The 74th Emmy Awards will take place on Monday, Sept. 12 at Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles, and will be broadcast live on NBC. The annual awards ceremony recognizes television’s best shows and performances from the qualifying past year, across a number of categories including drama, comedy, reality, and more.
And with streaming services pumping out more and more original content by the year, the 2022 Emmys are positively stacked with prestige dramas and beloved comedies. While there will inevitably be snubs, for the most part, all the categories are stacked with worthy contenders this year, which makes predicting the winners that much more daunting.
But, we’re going to try regardless, so here is who we think — or in some cases — who should win the coveted golden statuettes.
Outstanding Drama Series
Better Call Saul (AMC), Euphoria (HBO), Ozark (Netflix), Severance (Apple), Squid Game (Netflix), Stranger Things (Netflix), Succession (HBO), Yellowjackets (Showtime)
The drama categories are predictably stacked this year, but we think it will come down to Succession, Better Call Saul, and Squid Game — though we could also see underdog freshman series Severance or Yellowjackets pulling a surprise win. Though Succession took home the prize in 2020 (the pandemic caused a delay in the third season), Better Call Saul has been nominated every single year through its six season run and has yet to win a single time. After the AMC drama’s phenomenal sixth and final season, it absolutely deserves a win — yet, we have a sinking feeling history is going to repeat itself.
Who we think will win: Squid Game
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Jason Bateman (Ozark), Brian Cox (Succession), Lee Jung-jae (Squid Game), Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul), Adam Scott (Severance), Jeremy Strong (Succession)
In 2020, Jeremy Strong took home this award for season two of Succession, and don’t get us wrong — his extremely questionable method acting was nothing short of phenomenal in season three. But we’re going to put our dreams out into the world and give two prison finger guns to Bob Odenkirk. Not only does Bob absolutely deserves this award, but like Better Call Saul, he’s also been nominated and hosed five times in the past. A little treat for all of us!
Who we think will win: Bob Odenkirk
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Jodie Comer (Killing Eve), Laura Linney (Ozark), Melanie Lynskey (Yellowjackets), Sandra Oh (Killing Eve), Reese Witherspoon (The Morning Show), Zendaya (Euphoria)
We’re going to go ahead and guess that this race will come down to Melanie Lynskey, an incredible actress who is also a first-time nominee, and Zendaya. But after the Euphoria season 2 bottle episode “Stand Still Like the Hummingbird” that showcased Zendaya’s otherworldly acting skills, it would practically be a crime to give it to anyone else.
Who we think will win: Zendaya
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Patricia Arquette (Severance), Julia Garner (Ozark), Jung Ho-yeon (Squid Game), Christina Ricci (Yellowjackets), Rhea Seehorn (Better Call Saul), J. Smith-Cameron (Succession), Sarah Snook (Succession), Sydney Sweeney (Euphoria)
This is another stacked category in which any of the actresses nominated would be deserving of the honor, but it’s likely going to boil down to Rhea Seehorn and Julia “If You Wanna Stop Me You’re Gonna Have To F*cking Kill Me” Garner. Seehorn’s bus meltdown in the “Waterworks” episode of Better Call Saul was perhaps one of, if not the best performance any actress has ever given in the history of television, but Emmy voters are a fickle beast and life is not always fair.
Who we think will win: Julia Garner
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Nicholas Braun (Succession), Billy Crudup (The Morning Show), Kieran Culkin (Succession), Park Hae-soo (Squid Game), Matthew Macfadyen (Succession), John Turturro (Severance), Christopher Walken (Severance), Oh Yeong-su (Squid Game)
Well we all know it’s not going to be Billy Crudup, anyway. We’re guessing this category is where Severance will shine, and if we have to pick between John Turturro and Christopher Walken — Walken’s sleepy, ethereal performance of Burt Goodman might just clinch it for him.
Who we think will win: Christopher Walken
Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series
Dopesick (Hulu), The Dropout (Hulu), Inventing Anna (Netflix), Pam & Tommy (Hulu), The White Lotus (HBO)
If Pam & Tommy were to win this category, if would be the first time in Emmy history that a series featuring a talking penis would take home an award. But it won’t. Our bets are firmly on Mike White’s phenomenal HBO anthology series that put a magnifying glass on the disparities between the one percent and the working class employees at a Hawaiian resort there to serve their every need.
Who we think will win: The White Lotus
Outstanding Actress in a Limited Series, Movie, Anthology
Toni Collette (The Staircase), Julia Garner (Inventing Anna), Lily James (Pam & Tommy), Sarah Paulson (Impeachment: American Crime Story), Margaret Qualley (Maid), Amanda Seyfried (The Dropout)
Much ado has been made about Toni Collette’s heartbreaking performance in the Staircase as doomed matriarch Kathleen Peterson. And unlike the fate of her character, this conclusion seems a little more clear cut. Amanda Seyfried certainly puts up stiff competition with her gravelly-voiced portrayal of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, but it probably isn’t enough.
