Emmys 2020: Who I want to win the top prizes! (And who probably will)
Courtesy of ABC
This Sunday, the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards will take place on ABC, albeit in a different fashion than what we are normally used to. With COVID-19 preventing large crowds from getting together in a theater, host Jimmy Kimmel will provide over a live, virtual ceremony. This will be a first of its kind, and what form it will take is still largely unknown. I imagine there will still be some humorous pre-taped segments just like always, but it may also be kind of awkward to potentially see Emmy recipients accept their awards from home via choppy Zoom connections. No matter the case, I will be glued to my TV set.
One thing that will always remain the same is the triumph and the sorrow of winners and losers. This year features many worthy entrants in the top ten Drama and Comedy categories, and I definitely have my personal preferences. Which actors, actresses, and TV series do I want to see grabbing Emmy gold? Check out the nominees and my picks down below:
Supporting Comedy Actress
Alex Borstein - The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
D’Arcy Carden - The Good Place
Betty Gilpin - GLOW
Marin Hinkle - The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Kate McKinnon - Saturday Night Live
Annie Murphy - Schitt’s Creek
Yvonne Orji - Insecure
Cecily Strong - Saturday Night Live
Courtesy of NBC
Who I'd love to see win: D'Arcy Carden
Last year, one of the biggest Emmy snubs came when Carden was left out of the race after delivering one of the best performances on television, in which she imitated her fellow actors' characters both flawlessly and hilariously. I'm not sure she had any material in the final season of The Good Place that was as comically strong, but a win here would more than make up for that crime of the past.
Who will probably win: Alex Borstein
Kate McKinnon is also a strong contender, but Maisel is a critical darling, and Borstein has taken this award the last two years in a row. I smell a three-peat.
Supporting Comedy Actor
Mahershala Ali - Ramy
Alan Arkin - The Kominsky Method
Andre Braugher - Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Sterling K. Brown - The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
William Jackson Harper - The Good Place
Dan Levy - Schitt’s Creek
Tony Shaloub - The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Kenan Thompson - Saturday Night Live
Courtesy of NBC
Who I'd love to see win: Andre Braugher
Braugher is a two-time Emmy winner in his own right, so he personally doesn't need another one, but I would just love for Brooklyn Nine-Nine in general to get some recognition. In the current era of Peak TV, featuring a litany of praiseworthy shows, it's been relatively easy for Nine-Nine to slip through the cracks, but the series has been consistently excellent throughout the years, even when it dealt with departing cast members and a changing of networks.
Who will probably win: Tony Shaloub or Dan Levy
This one is actually a bit too close for me to call. Shaloub is the safe choice for the same reasons I made with Alex Borstein, so I give him the edge. However, given the high praise Schitt's Creek is getting for its final season, I can't count out the show's actual co-creator.
Comedy Actress
Christina Applegate - Dead to Me
Rachel Brosnahan - The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Linda Cardellini - Dead to Me
Catherine O’Hara - Schitt’s Creek
Issa Rae - Insecure
Tracee Ellis Ross - Black-ish
Courtesy of Pop TV
Who I'd love to see win: Catherine O'Hara
As I've mentioned before, I've just started watching Schitt's Creek, and its appeal was instantly apparent to me. The humor is sharp, and all of the characters shine in unique ways. All of that said, O'Hara's Moira Rose is undeniably the comedic MVP of the series. With her outrageous selection of wigs and her ridiculous accent, just to name a few attributes, Moira has already become a legendary and recognizable character that deserves to be recognized by the Television Academy.
Who will probably win: Catherine O'Hara
This category is insanely stacked. I wouldn't bat an eye at any of the other women winning, with Rachel Brosnahan coming the closest, but I believe O'Hara runs away with this one.
Comedy Actor
Anthony Anderson - Black-ish
Don Cheadle - Black Monday
Ted Danson - The Good Place
Michael Douglas - The Kominsky Method
Eugene Levy - Schitt’s Creek
Ramy Youssef - Ramy
Courtesy of Hulu
Who I'd love to see win: Ramy Youssef
Hulu's brilliant and unique comedy about a small American Muslim family living in New Jersey was one of the bigger surprises when the nominations were announced, and I was thrilled that this amazing show was getting recognized. This situation is reminiscent of Donald Glover's own Emmy success with Atlanta, and I'm hoping that Youssef's profile gets a huge boost with a win.
Who will probably win: Eugene Levy
With two-time reigning champion Bill Hader out this year, this category is a harder call. I think Levy will ride the momentum of his series' acclaim.
Supporting Drama Actress
Helena Bonham Carter - The Crown
Laura Dern - Big Little Lies
Julia Garner - Ozark
Thandie Newton - Westworld
Fiona Shaw - Killing Eve
Sarah Snook - Succession
Meryl Streep - Big Little Lies
Samira Wiley - The Handmaid’s Tale
Courtesy of HBO
Who I'd love to see win: Meryl Streep
If I thought that Andre Braugher didn't need another award, it's downright blasphemous to think of Streep winning this over so many deserving people. By that logic, I should be rooting for Sarah Snook, who is the most underrated player on Succession. But that's the power of Streep—she is that...damn...good, particularly in a second season of Big Little Lies that didn't pack as much of an emotional punch as the first, outside of Streep's incredible portrayal of a grieving mother.
