2024 Emmys: Predictions in Drama, Comedy and Limited Series; Lead and Supporting Acting for Each

It’s a fascinating year for the Emmys this year, as the previous ceremony will have only happened eight months prior after two industry strikes halted productions across the country. Jeremy Allen White won an Emmy for his role in season one of The Bear eight days after winning a Golden Globe for season two of the same show! It’s certainly been a ride, especially with the delayed and shortened seasons of many series, Abbott Elementary the chief contender at the Emmys affected by a shorter season. 

It’s the year of the limited series, so expect every one of those categories to be a bloodbath. Between series like Shōgun, Ripley, and Fargo, amongst many others, these categories will be the most competitive for both nominations and eventual wins. These categories are littered with heavy hitters and previous winners: Nicole Kidman from Expats, Jon Hamm in Fargo, Kate Winslet in another HBO limited series, The Regime. Academy Award winners also join the competition with Brie Larson representing Lessons in Chemistry and Jodie Foster the leading lady of True Detective: Night Country. Buzzy shows like Shogun will also find themselves competing, but could do well given the amount of chatter around it.

The drama and comedy categories will see a shift in the number of submissions for nominations, as there are less shows in the mix competitively this year. 

The comedy categories will likely be filled with returning shows that have made their mark here, Abbott Elementary, Hacks, The Bear, and Only Murders in the Building being the frontrunners for number of nominations in June. Hacks just premiered its third season this week two years after its sophomore outing finished and will give The Bear fierce competition in the coming months. These two series will likely take the bulk of the comedy nominations and will race all the way to Outstanding Comedy Series in September. Palm Royale could be the only first-season series to make any waves in these categories this year, while Curb Your Enthusiasm will likely gather a few noms for its farewell season. 

Succession ended last year, so many slots have been freed up in the drama categories, making it the perfect year for a series like The Gilded Age to squeeze into the competition and take a few deserved nominations. The Morning Show is going double digits this year and it doesn’t seem like there’s any way around that, with most of the cast poised to receive performance nominations in their respective categories. The Crown will likely make a splash for its final season even after a lukewarm response to how the show handled its last batch of episodes. It’s a series that has made a huge impact on the Emmys, so it would be a shock for the series to go out without a slew of nominations in June. The Curse will be competing in drama instead of limited series, so it will be a series to watch in terms of the amount of nominations it receives next month. 

Television hasn’t slowed down, it was only delayed by necessary strikes. There are still many great shows competing this year to watch out for.

Directing, writing and guest acting categories to come. Nomination voting

The 76th Primetime Emmy Awards will honor the best in American prime time television programming from June 1, 2023, until May 31, 2024, as chosen by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. The entry deadline for all materials is May 9.

First round voting for the nomination stage begins June 13 and goes through June 24 at 10pm PT. Nominations are announced July 17 and the winner round of voting lasts from August 15 to 26 at 10pm PT. The Creative Arts Emmy Awards and Governors Gala will be held on September 7 and 8. The 76th Primetime Emmy Awards will be held at the Peacock Theater in Downtown Los Angeles, California on September 15.

Here are my predictions for nominations at the 2024 Emmys in Drama, Comedy and Limited Series and lead and supporting acting for each. 

Outstanding Drama Series

3 Body Problem (Netflix)

The Crown (Netflix)

The Curse (Showtime)

Fallout (Prime Video)

The Gilded Age (MAX)

Loki (Disney+)

Mr. and Mrs. Smith (Prime Video)

Other contenders: Hijack (AppleTV+); Law & Order: SVU (NBC); Slow Horses (AppleTV+); Tokyo Vice (MAX)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Colin Farrell, Sugar (AppleTV+)

Donald Glover, Mr. and Mrs. Smith (Prime Video)

Walton Goggins, Fallout (Prime Video)

Tom Hiddleston, Loki (Disney+)

Gary Oldman, Slow Horses (AppleTV+)

Dominic West, The Crown (Netflix)

Other contenders: Idris Elba, Hijack (AppleTV+); Nathan Fielder, The Curse (Showtime); Ben Mendelsohn, The New Look (AppleTV+); Morgan Spector, The Gilded Age (MAX)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Jennifer Aniston, The Morning Show (AppleTV+)

Carrie Coon, The Gilded Age (MAX)

Maya Erskine, Mr. and Mrs. Smith (Prime Video)

Imelda Staunton, The Crown (Netflix)

Emma Stone, The Curse (Showtime)

Reese Witherspoon, The Morning Show (AppleTV+)

Other contenders: Juliette Binoche, The New Look (AppleTV+); Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU (NBC); Rosamund Pike, The Wheel of Time (Prime Video); Ella Purnell, Fallout (Prime Video)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Khalid Abdalla, The Crown (Netflix)

Billy Crudup, The Morning Show (AppleTV+)

Salim Daw, The Crown (Netflix)

Mark Duplass, The Morning Show (AppleTV+)

Ke Huy Quan, Loki (Disney+)

Nathan Lane, The Gilded Age (MAX)

Benny Safdie, The Curse (Showtime) 

Jonathan Pryce, The Crown (Netflix)

Other contenders: Jovan Adepo, 3 Body Problem (Netflix); Jack Lowden, Slow Horses (AppleTV+); Owen Wilson, Loki (Disney+)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Christine Baranski, The Gilded Age (MAX) 

Nicole Beharie, The Morning Show (AppleTV+)

Elizabeth Debicki, The Crown (Netflix)

