")**

Best Production Design for a Contemporary Program (One Hour or More)
**Laurence Dorman, Beckie Harvey, Linda Wilson- Killing Eve
(Episode: "The Hungry Caterpillar")**


Best Production Design for a Period or Fantasy Program (One Hour or More)
**Deborah Riley, Paul Ghirardani, Rob Cameron- Game of Thrones
(Episode: "The Bells")**


Best Production Design for a Narrative Program (Half-Hour of Less)
**Jim Gloster, Andrew Leitch, Kimberly Wannop, David Smith- Veep
(Episode: "Veep")**



Best Production Design for a Variety, Nonfiction, Reality, or Competition Series
**Saturday Night Live (Episodes: "Host: John Mulaney", "Host: Emma Stone")**


Best Production Design for a Variety, Nonfiction, Event, or Award Special
**Bernard Vyzga, Richard Rohrer, Ron Olsen- Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's All in the Family and The Jeffersons**

Best Sound Editing for a Series (One-Hour)
**Game of Thrones (Episode: "The Long Night")**

Best Sound Editing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Special
**Chernobyl (Episode: "1:23:45")**

Best Sound Editing for a Series (Half-Hour) and Animation
**Barry (Episode: "ronny/lily")**

Best Sound Editing for Nonfiction Programming
**Our Planet (Episode: "Frozen World")**

Best Sound Mixing for Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour)
**Game of Thrones (Episode: "The Long Night")**

Best Sound Mixing for a Limited Series or Movie
**Fosse/Verdon (Episode: "All I Care About is Love")

Best Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and Animation
**Barry (Episode: "ronny/lily")**

Best Sound Mixing for a Variety Series or Special
**The Oscars**

Best Sound Mixing for Nonfiction Programming
**Our Planet (Episode: "One Planet")**

Best Special Visual Effects
**Game of Thrones (Episode: "The Bells")**


Best Special Visual Effects in a Supporting Role
**Chernobyl (Episode: "1:23:45")**


Best Stunt Coordination for a Comedy Series
**GLOW**


Best Stunt Coordination for a Drama Series
**Game of Thrones**

Best Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video Control for a Series
**Saturday Night Live (Episode: "Host: Adam Sandler")**

Best Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video Control for a Limited Series, Movie, or Special
**The 72nd Annual Tony Awards**

Best Writing for Nonfiction Programming
**Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown (Episode: "Kenya")**

Best Writing for a Variety Special
**Hannah Gadsby: Nanette**