Emmys 2024: Who will (and should) get nominations this year?

Succession, you are missed. In the absence of last year’s winner along with no Better Call Saul, The White Lotus, and Yellowjackets, the door is open for new entrants like the delightful cringefest The Curse and Prime Video’s retooled Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Fallout could fill the video-game adaptation void without The Last Of Us, too. And if you thought Game Of Thrones creators D.B. Weiss and David Benioff were goners, think again: 3 Body Problem is a major contender as well.

They’ll have to battle Emmy favorite The Crown’s final season. Netflix’s royal drama has swept the category before and is a certain lock for one of the eight slots. It was probably favored to win before FX’s Shōgun switched from Limited Series to Drama. They’re now the big shows to reckon with. Among other possibilities lie the juicy The Gilded Age season two and The Morning Show season three. If there were a surprise, though, it would be a big franchise like Loki, Ahsoka, or Star Trek: The Next Generation.

However, if voters want to branch out before casting ballots, as they desperately need to, it’s time to reward underrated gems like AMC’s Dark Winds, Max’s Tokyo Vice, FX’s Justified: City Primeval, and Apple TV+’s Silo (each far superior to The Morning Show).

Predicted nominees:
3 Body Problem
The Crown
The Curse
Fallout
The Gilded Age
The Morning Show
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Shōgun

Wild card: Slow Horses. Unless Loki sneaks in, this British spy thriller might just get its due.

Should be a contender: Dark Winds

The Academy loves nominating big stars. The Morning Show’s Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon fit the bill, plus their over-the-top storylines and performances are definitely Emmy bait. The Crown’s Imelda Staunton shockingly didn’t get a nod for season five but that will be rectified now—gain, the lack of Sarah Snook and Melanie Lynskey helps—so she can follow the tradition of previous Queen Elizabeth portrayers Claire Foy and Olivia Colman. The knockout turns of Anna Sawai in Shōgun and Emma Stone in The Curse will get well-deserved recognition as well.

The final spot is a gamble. The chances of HBO’s The Gilded Age doing well this year are high so Carrie Coon, who frustratingly didn’t get a single nomination for The Leftovers, could earn it. Other terrific performances that could beat the odds are Mr. & Mrs. Smith’s Maya Erskine, Fallout’s Ella Purnell, or The New Look’s Juliette Binoche. As always, some terrific ones will slip under the radar like Danai Gurira in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, Rebecca Ferguson in Silo, and Jess Hong in 3 Body Problem, whose outstanding work grounds a labyrinthine series.

Predicted nominees:
Jennifer Aniston, The Morning Show
Carrie Coon, The Gilded Age
Anna Sawai, Shōgun
Imelda Staunton, The Crown
Emma Stone, The Curse
Reese Witherspoon, The Morning Show

Wild card: Maya Erskine, Mr. & Mrs. Smith

Should be a contender: Jess Hong, 3 Body Problem

Succession has ruled over this category recently, so it’s a field day for the rest of the drama actors. If good sense prevailed, Dark Winds’ Zahn McClarnon would be a top contender for his sublime work in season two. Ditto for Timothy Olyphant for bringing Raylan Givens back in Justified: City Primeval. But it’s a competitive lineup this year with Shōgun’s Hiroyuki Sanada and Cosmo Jarvis in the running along with The Crown’s Dominic West.

This also might be the year for Slow Horses’ Gary Oldman unless Loki’s Tom Hiddleston is favored. It’s fair to bet on Fallout’s Walton Goggins and Mr. & Mrs. Smith’s Donald Glover as well in a strong showing from Prime Video. Don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten about Nathan Fielder’s bizarre turn in The Curse, and we hope the voters don’t either. And a few high-profile names who may find a way into the mix are Colin Farrell in Sugar, Ben Mendelsohn in The New Look, and Morgan Spector in The Gilded Age.

