2022 Emmy Predictions: All the top Comedy Series categories

The time has come. After awaiting them for a couple months – the official Emmy nomination ballots are out – so it’s time to take a look at all the comedy categories and see who will make the cut this year.

Freshman series Abbott Elementary has submitted all of their actors for consideration, with Quinta Brunson leading the charge in the lead actress category. Similarly, Barry, Ted Lasso and Hacks have submitted their performers in the hopes that they will all secure nominations. Last year, Ted Lasso received seven nominations for its actors – but don’t be so sure that will happen again this year. The comedy categories have almost never been as packed as they are this year, which will also pave the way for new and old actors alike to have a chance to make it in these categories. Only Murders in the Building has submitted all three of its leads for consideration – and with buzz growing for the second season – they all look to be in a good position to be nominated.

The writing and directing categories can be a little trickier. Some shows only submit one episode to maximize their chances of getting nominated (like Barry’s sole directing submission being “710N”). Other series, such as What We Do in the Shadows, submitted a couple (which isn’t surprising since it garnered three writing nominations at the 2020 Emmys). Shows like Abbott Elementary and Only Murders in the Building have shrewdly submitted just their pilot episodes, showcasing what their series’ encompass and offering the catalyst that pushes the rest of the season forward. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel has been nominated for directing four times and submitted three episodes this year in hopes that it will gain them at least one nomination in the category if not two.

The guest categories are, as always, have many submissions coming from Saturday Night Live – but with other great contenders coming from shows like Hacks and Only Murders – this could be a year with less SNL nominations. 

Here are my nomination predictions for the main comedy categories of the 2022 Emmys.

Outstanding Comedy Series

• Abbott Elementary (ABC)
• Atlanta (FX)
• Barry (HBO)
• The Flight Attendant (HBO Max)
• Hacks (HBOMax)
• The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Prime Video)
• Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
• Ted Lasso (AppleTV+)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

• Bill Hader – Barry (HBO)
• Jason Sudeikis – Ted Lasso (AppleTV+)
• Anthony Anderson – black-ish (ABC)
• Steve Martin – Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
• Martin Short – Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
• Donald Glover – Atlanta (FX)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

• Jean Smart – Hacks (HBO Max)
• Quinta Brunson – Abbott Elementary (ABC)
• Kaley Cuoco – The Flight Attendant (HBO Max)
• Tracee Ellis-Ross – black-ish (ABC)
• Rachel Brosnahan – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Prime Video)
• Selena Gomez – Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

• Henry Winkler – Barry (HBO)
• Anthony Carrigan – Barry (HBO)
• Brett Goldstein – Ted Lasso (AppleTV+)
• Brian Tyree Henry – Atlanta (FX)
• Bowen Yang – Saturday Night Live (NBC)
• Tony Shalhoub – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Prime Video)
• Carl Clemons-Hopkins – Hacks (HBO Max)
• Kenan Thompson – Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

• Hannah Waddingham – Ted Lasso (AppleTV+)
• Hannah Einbinder – Hacks (HBO Max)
• Kate McKinnon – Saturday Night Live (NBC)
• Janelle James – Abbott Elementary (ABC)
• Sheryl Lee Ralph – Abbott Elementary (ABC)
• Alex Borstein – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Prime Video)
• Sarah Goldberg – Barry (HBO)
• Juno Temple – Ted Lasso (AppleTV+)

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series

• Abbott Elementary – “Pilot” (ABC)
• Barry – “710N” (HBO)
• Barry – “starting now” (HBO)
• Hacks – “The One, The Only” (HBO Max)
• Only Murders in the Building – “True Crime” (Hulu)
• Pen15 – “Luminaria” (Hulu)
• What We Do in the Shadows – “The Wellness Center” (FX)

Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series

• Barry – “710N” (HBO)
• Hacks – “There Will Be Blood” (HBO Max)
• Abbott Elementary – “Pilot” (ABC)
• Ted Lasso – “No Weddings and a Funeral” (AppleTV+)
• Russian Doll – “Nowhen” (Netflix)
• The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel – “How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall?” (Prime Video)
• B Positive – “A Dishwasher, a Fire and a Remote Control” (CBS)

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

• Jason Sudeikis – Saturday Night Live (NBC)
• Kieran Culkin – Saturday Night Live (NBC)
• John Mulaney – Saturday Night Live (NBC)
• Devon Sawa – Hacks (HBO Max)
• Christopher McDonald – Hacks (HBO Max)

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series

• Quinta Brunson – A Black Lady Sketch Show (HBO)
• Ariana DeBose – Saturday Night Live (NBC)
• Tina Fey – Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
• Jane Lynch – Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
• Harriet Sansom Harris – Hacks (HBO Max)

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Tyler Doster

Tyler is the TV Awards Editor for AwardsWatch and from Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He’s been obsessed with movies and the oscars since he was about 14. He enjoys reading, but even more, talking about Amy Adams more and will, at any given moment, bring up her Oscar snub for Arrival. The only thing he spends more time on than watching TV is sitting on Twitter. If you ever want to discuss the movie Carol at length, he’s your guy. You can find Tyler at @wordswithtyler

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