We’re off to the races with the 77th annual, Nate Bargatze-hosted Primetime Emmy Awards, which are set to air September 14. As always, a chosen few favorites—Severance, The White Lotus,Hacks—dominate the nomination list. But which of them will emerge as a winner, considering there’s stiff competition courtesy of a breakout medical drama on HBO Max and Apple TV+’s Hollywood send-up? Then there’s Adolescence, which will surely hover over the Limited Series categories. (But don’t discount the possibility of The Penguin‘s Cristin Milioti and Dying For Sex‘s Jenny Slate nabbing a trophy.) Below, our TV critic Saloni Gajjar shares her predictions for who will, could, and should win in the Emmys’ top 15 categories.
Sorry to the rest of the contenders (Andor, The Diplomat, The Last Of Us, Paradise, Slow Horses, and The White Lotus), but they don’t stand a chance against HBO’s breakout medical hit or Apple TV+’s compelling workplace thriller. After a three-year break, Severance‘s sophomore run garnered critical acclaim, thanks to its gripping themes, powerful performances, and impressive technical work. Meanwhile, the nostalgia value and emotional resonance of The Pitt can’t be dismissed. As a sign of the competition heating up, Severance and The Pitt have already nabbed a few Creative Emmy Award wins over the weekend, including ones for Merritt Wever and Shawn Hatosy for their guest performances. While The Pitt has morphed into a word-of-mouth success, Severance stands a slightly stronger chance, considering the whopping 27 total nominations it secured. And if it wins, it’ll be the right choice.
Britt Lower pulled off a tricky feat in Severance, playing both a rebellious Helly R. and a crafty Helena Eagan. And it’s a switcheroo that deserves the gold. However, she could lose to Kathy Bates, who earned her 15th Emmy nod this year, and let’s not forget that CBS’s Matlock is a massive hit. Plus, Bates already won the Critics’ Choice Award earlier this year. As for the rest of the nominees, Sharon Horgan’s Bad Sisters nod was a surprise, Bella Ramsay’s nom comes on the heels of a divisive second season of The Last Of Us, and Keri Russell is a reliable choice. But Severance has the upper hand over The Diplomat.
Will win: Britt Lower, Severance
Could win: Kathy Bates, Matlock
Should win: Britt Lower, Severance
Outstanding Actor In A Drama Series
Much like the Outstanding Drama Series, the primary battle here is between The Pitt‘s Noah Wyle and Severance‘s Adam Scott. Once again, apologies to Sterling K. Brown and Gary Oldman. (And Pedro Pascal should’ve been in the Supporting Actor category for his work in three of the seven TLOU episodes.) Coming back to the top two: Wyle brought Dr. Robby’s devastating breakdown to life excellently. He also has years of ER love in his favor. However, Scott’s transfixing turn in Severance, particularly in that lengthy finale conversation between innie Mark S. and outie Mark Scout, should be difficult to beat. It’s hard to predict which one of them will eke out the win, but we’re going with the actor who led the show that earned the most nods this year.
Will win: Adam Scott, Severance
Could win: Noah Wyle, The Pitt
Should win: Adam Scott, Severance
Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series
Alright, things are finally spicing up despite The White Lotus occupying four of the seven slots. (When is the Television Academy going to impose a limit on how many actors from the same show can be nominated?) That just means votes will likely split between Parker “Southern accent queen” Posey, Aimee Lou Wood, Natasha Rothwell, and Carrie Coon. Of this bunch, Coon has a higher chance of winning. (Who doesn’t love a moving finale monologue?) If there’s an upset here, it’ll be from The Pitt‘s Katherine LaNasa, who deserves to win just for the intensity with which she smokes onscreen. Jokes aside, LaNasa shoulders the burden of several weighty moments in season one. TWL‘s Thailand-set third season wasn’t its best by any means, so here’s hoping The Pitt star gets some love.