Predicted nominees:
Donald Glover, Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Walton Goggins, Fallout
Cosmo Jarvis, Shōgun
Gary Oldman, Slow Horses
Hiroyuki Sanada, Shōgun
Dominic West, The Crown

Wild card: Nathan Fielder, The Curse

Should be a contender: Zahn McClarnon, Dark Winds

With eight nominees allowed in this category per Emmy rules, expect a bunch of repetitions from the Drama Series picks: The Morning Show’s Greta Lee and Nicole Beharie, The Gilded Age’s Christine Baranski and Cynthia Nixon, Shōgun’s Moeka Hoshi and Fumi Nikaodo, and The Crown’s Elizabeth Debicki and Lesley Manville. Yes, the lineup sounds boring, but most are worth the recognition, especially Debicki, Lee, and Hoshi. TMS also has Karen Pittman, Holland Taylor, and Juliana Marguiles if voters want to go all out for it (let’s pray they don’t), and TGA boasts a terrific Audra McDonald performance.

But who else could find their way in? If Slow Horses does well with voters, Kristin Scott Thomas, who plays the icy Diana Taverner, is our bet. Fallout’s success could bode well for Leslie Uggams. 3 Body Problem could swoop in with Rosalind Chao, plus there’s Loki’s Sophia di Martino and Sugar’s Amy Ryan. And we’ll be left wondering whom to beg to recognize all things Dark Winds and Jessica Matten in season two.

Predicted nominees:
Christine Baranski, The Gilded Age
Nicole Beharie, The Morning Show
Elizabeth Debicki, The Crown
Moeka Hoshi, Shōgun
Greta Lee, The Morning Show
Lesley Manville, The Crown
Fumi Nikaodo, Shōgun
Cynthia Nixon, The Gilded Age

Wild card: Kristin Scott Thomas, Slow Horses

Should be a contender: Jessica Matten, Dark Winds

Once again, multiple entrants from the same shows will make their presence felt here. The Morning Show’s past winner Billy Crudup will likely get a nod alongside by Mark Duplass and Jon Hamm, who joined season three. The Crown’s Khalid Abdala and Jonathan Pryce, who played Dodi Fayed and King Philip, are favorites, too. (Perhaps Salim Daw will bring another nom for the show’s final run?) Meanwhile, Shōgun’s Tadanobu Asano is a lock, and his co-star Takehiro Hira has a strong chance.

As for the rest, The Gilded Age’s Nathan Lane, Loki’s Ke Huy Quan, and The Curse’s Benny Safdie feel promising. This means the chances of 3 Body Problem’s Benedict Wong or Liam Cunningham are pretty low. And forget about the fun performances from Monarch: Legacy Of Monster’s father-son duo, Kurt and Wyatt Russell. Plus, although we think Vondie Hall-Curtis and Boyd Holbrook were excellent in Justified: City Primeval, voters might not have paid attention to that revival.

Predicted nominees:
Khalid Abdalla, The Crown
Tadanobu Asano, Shōgun
Billy Crudup, The Morning Show
Jon Hamm, The Morning Show
Nathan Lane, The Gilded Age
Jonathan Pryce, The Crown
Benny Safdie, The Curse
Ke Huy Quan, Loki

Wild card: Jack Lowden, Slow Horses

Should be a contender: Vondie Hall-Curtis, Justified: City Primeval

What constitutes a comedy at the Emmys has been a hot debate. If it’s TV shows with substance that elicit non-stop laughter, then Girls5eva and The Other Two should be top choices. But they’ll be left behind due to intense competition from other returning favorites like Abbott Elementary, The Bear, and Hacks. But remember: This is the last time Reservation Dogs can be nominated, so the voters had better act wisely in the interest of FX’s extraordinary series.

Let’s go back to that comedy debate because Netflix’s Guy Ritchie dramedy The Gentlemen is a hot contender along with Prime Video’s Gen V. You’re right to be suspicious because these 40-minute shows aren’t necessarily the right fit alongside What We Do In The Shadows or Curb Your Enthusiasm. A more long-term solution is necessary, as underrated comedies like We Are Lady Parts, I’m A Virgo, Ghosts, The Righteous Gemstones, and Colin From Accounts deserve a spotlight.