Who we think will win: Toni Collette
Outstanding Actor in a Limited Series, Movie, Anthology
Colin Firth (The Staircase), Andrew Garfield (Under the Banner of Heaven), Oscar Isaac (Scenes from a Marriage), Michael Keaton (Dopesick), Himesh Patel (Station Eleven), Sebastian Stan (Pam & Tommy)
Himesh Patel is a relative newcomer in a category dominated by established film actors, and while we’d like to see the award go to the new guy, it will likely boil down to award season usual suspects Colin Firth and Oscar Isaac.
Who we think will win: Oscar Isaac
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series, Movie, Anthology
Connie Britton (The White Lotus), Jennifer Coolidge (The White Lotus), Alexandra Daddario (The White Lotus), Kaitlyn Dever (Dopesick), Natasha Rothwell (The White Lotus), Sydney Sweeney (The White Lotus), Mare Winningham (Dopesick)
The White Lotus has this category stacked and for good reason. If the award goes to one of the five (!!!) actresses nominated, and it should, no one delivered a better performance than Jennifer Coolidge as the grieving, self-centered Tanya McQuoid. There’s a reason why she’s the only character being brought back for season two, and if she doesn’t win, we swear to god we will burn this award show to the motherf*cking ground.
Who we think will win: Jennifer Coolidge
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series, Movie, Anthology
Murray Bartlett (The White Lotus), Jake Lacy (The White Lotus), Will Poulter (Dopesick), Seth Rogen (Pam & Tommy), Peter Sarsgaard (Dopesick), Michael Stuhlbarg (Dopesick), Steve Zahn (The White Lotus)
There’s a very good chance The White Lotus cleans house at this thing, and if so, Murray Bartlett’s performance as the increasingly unhinged off-the-wagon addict Armond was next level. It will probably come down to Bartlett or Peter Sarsgaard, but we think the former has a think edge on the latter.
Who we think will win: Murray Bartlett
Outstanding Comedy Series
Abbott Elementary (ABC), Barry (HBO), Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO), Hacks (HBO Max), The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon), Only Murders in the Building (Hulu), Ted Lasso (Apple), What We Do in the Shadows (FX)
What an absolute murderer’s row we’ve got here — no pun intended. We’re honestly at a loss. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel previously won the award in 2018 and Ted Lasso cleaned house last year. And while the Emmys do love to favor repeat winners (stares in Veep), we think newcomer Abbott Elementary has a real shot. That said, so do HBO’s excellent Hacks and Barry, which have both been nominated in prior years, but have yet to clinch a win. This is so stressful.
Who we think will win: Ted Lasso, probably, ugh
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Donald Glover (Atlanta), Bill Hader (Barry), Nicholas Hoult (The Great), Steve Martin (Only Murders in the Building), Martin Short (Only Murders in the Building), Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso)
Due to the wholly predictable nature of the Emmys, we have a feeling that prior winners Bill Hader and Jason Sudeikis will likely go head-to-head. Hader quite honestly deserves a third win for the third season finale episode of Barry, “starting now,” as he took the character to frightening and emotional new depths this season — though his performance was hardly comedic. But Sudeikis also got a chance to flex his dramatic chops in season two of Ted Lasso. Tough call, here.
Who we think will win: Bill Hader
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary), Kaley Cuoco (The Flight Attendant), Elle Fanning (The Great), Issa Rae (Insecure), Jean Smart (Hacks)
As great as Jean Smart is as the brassy comedic legend Deborah Vance in Hacks, which snagged her a well-earned win last year, it would be great to see Quinta Brunson pull a surprise win for the freshman darling Abbott Elementary. Heck, let’s just try wishful thinking with this one.
Who we think will win: Quinta Brunson
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Carrigan (Barry), Brett Goldstein (Ted Lasso), Toheeb Jimoh (Ted Lasso), Nick Mohammed (Ted Lasso), Tony Shalhoub (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Tyler James Williams (Abbott Elementary), Henry Winkler (Barry), Bowen Yang (Saturday Night Live)
A lot of good competition here but let’s face it, this will almost definitely come down to previous winners Henry Winkler or Brett Goldstein. But with Goldstein’s career on fire, we feel this one is inevitable.
Who we think will win: Brett Goldstein
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Alex Borstein (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Hannah Einbinder (Hacks), Janelle James (Abbott Elementary), Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live), Sarah Niles (Ted Lasso), Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary), Juno Temple (Ted Lasso), Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso)
Janelle James gave hands-down one of our favorite comedic performances in the past year as Philadelphia public school principal Ava Coleman, but it seems like there’s almost zero chance the Emmys will get this one right. It’s a shame the fantastic Meg Stalter wasn’t nominated (in lieu of or addition to Hannah Einbinder), as she steals literally every scene in which she appears in Hacks — but either way, Kate McKinnon will almost certainly win for her farewell season of Saturday Night Live.
Who we think will win: Kate McKinnon
To find out how many predictions we got right, if any, tune into the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards at 8 pm eastern time on Sept. 12!