Will win: Carrie Coon, The White Lotus
Could win: Katherine LaNasa, The Pitt
Should win: Katherine LaNasa, The Pitt
Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series
Split votes remain the name of the game here, with multiple nods for Severance and The White Lotus actors. (James Marsden sneaked in a nom for Paradise.) However, Tramell Tillman’s sinister take on middle-manager Mr. Milchick should be the easiest win at the Emmys, despite strong work from his nominated co-stars John Turturro and Zach Cherry. If this happens, Tillman will make history as the first Black actor to win this category. However, let’s not underestimate the love for TWL performers like Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, and Sam Rockwell.
Will win: Tramell Tillman, Severance
Could win: Walton Goggins, The White Lotus
Should win: Tramell Tillman, Severance
Outstanding Comedy Series
After Hacks‘ surprising win over The Bear last year, the HBO Max show has a solid chance of coming out on top again. If only there weren’t another star-studded, Hollywood-set series vying for the prize. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s The Studio burst into the spotlight with a season that aimed at everything from IP franchises to, well, awards ceremonies. With guests like the Emmy-nominated Martin Scorsese, The Studio has quickly become the comedy to watch out for. This means the final round of What We Do In The Shadows will go unrecognized, as will nominees like Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Nobody Wants This, Only Murders In The Building, and Shrinking.
Will win: The Studio
Could win: Hacks
Should win: The Studio
Outstanding Actress In A Comedy Series
Jean Smart is gunning for Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ record (six wins for Veep), and we welcome her getting closer to that milestone for her electric turn as stand-up comedian/late-night host Deborah Vance. The Bear‘s Ayo Edebiri and Nobody Wants This‘ Kristen Bell (who earned her first Emmy nod after being snubbed for Veronica Mars and The Good Place) could potentially best her. Quinta Brunson and Uzo Aduba are former winners as well, but there’s little to no doubt that it’s Smart who’ll stand up on that stage again for a crackling victory speech.
Will win: Jean Smart, Hacks
Could win: Ayo Edebiri, The Bear
Should win: Jean Smart, Hacks
Outstanding Actor In A Comedy Series
Over the past four seasons, Only Murders In The Building‘s Martin Short and Steve Martin have delivered remarkably funny performances (shocker!). Yet it’s only in 2025 that Short won a SAG Award for playing Broadway maven Oliver Putnam. If there was any justice, he would bag the trophy for a comedy award at the Emmys, too, for his grunts, one-liners, and wooing of Meryl Streep’s character. But The Studio‘s rapid fame means that co-creator and star Seth Rogen is the best bet. Then again, there’s always a chance that Adam Brody’s Critics’ Choice win for Nobody Wants This could translate here, or that former winner Jeremy Allen White remains top of mind for voters even if The Bear‘s third season might not.
Will win: Seth Rogen, The Studio
Could win: Jeremy Allen White, The Bear
Should win: Martin Short, Only Murders In The Building
Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series
While Jean Smart has rightfully won three times for her fantastic turn on Hacks, her co-star Hannah Einbinder has unfortunately been overlooked. Hopefully, 2025 changes this because Einbinder delivered her series-best work in season four as Ava lost her mind, wrote for her dream show only to quit, and deepened her bond with her mentor. If it’s not her, voters could finally recognize another hilarious TV Ava: Abbott Elementary‘s Janelle James, who is competing alongside her co-star/previous winner Sheryl Lee Ralph. This is still a stacked list, though, and it includes The Studio stars Catherine O’Hara and Kathryn Hahn, The Bear‘s Liza Colon-Zayas, and Shrinking‘s Jessica Williams.