Predicted nominees:
Abbott Elementary
The Bear
Curb Your Enthusiasm
The Gentlemen
Hacks
Only Murders In The Building
Reservation Dogs
What We Do In The Shadows

Wild card: I’m A Virgo

Should be a contender: We Are Lady Parts and The Other Two

Previous winners Jean Smart, Quinta Brunson, and Ayo Edebiri (who moves from supporting to lead) are bound to get nods. That said, Res Dogs’ Devery Jacobs, who has been snubbed so far, is a strong contender unless voters go for SNL alums Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig. Their respective Apple TV+ shows, Loot and Palm Royale, aren’t critically acclaimed, but they’re both talented and famous, so...you know.

If they both make it in, they might edge out Only Murders In The Building’s Selena Gomez and WWDITS’ Natasia Demetriou, not to to mention The Other Two’s Helene Yorke, Girls5eva’s Renée Elise Goldsberry, Never Have I Ever’s Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, We Are Lady Parts’ Anjana Vasan, The Righteous Gemstones’ Edi Patterson. Yorke and Goldsberry have, in particular, made us laugh out loud the most, which would make them frontrunnes for a comedy category in an ideal word.

Predicted nominees:
Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary
Ayo Edebiri, The Bear
Devery Jacobs, Reservation Dogs
Maya Rudolph, Loot
Jean Smart, Hacks

Wild card: Kristen Wiig, Palm Royale

Should be a contender: Renée Elise Goldsberry, Girls5eva

Like the previous category, Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series is packed mostly with repeats. OMITB’s Steve Martin and Martin Short, The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White, and Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Larry David are favorites. The fifth pick may well go to The Gentlemen’s Theo James. Or voters could have a soft spot for Kelsey Grammar and Frasier nostalgia. It vastly reduces the chances of I’m A Virgo’s Jharrel Jerome, whose astounding performance shouldn’t go unnoticed. His won’t be the only one because the Academy should frustratingly overlook The Other Two’s Drew Tarver, Res Dogs’ D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, and WWDITS’ Kayvan Novak and Matt Berry. We must also give an honorable mention to Resident Alien’s Alan Tudyk. We haven’t seen a commitment to physical comedy like that on TV in a long time.

Predicted nominees:
Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm
Theo James, The Gentlemen
Steve Martin, Only Murders In The Building
Martin Short, Only Murders In The Building
Jeremy Allen White, The Bear

Wild card: Jharrel Jerome, I’m A Virgo

Should be a contender: Drew Tarver, The Other Two 

Hannah Einbinder’s stunning turn in Hacks season three makes her the one to watch out for. She’s rivaled by three talented Abbott Elementary stars and Abby Elliott and Lisa Colon-Zayas, who will join the rest of The Bear’s ensemble for Emmy bragging rights. They’re all deserving of merit but focusing on the same TV shows annoyingly ices out other worthy performers.

For one, Paulina Alexis has been a Res Dogs MVP throughout without any recognition. For another, Rebecca Wisocky and Danielle Pinnock elevate Ghosts’ ensemble. And Michaela Jaé Rodriguez nicely shows off her comedic chops in Loot after a drama like Pose. Lastly, Busy Phillipps and Paula Pell severely upped their game in Girls5eva’s new episodes. But those slots will most likely go to OMITB’s Meryl Streep and Palm Royale’s Alison Janney or one of the breakout SNL stars like Ego Nwodim, Chloe Fineman, and Sarah Sherman.