Who will probably win: Julia Garner
Ozark has been on my must-watch list for quite some time, so I can't speak personally to any of the performances. However, I know it's gotten a fair amount of Emmy buzz leading up to this weekend, so I could see Ms. Garner capitalizing on that goodwill.
Supporting Drama Actor
Nicholas Braun - Succession
Billy Crudup - The Morning Show
Kieran Culkin - Succession
Mark Duplass - The Morning Show
Giancarlo Esposito - Better Call Saul
Matthew Macfadyen - Succession
Bradley Whitford - The Handmaid’s Tale
Jeffrey Wright - Westworld
Courtesy of HBO
Who I would love to see win: Kieran Culkin
While Succession is amazing at everything it does, the one attribute I don't think gets talked about enough is just how funny it is. And the biggest benefactor of its dark humor is Culkin's Roman Roy, the perfect embodiment of everything both awful and entertaining about the Roy family as a whole. He's pompous and full of false bravado, but through no actual accomplishments of his own. Anytime he is confronted by his powerful father, he physically cowers and becomes the little boy he truly is, if only for a brief moment. Culkin shines in this series, and I want to see him hold that trophy.
Who will probably win: Matthew Macfadyen
A part of me wonders if having three actors from Succession in the same category will work against them and spread the vote too much, causing someone like Billy Crudup to end up taking the gold. Outside of that, I think Culkin has a legitimate shot, but Macfadyen is great in his own right and benefits from submitting the awesome Season Two finale as his nomination.
Drama Actress
Jennifer Aniston - The Morning Show
Olivia Colman - The Crown
Jodie Comer - Killing Eve
Laura Linney - Ozark
Sandra Oh - Killing Eve
Zendaya - Euphoria
Courtesy of BBC America
Who I would love to see win: Sandra Oh
This is another stacked category—women are simply killing it lately, and again, any of these ones could rightfully walk away with the award. However, Sandra Oh has been one of the best actresses on television for a very long time, and her work on Killing Eve is undeniable proof. Everyone surrounding Oh has been acknowledged by the Television Academy: Killing Eve's Season One head writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge earned an Emmy for her own series, Fleabag; and last year, Oh's co-star Jodie Comer won this award. Now, it's time to recognize Oh herself, and personally, I would love to see her become the first woman of Asian descent to win this award.
Who will probably win: Laura Linney
Linney is one of my favorite all-time actresses, and again, even though I haven't yet seen Ozark, I can only imagine how much she excels in that series. Just like with others I've mentioned, I can see her riding the series' momentum wave.
Drama Actor
Jason Bateman - Ozark
Sterling K. Brown - This Is Us
Steve Carell - The Morning Show
Brian Cox - Succession
Billy Porter - Pose
Jeremy Strong - Succession
Courtesy of HBO
Who I would love to see win: Jeremy Strong
As great as everyone in this category is, this is a two-horse race between the co-stars of Succession. To me, Brian Cox is the obvious choice, playing the patriarch Logan Roy, but I think that the best work on the series is done by Strong as the prodigal son Kendall. The arc that Kendall takes over the course of Season Two is phenomenal, as Strong expertly balances the character's need to be humbled and his struggle to regain his sense of self. The Season Two finale, for which Strong is nominated, is nothing short of a masterpiece of storytelling and acting, and he is the biggest reason I am thirsting for a third season.
Who will probably win: Brian Cox
To his credit, Cox submitted Logan's strongest episode of the season, "Hunting," which featured the infamous "boar on the floor" scene, arguably the most memorable of the season. Cox is a commanding presence in that episode, and the series as a whole, so it's nigh impossible to ignore him.
Outstanding Comedy
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Dead to Me
The Good Place
Insecure
The Kominsky Method
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Schitt’s Creek
What We Do in the Shadows
Courtesy of Pop TV
What I would love to see win: Schitt's Creek
Dan and Eugene Levy's comedy is golden all the way around: Seeing the Rose family out of their element is worth the price of admission on its own. But the series also boasts sublime comedic writing and a deep cast of supporting characters who become endearing in their own right. And with the exception of The Good Place, I'd argue that Schitt's Creek has the biggest heart of any of the nominees, while still remaining literally laugh-out-loud funny, and that pushes it over the edge for me.
What will probably win: Schitt's Creek
There's no guarantee that being the series' final chance at an Emmy will have any sway with voters, but the show has been gaining more attention every year as new viewers—like me—are discovering it, so the momentum is too great: Schitt's Creek will bow out on top.
Outstanding Drama
Better Call Saul
The Crown
The Handmaid’s Tale
Killing Eve
The Mandalorian
Ozark
Stranger Things
Succession
Courtesy of HBO
What I would love to see win: Succession
If you couldn't tell by now, I'm in love with this series. The cinematography is stunningly gorgeous, the acting throughout the entire cast is top tier, and most importantly, the writing is some of the best on television since Mad Men. The stories don't rely on complex or outlandish plots of fantasy—at least, not in the traditional sense of the word. Most of us won't relate to the insane level of wealth and power these characters wield, but the series provides a sharp, satirical insight into their motivations and actions. Therefore, it becomes easy to root for or against their success—this is Game of Thrones meets Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, and it's just as fun to watch as both of them.
What will probably win: Succession
Ozark could provide an upset, but I feel this is Succession's award to lose.
Do you agree with my picks? Who would you love to see go home with some Emmys? Let me know in the comments below!