Greta Lee, The Morning Show (AppleTV+)

Lesley Manville, The Crown (Netflix)

Juliana Margulies, The Morning Show (AppleTV+)

Cynthia Nixon, The Gilded Age (MAX)

Amy Ryan, Sugar (AppleTV+)

Other contenders: Audra McDonald, The Gilded Age (MAX); Holland Taylor, The Morning Show (AppleTV+); Kristen Scott Thomas, Slow Horses (AppleTV+)

Outstanding Comedy Series

Abbott Elementary (ABC)

The Bear (FX)

Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)

The Gentleman (Netflix)

Hacks (MAX)

Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)

Palm Royale (AppleTV+)

What We Do in the Shadows (FX)

Other contenders: I’m a Virgo (Prime Video); Girls5Eva (Netflix); Reservation Dogs (FX)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)

Theo James, The Gentlemen (Netflix)

Steve Martin, Only Murders in the Building (Hulu) 

Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)

Jeremy Allen White, The Bear (FX)

Other contenders: Matt Berry, What We Do in the Shadows (FX); Jharrel Jerome, I’m a Virgo (Prime Video); D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Reservation Dogs (FX)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary (ABC) 

Ayo Edebiri, The Bear (FX)

Selena Gomez, Only Murders in the Building (Hulu) 

Jean Smart, Hacks (MAX) 

Kristen Wiig, Palm Royale (AppleTV+)

Other contenders: Renée Elise Goldsberry, Girls5Eva (Netflix); Devery Jacobs, Reservation Dogs (FX); Maya Rudolph, Loot (AppleTV+)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Paul W. Downs, Hacks (MAX)

Harvey Guillén, What We Do in the Shadows (FX)

Richard Lewis, Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)

Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Bear (FX)

Paul Rudd, Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)

Tyler James Williams, Abbott Elementary (ABC)

Bowen Yang, Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Other contenders: Lionel Bryce, The Bear (FX); Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Hacks (MAX); Chris Perfetti, Abbott Elementary (ABC)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Hannah Einbinder, Hacks (MAX)

Janelle James, Abbott Elementary (ABC)

Allison Janney, Palm Royale (AppleTV+)

Sheryl Lee Ralph, Abbott Elementary (ABC)

Meryl Streep, Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)

Lisa Ann Walter, Abbott Elementary (ABC)

Other contenders: Carol Burnett, Palm Royale (AppleTV+); Abby Elliott, The Bear (FX); Molly Gordon, The Bear (FX)

Outstanding Limited Series

Baby Reindeer (Netflix)

Fargo (FX)

Lessons in Chemistry (AppleTV+)

Shōgun (FX)

True Detective: Night Country (HBO)

Other contenders: Expats (Prime Video); Fellow Travelers (Showtime); Feud: Capote v the Swans (FX); Griselda (Netflix); Ripley (Netflix); The Sympathizer (MAX)

Outstanding Television Movie

The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial (Paramount+)

Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie (Peacock)

Quiz Lady (Hulu)

Red, White, and Royal Blue (Prime Video)

Scoop (Netflix)

Other contenders: Finestkind (Paramount+), Música (Prime Video), Unfrosted (Netfix)

Outstanding Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series

Matt Bomer, Fellow Travelers (Showtime)

Richard Gadd, Baby Reindeer (Netflix)

Jon Hamm, Fargo (FX)

Cosmo Jarvis, Shōgun (FX)

Hiroyuko Sanada, Shōgun (FX)

Andrew Scott, Ripley (Netflix) 

Other contenders: Michael Douglas, Franklin (AppleTV+); Tom Hollander, Feud: Capote v the Swans (FX); David Oyelowo, Lawmen: Bass Reeves (Paramount+): Tony Shalhoub, Mr. Monk’s Last Case (Peacock)

Outstanding Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series

Jodie Foster, True Detective: Night Country (HBO)

Brie Larson, Lessons in Chemistry (AppleTV+)

Anna Sawai, Shōgun (FX)

Juno Temple, Fargo (FX)

Sofia Vergara, Griselda (Netflix)

Kate Winslet, The Regime (HBO) 

Other contenders: Nicole Kidman, Expats (Prime Video); Julianne Moore, Mary & George (STARZ); Naomi Watts, Feud: Capote v the Swans (FX)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series

Tadanobu Asano, Shōgun (FX)

Jonathan Bailey, Fellow Travelers (Showtime)

Finn Bennett, True Detective: Night Country (HBO)

Robert Downey Jr, The Sympathizer (MAX)

Joe Keery, Fargo (FX)

Lewis Pullman, Lessons in Chemistry (AppleTV+)

Treat Williams, Feud: Capote v the Swans (FX)

Other contenders: Hugh Grant, The Regime (HBO); John Hawkes, True Detective: Night Country (HBO); Takehiro Hira, Shōgun (FX); Barry Koeghan, Masters of the Air (AppleTV+);

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series

Lily Gladstone, Under the Bridge (Hulu)

Jessica Gunning, Baby Reindeer (Netflix)

Aja Naomi King, Lessons in Chemistry (AppleTV+)

Diane Lane, Feud: Capote v the Swans (FX)

Jennifer Jason Leigh, Fargo (FX)

Sandra Oh, The Sympathizer (MAX)

Kali Reis, True Detective: Night Country (HBO)

Other contenders: Dakota Fanning, Ripley (Netflix);  Riley Keough, Under the Bridge (Hulu); Chloe Sevigny, Feud: Capote v the Swans (FX)