Will win: Hannah Einbinder, Hacks
Could win: Janelle James, Abbott Elementary
Should win: Hannah Einbinder, Hacks
Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series
Considering that The Studio‘s Ike Barinholtz is nominated, let’s just hope that he yells out a satisfactory “Thank you, Sal Saperstein” if his name is announced. And it could happen. But if there’s any The Bear actor who has the surest shot to win in their respective category, it’s Ebon Moss-Bachrach. Still, this race has some surprises like The Four Seasons‘ Colman Domingo and Somebody Somewhere‘s Jeff Hiller. They’re all facing off against a vet like Harrison Ford, whose stellar work as a curmudgeonly therapist in Shrinking feels like it should get more attention in the form of an Emmy win. If only.
Will win: Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Bear
Could win: Ike Barinholtz, The Studio
Should win: Harrison Ford, Shrinking
Outstanding Limited Series
If Beef and Baby Reindeer are any indication, then a huge Netflix hit is set to win this category. This year that phenom is Adolescence (and not Black Mirror or Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story). Co-created by Stephen Graham and Jack Thorne, this four-part British drama took the world by storm for a good reason with its delicate handling of a crucial subject matter. Before Adolescence premiered, HBO’s The Penguin was the limited series to watch out for. FX’s moving Dying For Sex, meanwhile, deserves much more attention for its balance of humor and heartbreak.
Will win: Adolescence
Could win: The Penguin
Should win: Adolescence
Outstanding Actress In A Limited Series
I don’t envy voters for having to choose between Michelle Williams’ wrenching portrayal in Dying For Sex (she plays a woman who embarks on sexual adventures to fulfill her desires after learning she has terminal cancer) or Cristin Milioti’s fierce work in The Penguin. Milioti, usually known for her comedic skills, owned the antagonistic role of Sofia Falcone, and her considerable range could come out on top. But she faces off against some strong competition: awards darling Cate Blanchett, fellow Black Mirror actor Rashida Jones, and Sirens‘ Meghann Fahy.
Will win: Cristin Milioti, The Penguin
Could win: Michelle Williams, Dying For Sex
Should win: Cristin Milioti, The Penguin
Outstanding Actor In A Limited Series
Perhaps this categorywill surprise everybody, but until then, let’s call it one of the least interesting lineups. That’s because relatively surprising nods for Brian Tyree Henry (who is admittedly great in Dope Thief) and Jake Gyllenhaal (Presumed Innocent) won’t materialize into wins. Colin Farrell’s The Penguin performance is a primary contender, and he would’ve won far too easily if Adolescence‘s Stephen Graham didn’t dole out an extremely poignant turn in that limited series’ first and fourth outings.
Will win: Stephen Graham, Adolescence
Could win: Colin Farrell, The Penguin
Should win: Stephen Graham, Adolescence
Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Limited Series
Jenny Slate emerged as a scene-stealer in Dying For Sex, navigating heavy emotions with humor for all eight episodes. But voters are going to keep the appreciation for Adolescencegoing with Erin Doherty. Her calming presence in the otherwise stomach-churning third episode (in which she plays a teen killer’s therapist) will win top honors over Adolescence‘s other nominee, Christine Tremarco, as well as Presumed Innocent‘s Ruth Negga, The Penguin‘s Deirdre O’Connell, and Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story‘s Chloë Sevigny.
Will win: Erin Doherty, Adolescence
Could win: Jenny Slate, Dying For Sex
Should win: Jenny Slate, Dying For Sex
Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Limited Series
15-year-old Owen Cooper will, could, and should win. The predicting might as well end here because no one in this lineup warrants the gold more than Adolescence‘s breakout star, whose gives a crushing display of emotions in that aforementioned third episode. Despite this, it’s hard to write off actors like Peter Sarsgaard (Presumed Innocent), Rob Delaney (Dying For Sex), Bill Camp (also Presumed Innocent), Javier Bardem (Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story), and Cooper’s co-star, Ashley Walters.
Will win: Owen Cooper, Adolescence
Could win: Peter Sarsgaard, Presumed Innocent
Should win: Owen Cooper, Adolescence
The 77th Primetime Emmy Awards air September 14 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and stream live on Paramount+.
