FINAL 2022 Emmy Nomination Predictions: COMEDY SERIES categories

Erik Anderson July 5, 2022

This year’s batch of comedy contenders is going to feel like a high school reunion with a slew of different years converging on the same location at the same time. So many past winners returning after hiatuses competing with new era winners for the first time, making for one of the most exciting races in these categories in a long time.

This year will see reigning comedy series winner Ted Lasso (AppleTV+) will finally meet The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Prime Video), who will reunite with both Atlanta (FX) and Barry (HBO) on the comedy cruise ship with Hacks (HBO Max), all of whom have shared acting, directing and writing wins in their respective years. But there’s some new kids in school, and in the building, this year. Abbott Elementary (ABC) is poised to take the mantel from black-ish as the sole representation for network shows and Hulu’s murder mystery farce Only Murders in the Building is hoping to making a killing with nominations, too.

As we discussed on our comedy prediction podcast, the increase in number of nominations and the sliding scale based on submissions hasn’t made predicting harder, it’s made it even tougher. You can see in many categories where AwardsWatch Editor-In-Chief and AW TV Editor Tyler Doster are lockstep in several categories right up the last choice but then diverge. On the flip side, we have supporting actress in a comedy series, a category with eight slots, where completely align. In the guest categories it’s the opposite, where we match up on no more than half (3/6) in both.

In directing for a comedy series, the rules state that at least one multi-camera sitcom must be included regardless of the number of nominees or eligible submissions. Recent examples have included The Big Bang Theory, Will & Grace and B-Positive last year. Both Tyler and Erik have gone with B-Positive once again, but interestingly, with two different episodes. Is one of right or are we both wrong? It’s pretty open without a James Burrows-level name in play and we could see How I Met Your Father show up here.

Nominations will be announced on Tuesday, July 12 by JB Smoove, Melissa Fumero and Television Academy chairman and CEO Frank Sherma, live on emmys.com at 8:30 a.m. PDT.

Here are Erik and Tyler’s final Emmy predictions in the Comedy Series categories in alphabetical order.

Outstanding Comedy Series (8)

Abbott Elementary (ABC) – Erik, Tyler
Barry (HBO) – Erik, Tyler
Hacks (HBO Max) – Erik, Tyler
Ted Lasso (AppleTV+) – Erik, Tyler
Only Murders in the Building (Hulu) – Erik, Tyler
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Prime Video) – Erik, Tyler
What We Do in the Shadows (FX) – Erik, Tyler
Atlanta (FX) – Tyler
Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO) – Erik

Watch out for: The Flight Attendant (HBO Max), Ghosts (CBS), Reservation Dogs (FX)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (6)

Jason Sudeikis – Ted Lasso (AppleTV+) – Erik, Tyler
Bill Hader – Barry (HBO) – Erik, Tyler
Steve Martin – Only Murders in the Building (Hulu) – Erik, Tyler
Martin Short – Only Murders in the Building (Hulu) – Erik, Tyler
Anthony Anderson – black-ish (ABC) – Erik, Tyler
Don Cheadle – Black Monday (TBS) – Erik
Donald Glover – Atlanta (FX) – Tyler

Watch out for: Nicholas Hoult – The Great (Hulu), Jake Johnson – Minx (HBO Max), Rhys Darby – Our Flag Means Death (HBO Max), John Cena – Peacemaker (HBO Max)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (6)

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

Watch out for: Elle Fanning – The Great (Hulu), Sarah Lancashire – Julia (HBO Max), Natasha Lyonne – Russian Doll (Netflix), Sandra Oh – The Chair (Netflix)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (8)

Anthony Carrigan – Barry (HBO) – Erik, Tyler
Brett Goldstein – Ted Lasso (AppleTV+) – Erik, Tyler
Tony Shalhoub – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Prime Video) – Erik, Tyler
Kenan Thompson – Saturday Night Live (NBC) – Erik, Tyler
Henry Winkler – Barry (HBO) – Erik, Tyler
Bowen Yang – Saturday Night Live (NBC) – Erik, Tyler
Carl Clemons-Hopkins – Hacks (HBOMax) – Tyler
Paul W. Downs – Hacks (HBO Max) – Erik
Brendan Hunt – Ted Lasso (AppleTV+) – Erik
Tyler James Williams – Abbott Elementary (ABC) – Tyler

Watch out for: Phil Dunster – Ted Lasso (AppleTV+), Brian Tyree Henry – Atlanta (FX) , Toheeb Jimoh – Ted Lasso (AppleTV+), Nick Mohammed – Ted Lasso (AppleTV+), Stephen Root – Barry (HBO), Ben Schwartz – The Afterparty (AppleTV+), Taika Waititi – Our Flag Means Death (HBO Max)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (8)