Predicted nominees:
Hannah Einbinder, Hacks
Abby Elliott, The Bear
Janelle James, Abbott Elementary
Alison Janney, Palm Royale
Sheryl Lee Ralph, Abbott Elementary
Meryl Streep, Only Murders In The Building
Lisa Ann Walter, Abbott Elementary
Lisa Colon-Zayas, The Bear

Wild card: Ego Nwodim, Saturday Night Live

Should be a contender: Paulina Alexis, Reservation Dogs

This one’s Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s for the taking. If season one earned him a win, season two’s “Forks” is a sure shot. His co-stars Lionel Boyce and Oliver Platt (maybe even Matty Matheson?) should join him along with stars from shows you’ve been reading about here, including Abbott Elementary, Hacks, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and SNL. Not to keep repeating the same thing, but Res Dogs’ Lane Factor perfectly rounds out that YA ensemble, and Zahn McClarnon displays some great range here (and in Dark Winds). Plus, Harvey Guillen excelled in bringing Guillermo’s vampiric challenges to life in WWDITS season five. And the slept-on gem This Fool features tremendously funny turns from Michael Imperioli and Frankie Quiñones.

Predicted nominees:
Lionel Boyce, The Bear
Paul W. Downs, Hacks
Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Bear
Chris Perfetti, Abbott Elementary
Oliver Platt, The Bear
Paul Rudd, Only Murders In The Building
Tyler James Williams, Abbott Elementary
Bowen Yang, Saturday Night Live

Wild card: Richard Lewis or J.B. Smoove, Curb Your Enthusiasm 

Should be a contender: Lane Factor, Reservation Dogs

In an already crowded year of excellent limited TV shows, Baby Reindeer upended everything with its late-season release. It’s a frontrunner now alongside FX’s Fargo, HBO’s latest True Detective chapter, and newcomers Ripley and Lessons In Chemistry. Look, they’re all fantastic, so we’re just here to mourn other worthy contenders like Prime Video’s Expats. An affecting Lulu Wang-helmed drama with a prominently Asian cast should’ve dominated the conversation. Similarly, HBO’s The Sympathizer from Park Chan-wook is going unnoticed overall. Can Ryan Murphy’s new Feud season make noise here, or perhaps Apple TV+’s Masters Of The Air and Starz’s Mary & George? They won’t do well in this category but expect to see the actors nab some nominations. Although Showtime’s Fellow Travelers might just stake its claim.

Predicted nominees:
Baby Reindeer
Fargo
Lessons In Chemistry
Ripley
True Detective: Night Country

Wild card: Fellow Travelers

Should be a contender: Expats

Griselda and The Regime didn’t land as expected but Sofia Vergara and Kate Winslet turned in undeniably electric performances in their respective shows. It doesn’t hurt that they have enough goodwill thank to Modern Family and Mare Of Eastown. Another big star returned to the small screen this year: Julianne Moore via Mary & George, but she might miss her turn because Jodie Foster’s TV run in True Detective isn’t going to go unnoticed.

Nicole Kidman is a TV staple at this point and could bring Expats the attention it deserves. Brie Larson’s Lessons In Chemistry is hitting well with audiences (both she and Vergara have been doing proper FYC rounds, too). And Fargo’s fifth season featured terrific performances, none better than Juno Temple. It was a cool change of pace for the Ted Lasso actor and former nominee. Others in contention include The Fall Of The House Of Usher’s Carla Gugino, who did a stunning balancing act, A Murder At The End Of The World’s Emma Corrin, and One Day’s Ambika Mod.

Predicted nominees:
Jodie Foster, True Detective: Night Country
Brie Larson, Lessons In Chemistry
Nicole Kidman, Expats
Juno Temple, Fargo
Sofia Vergara, Griselda
Kate Winslet, The Regime

Wild card: Naomi Watts, Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans or Julianne Moore, Mary & George

Should be a contender: Carla Gugino, Fall Of The House Of Usher

To no one’s surprise, Richard Gadd is a frontrunner for his unflinching work in Baby Reindeer, which he based on his personal experience. His strongest competitor is fellow Netflix star Andrew Scott for Ripley. The other two certainties are Fellow Travelers’ Matt Bomer and Fargo’s Jon Hamm. (For those keeping score, yes, the latter is a potential double nominee.)

