2018 Emmy Winner Predictions: Drama, Comedy, Limited Series/TV Movie Acting Categories

There are three new nominees in both Supporting Actor and Actress in a Drama Series from three shows: The Crown, Game of Thrones and The Handmaid’s Tale. Two of them, The Crown‘s Matt Smith and Vanessa Kirby, are their only chance as the next season of the show moves up in time and has cast all new actors. Game of Thrones swaps out Kit Harington last year (who unsuccessfully was pushed lead this year) for Nikolaj Coster-Waldau earning his first this year. Joseph Fiennes became the first male actor nominated for The Handmaid’s Tale. Last year’s Guest Actress in a Drama Series winner Alexis Bledel moved up to Supporting this year and landed a nom as did Yvonne Strahovski getting her first. They’ll both go up against their co-star Ann Dowd who won here last year. I’m leaning to Strahovski being able to win as she had more material and a better arc than her co-stars. Thandie Newton (Westworld) was practically a co-lead and is definitely in contention. But I’m not counting out voters to rubber-stamp either Dowd or Bledel here.

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
1. David Harbour, “Stranger Things”
2. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, “Game of Thrones”
3. Peter Dinklage, “Game of Thrones”
4. Joseph Fiennes, “The Handmaid’s Tale”
5. Matt Smith, “The Crown”
6. Mandy Patinkin, “Homeland”

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
1. Yvonne Strahovski, “The Handmaid’s Tale”
2. Thandie Newton, “Westworld”
3. Alexis Bledel, “The Handmaid’s Tale”
4. Ann Dowd, “The Handmaid’s Tale”
5. Millie Bobby Brown, “Stranger Things”
6. Vanessa Kirby, “The Crown”
7. Lena Headey, “Game of Thrones”

Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live) could probably win Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series every year she’s on the show. She’s on her fifth nomination in this category and has won the last two years in a row. Zazie Beetz (Atlanta), Betty Gilpin (GLOW) and Alex Borstein (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) will give her a run for her money. Laurie Metcalf (Roseanne) is lucky to be nominated here but it also shows just how much the voters like her, enough to overlook the controversy of her now-canceled show. Supporting Actor comes with some heavy-hitters too; my top four are all previous Emmy winners in comedy with two of them – Alec Baldwin (Saturday Night Live) and Louie Anderson (Baskets) – the winners from the last two years. But, I think Emmy magnet Tony Shalhoub (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) is the one to beat.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
1. Kate McKinnon, “Saturday Night Live
2. Zazie Beetz, “Atlanta”
3. Betty Gilpin, “GLOW”
4. Alex Borstein, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”
5. Megan Mullally, “Will & Grace”
6. Laurie Metcalf, Roseanne
7. Leslie Jones, Saturday Night Live
8. Aidy Bryant, Saturday Night Live

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
1. Tony Shalhoub, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”
2. Henry Winkler, “Barry”
3. Alec Baldwin, “Saturday Night Live”
4. Louie Anderson, “Baskets”
5. Kenan Thompson, “Saturday Night Live”
6. Tituss Burgess, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”
7. Brian Tyree Henry, “Atlanta”

A weird category if there ever was one. Largely Emmy newcomers up against two previous winners: Jeff Daniels and John Leguizamo. I’m predicting a bit of a surprise win for Brandon Victor Dixon who was the critical standout of Jesus Christ Superstar: Live in Concert. While I don’t think the three men from The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story will “cancel each other out,” I’m not sure if any are strong enough to win in their own right.

On the other side, Judith Light (The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story) should be able to win over her co-star Penélope Cruz. While the leads for Limited Series aren’t required to submit an episode, the supporting nominees are and Light has the gold to win. I think she might face some competition from previous Emmy winner Merritt Wever (Godless) and first-time Letitia Wright (Black Mirror) but I feel very good about Light winning.

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE
1. Brandon Victor Dixon, “Jesus Christ Superstar: Live in Concert”
2. Jeff Daniels, “Godless”
3. John Leguizamo, “Waco”
4. Edgar Ramírez, “The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”
5. Michael Stuhlbarg, “The Looming Tower”
6. Ricky Martin, “The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”
7. Finn Wittrock, “The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE
1. Judith Light, “The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”
2. Merritt Wever, “Godless”
3. Letitia Wright, “Black Museum: Black Mirror”
4. Sara Bareilles, “Jesus Christ Superstar Live In Concert”
5. Adina Porter, “American Horror Story: Cult”
6. Penélope Cruz, “The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”

Dame Diana Rigg is on her 4th nomination in this category for Game of Thrones and (spoiler alert) her last chance. She’s on her 9th nomination overall and she won back in 1997. The Emmys are notorious for not caring about longevity though, otherwise Angela Lansbury would be a winner now. She’ll face fierce competition from the trio of women from The Handmaid’s Tale, most especially from previous Emmy winner Cherry Jones. Decades ago, the guest categories were the premiere place for character actors and unknowns to make a name for themselves. Then the Law & Order franchise turned it into opportunities for big-name stars to fight it out. This year, I feel like Guest Actor in a Drama Series could go back to the old way and give the win to Cameron Britton for Mindhunter. Even though he is the show’s sole nomination (a travesty) he was THE thing everyone talked about. Netflix positioned him in FYC ads even over the show’s co-leads. He’ll have visibility, he has the submission. Going up against last year’s winner here, Gerald McRaney (This Is Us) or Oscar winner F. Murray Abraham (Homeland) won’t be easy though.

GUEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
1. Diana Rigg, “Game Of Thrones”
2. Cherry Jones, “The Handmaid’s Tale”
3. Samira Wiley, “The Handmaid’s Tale”
4. Viola Davis, “Scandal”
5. Kelly Jenrette, “The Handmaid’s Tale”
6. Cicely Tyson, “How To Get Away With Murder”

GUEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA
1. Cameron Britton, “Mindhunter”
2. Matthew Goode, “The Crown”
3. Ron Cephas Jones, “This Is Us”
4. Gerald McRaney, “This Is Us”
5. Jimmi Simpson, “Westworld”
6. F. Murray Abraham, “Homeland”

Tina Fey’s return to Saturday Night Live should be able to net her her 9th Emmy. She’s already won here in 2016 as a returning host of SNL and in 2009 for playing Sarah Palin. Jane Lynch (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) will give her a run for her money though as she looks for her 5th win. She’s also nominated this year for Host of a Reality/Reality-Competition Program. The final match-up of Donald Glover and Bill Hader, this time both for hosting Saturday Night Live, is a contentious one but Glover should have the upper hand for also being the show’s musical guest (as his alter ego Childish Gambino).

GUEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
1. Tina Fey, “Saturday Night Live”
2. Jane Lynch, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”
3. Wanda Sykes, “Black-ish”
4. Tiffany Haddish, “Saturday Night Live”
5. Maya Rudolph, “The Good Place”
6. Molly Shannon, “Will & Grace”

GUEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY
1. Donald Glover, “Saturday Night Live”
2. Bill Hader, “Saturday Night Live”
3. Katt Williams, “Atlanta”
4. Sterling K. Brown, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”
5. Bryan Cranston, “Curb Your Enthusiasm”
6. Lin-Manuel Miranda, “Curb Your Enthusiasm”