Spoiled tourists, grieving therapists and embattled studio execs are all in contention for glory at this year’s Emmys, as are the severed employees of a dystopian office and the criminal figures of Gotham City.
The 77th Primetime Emmys — airing Sunday at 8 p.m. on CBS and streaming on Paramount+ — will honor the small-screen standouts that aired from June 1, 2024 through the end of May this year.
Apple TV+ is among the streamers leading the nominations, with workplace sci-fi thriller “Severance” and satirical Hollywood comedy “The Studio” earning 27 and 23 nods, respectively.
HBO and its streaming platform Max sit right there beside them, with Batman baddie miniseries “The Penguin” nabbing 24 nominations and “White Lotus” tying “The Studio” with 23.
But it’s not just about who’s most teed up to win, but also who should win. Below are the Daily News’ predictions for the biggest awards of the night.
Outstanding Comedy Series
Will win: “The Studio”
Should win: “The Studio” or “Shrinking”
“The Studio,” the most-nominated comedy of the year, has been touted as startlingly accurate by those with intimate knowledge of the movie business. One of three newcomers to this category — along with Apple sibling “Shrinking” and Netflix’s “Nobody Wants This” — “The Studio” also made Emmys history as the most-nominated freshman comedy ever. That record was previously held by the 20 nods afforded the first season of “Ted Lasso” (another Apple TV+ production).
Meanwhile, the stellar sophomore season of “Shrinking” rightfully earned the show its place in this group, while landing Harrison Ford his first-ever Emmy nomination at the age of 83. The second season has been hailed by critics and viewers alike for its sharper humor, even bigger heart and “storylines that feel earned and unforced.”
Lead Actor (Comedy)
Apple TV+
Seth Rogen in “The Studio.” (Apple TV+ via AP)
Will win: Seth Rogen (“The Studio”)
Should win: Seth Rogen
“The Studio” is chock-full of A-list cameos and guest appearances, claiming five of the six nominations for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. (That trophy went to Bryan Cranston, who was named the winner at last weekend’s Creative Arts Emmy Awards.) But its lead star, Seth Rogen, is the one who steals the show as a newly minted studio head struggling to navigate the balance between making money and making art.
Lead Actress (Comedy)
Will win: Jean Smart (“Hacks”)
Should win: Jean Smart
Pundits are banking on Smart to once again take home the win for her role as stand-up comedian Deborah Vance, just as she has at the Emmys three times already. The Los Angeles Times suspects the only thing that will stop Smart’s winning streak is “the end of the show.”
Outstanding Drama Series
Will win: “Severance”
Should win: “Severance”
Praised as one of the best shows currently on TV, the long-awaited second season of “Severance” opened the door to even more questions than straightforward answers, but tugged at our heartstrings even as it raised eyebrows. The show’s unique visual style of storytelling helps further its themes of identity, memory, workplace ethics and the inherent human desire for freedom.
Lead Actor (Drama)
Will win: Adam Scott (“Severance”) or Noah Wyle (“The Pitt”)
Should win: Noah Wyle
While Scott and Wyle have been running in an outwardly neck-and-neck race, the conclusion reached by many is that Wyle is not only the brains behind but the lynchpin of HBO’s “ER”-inspired hit, which he also executive produces. In contrast, “Severance” is more of an ensemble project, and that’s where Scott truly shines.
Lead Actress (Drama)
CBS
Kathy Bates in “Matlock.” (CBS)
Will win: Kathy Bates (“Matlock”)
Should win: Kathy Bates or Britt Lower (“Severance”)
It’s not all too often that a CBS series finds itself in the Outstanding Drama category, but Bates, who’s already a two-time Emmy winner, brings a different caliber to the network’s usual primetime fare of procedural dramas and competition shows. Her nomination for the role of Madeline “Matty” Matlock marks her 15th Emmy nod in nearly 30 years.
Ahead of the ceremony, Bates seemed like a shoo-in, but that could have pushed some voters to zag. If they did, it could very well be with Lower, who was given a new sandbox to play in with her character Helly R.’s icy and manipulative counterpart, Helena Eagan.
Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series
Will win: “Adolescence”
Should win: “Adolescence”
British crime drama “Adolescence” took Netflix viewers by storm with its exploration of a young boy accused of murdering a schoolmate, leaving everyone around him questioning what really happened. The harrowing miniseries serves not only as a cautionary tale of isolation, but the ways in which the internet can exacerbate and exploit that.
Lead Actor (Limited/Anthology Series)
Will win: Colin Farrell (“The Penguin”) or Stephen Graham (“Adolescence”)
Should win: Stephen Graham
While Farrell is predicted to take home the gold for his turn as Oz Cobblepot amid his ruthless rise in the Gotham underworld, it’s “Adolescence” star and co-creator Graham whose performance as an anguished father had a haunting and lasting effect.
Lead Actress (Limited/Anthology Series)
Will win: Cristin Milioti (“The Penguin”) or Michelle Williams (“Dying for Sex”)
Should win: Cristin Milioti
Unlike fellow frontrunner Williams, Milioti isn’t an awards show fixture. Williams boasts nearly 200 total nominations throughout her career, including five Oscar nods. She also took home this very Emmy Award for 2019’s “Fosse/Verdon,” and would certainly earn it again for her devastating yet playful performance in “Dying for Sex.”
Despite all that, many critics agree that Milioti deserves the win for crafting, as Vulture put it, “the most sympathetic psychopath on TV.” After her role in “The Penguin” earned her nominations, but not wins, at the SAGs and Golden Globes, this could — and should — be her time to shine.