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

Watch out for: Aidy Bryant – Saturday Night Live (NBC), Sarah Niles – Ted Lasso (AppleTV+), Yvonne Orji – Insecure (HBO), Amy Ryan – Only Murders in the Building (Hulu), Cecily Strong – Saturday Night Live (NBC), Lisa Ann Walter – Abbott Elementary (ABC)

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series (6)

Kieran Culkin – Saturday Night Live (NBC) – Erik, Tyler
John Mulaney – Saturday Night Live (NBC) – Erik, Tyler
Jason Sudeikis – Saturday Night Live (NBC) – Erik, Tyler
Bill Hader – Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO) – Erik
Nathan Lane – Only Murders in the Building (Hulu) – Erik
Christopher McDonald – Hacks (HBO Max) – Tyler
Sam Richardson – Ted Lasso (AppleTV+) – Tyler
Devon Sawa – Hacks (HBO Max) – Tyler
Wes Studi – Reservation Dogs (FX) – Erik

Watch out for: Justin Bartha – Atlanta (FX), Jerrod Carmichael – Saturday Night Live (NBC), James Caverly – Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series (6)

Ariana DeBose – Saturday Night Live (NBC) – Erik, Tyler
Jane Lynch – Only Murders in the Building (Hulu) – Erik, Tyler
Laurie Metcalf – Hacks (HBO Max) – Erik, Tyler
Jane Adams – Hacks (HBO Max) – Erik
Gillian Anderson – The Great (Hulu) – Erik
Quinta Brunson – A Black Lady Sketch Show (HBO) – Tyler
Tina Fey – Only Murders in the Building (Hulu) – Tyler
Harriet Sansom Harris – Hacks (HBO Max) – Tyler
Tracey Ullman – Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO) – Erik

Watch out for: Jane Krakowski – Schmigadoon! (AppleTV+), Sharon Stone – The Flight Attendant (HBO Max), Wanda Sykes – A Black Lady Sketch Show (HBO), Harriet Walter – Ted Lasso (AppleTV+)

Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series (7)

Barry – “710N” (HBO Max) – Erik, Tyler
Hacks – “There Will Be Blood” (HBO Max) – Erik, Tyler
Abbott Elementary – “Pilot” (ABC) – Erik, Tyler
Ted Lasso – “Beard After Hours” (AppleTV+) – Erik, Tyler
Ted Lasso – “No Weddings and a Funeral” (AppleTV+) – Erik, Tyler
B-Positive – “Bagels, Billiards and a Magic Show” (CBS) – Erik
B Positive – “A Dishwasher, a Fire and a Remote Control” (CBS) – Tyler
Curb Your Enthusiasm – “The Watermelon” (HBO) – Erik
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel – “How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall?” (Prime Video) – Tyler

Watch out for: Atlanta – “New Jazz” (FX); How I Met Your Father – “Timing is Everything” (Hulu); The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel – “Ethan…Esther…Chaim” (Prime Video); Only Murders in the Building – “The Boy from 6B” (Hulu) ; Only Murders in the Building – “True Crime” (Hulu); Peacemaker – “It’s Cow or Never” (HBO Max); Russian Doll – “Nowhen” (Netflix)

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series (7)

Abbott Elementary – “Pilot” (HBO Max) – Erik, Tyler
Barry – “710N” (HBO) – Erik, Tyler
Barry – “starting now” (HBO) – Erik, Tyler
Hacks – “The One, The Only” (HBO Max) – Erik, Tyler
Pen15 – “Luminaria” (Hulu) – Erik, Tyler
Ted Lasso – “No Weddings and a Funeral” (AppleTV+) – Erik, Tyler
Only Murders in the Building – “True Crime” (Hulu) – Tyler
Ted Lasso – “Rainbow” (AppleTV+) – Erik

Watch out for: Atlanta – “Rich Wigga, Poor Wigga” (FX); Russian Doll – “Nowhen” (Netflix); What We Do in the Shadows – “The Wellness Center” (FX)

Photo courtesy of ABC/Pamela Littky

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Erik Anderson

Erik Anderson is the founder/owner and Editor-in-Chief of AwardsWatch and has always loved all things Oscar, having watched the Academy Awards since he was in single digits; making lists, rankings and predictions throughout the show. This led him down the path to obsessing about awards. Much later, he found himself in film school and the film forums of GoldDerby, and then migrated over to the former Oscarwatch (now AwardsDaily), before breaking off to create AwardsWatch in 2013.

He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.