The fun lies in which actors get the remaining two spots. For our money, one of those should go to Monsieur Spade’s Clive Owen. But he’s sadly not on the radar as much as Feud’s Tom Hollander, Mr. Monk’s Last Case’s Tony Shalhoub, Franklin’s Michael Douglas, and A Gentleman In Moscow’s Ewan McGregor. Also, The Sympathizer’s Hoa Xuande makes a strong case for a nod, as does Lawmen: Bass Reeves’ David Oyelowo.

Predicted nominees:
Matt Bomer, Fellow Travelers
Richard Gadd, Baby Reindeer
Jon Hamm, Fargo
Tom Hollander, Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans
Ewan McGregor, A Gentleman In Moscow
Andrew Scott, Ripley

Wild card: Hoa Xuande, The Sympathizer

Should be a contender: Clive Owen, Monsieur Spade

Jessica Gunning’s unforgettably terrifying Baby Reindeer performance has struck a chord. And with the show’s power rising, there’s a good chance Nava Mau gets a nomination too. Or will voters recognize Ripley’s Dakota Fanning instead? It’s also been a huge year for Lily Gladstone with her historic Oscar nomination. That could sway voters to put her up for Hulu’s Under The Bridge, with or without her co-star, Riley Keough (who was nominated for 2023's Limited Series lead actress category for Daisy Jones & The Six).

If Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans cuts through the noise, there could be multiple nods: Diane Lane, Calista Flockhart, Demi Moore, Chloë Sevigny, and Molly Ringwald. The chances are slim because Fargo’s Jennifer Jason Leigh and True Detectives’ Kali Reis are locks. And Lessons In Chemistry’s Aja Naomi King is a frontrunner because, based on previous award shows, voters love the Apple TV+ miniseries.

Predicted nominees:
Lily Gladstone, Under The Bridge
Jessica Gunning, Baby Reindeer
Jennifer Jason Leigh, Fargo
Aja Naomi King, Lessons In Chemistry
Nava Mau, Baby Reindeer
Kali Reis, True Detective: Night Country

Wild card: Dakota Fanning, Ripley

Should be a contender: Sarayu Blue, Expats and Richa Moorjani, Fargo

Is this the category that gives Masters Of The Air some love? Apple TV+’s World War II miniseries has been missing from our predictions (even if it’s pretty damn great), which is a sign of how cutthroat the competition is this year. But with contenders like Barry Keoghan and Anthony Boyle, hopefully Academy voters put it in the spotlight. Most of the wealth could also spread amongst the cast of True Detective: Night Country, including John Hawkes, Christopher Eccleston, and Finn Bennett.

Recent Oscar winner Robert Downey Jr.’s shapeshifting The Sympathizer role is making it in, as is Ripley’s Johnny Flynn. Fargo’s fifth season presents a few options like Joe Keery, Sam Spruell, and Lamorne Morris—all great choices in our book. Shows like The Regime and All The Light We Cannot See came and went, but there could be a surprise if voters go for Hugh Grant and Mark Ruffalo, respectively.

Predicted nominees:
Jonathan Bailey, Fellow Travelers
Robert Downey Jr., The Sympathizer
Johnny Flynn, Ripley
John Hawkes, True Detective: Night Country
Joe Keery, Fargo
Lewis Pullman, Lessons In Chemistry
Treat Williams, Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans

Wild card: Finn Bennett, True Detective: Night Country

Should be a contender: Anthony Boyle, Masters Of The Air

Sorry to The Simpsons, Bob’s Burgers, and the final season of Archer—all previous winners in this category—but X-Men ’97 is the clear favorite here (and rightly so). Disney+’s enthralling series surpassed expectations, quickly becoming one of 2024's best new TV shows. However, it must be noted that this has been a great and inventive Emmys year for animation thanks to Blue Eye Samurai, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, Hazbin Hotel, Invincible, The Second Best Hospital In The Galaxy, and Harley Quinn.

Predicted nominees:
Archer
Blue Eye Samurai
Bob’s Burgers
The Simpsons
X-Men ‘97

Wild cards: Big Mouth

Should be a contender: Invincible