Emmy Predictions: Comedy Lead Actress

This year's category for Comedy Lead Actress is just as competitive despite breakout star Phoebe-Waller Bridge and Emmy favorite Julia Louis-Dreyfus gone for the year as many new and returning actresses want to keep their slots and get closer to the crown or even break into this difficult and powerful category.

Rachel Brosnahan won this category for her critically acclaimed role in the very successful show "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" two years ago and is just as great in it as usual, so she not only is most likely secured a nomination for this year, but is also the obvious choice for the winner this year. Her acting is so unique and has a powerful distinct style that makes her stand out and gives the character major confidence that definitely stands out to any Emmy voter and sets her apart from any other competition. In addition, "Mrs. Maisel" has major buzz right now from the amazing third season and most of this is for Brosnahan's character and her transition to tour in the latest season, therefore it is near impossible for her not to be nominated and I would say she has an extremely decent shot at her second victory for the show. I would be more confident in her chances this year, but Catherine O'Hara has major buzz for her role in "Schitt's Creek" final sixth season and some critics have said it is some of her best work yet and with the major buzz from the show, it is entirely possible she can snatch the Emmy this year. Given "Schitt's Creek's" success this year and emotional yet impactful final season, the voters are already loving the season and Moira Rose continued to amaze everyone and this could be the long overdue acting Emmy for O'Hara. In addition, Catherine O'Hara's role in the show is so unique and so different from anything the Emmys normally award and this not only sets her aside from the other competitors, but in my opinion puts her slightly above Brosnahan due to the difficulty and complexity of her role in the show. O'Hara is also loved by the Emmy voters similar to Brosnahan and since the voters have already picked Brosnahan for one award, they might want to award different actors that perform different roles and decide to put O'Hara at the top this year similar to Phoebe Waller-Bridge's rise to victory last year. Phoebe Waller-Bridge's performance gained all the buzz from Fleabag fans and O'Hara's performance has gained similar momentum that therefore forces me to put her as my top prediction, but it definitely will be an intense and tough category for someone to come up on top. 

Similarly, this year brought a variety of promising performances that easily could sneak into the nomination pool this year and make some noise in the category. Christina Applegate earned the only nomination for "Dead to Me" last year and it is hard to imagine this category without her again as she built up on her role from last year and provided an even more emotional and serious twist to the role that is sure to gain some attention from Emmy voters. I could even see her gaining so much momentum for the increasingly developed role this year that it leads to a surprise victory for Applegate especially since Brosnahan and O'Hara are so close they could end up splitting the vote. Talking about "Dead to Me," I can also see Linda Cardellini gaining a nomination next to Applegate as she gained a much more involved and increased role in this series that Emmy voters will most likely love. Her character had more depth this season and creatively gave Cardellini more to work with, consequently it is entirely possible and at this point likely especially with the buzz for the show, that Cardellini will join the intense category and make some serious "Dead to Me" noise. The only problem with Cardellini joining in is that the vote could be split between Applegate and Cardellini and prevent that possibly victory for either one of them. However, Cardellini will have to gain some more momentum in my opinion to catch up to the other actresses as this year is so competitive that the other actresses might overshadow Cardellini's role in the show as the voters might be so distracted and only focused towards Applegate like last year, but she is very close to doing so. 

One of this year's great performances includes the Emmy darling Merritt Wever for the new HBO show "Run." "Run" is an interesting style that is different from the other contenders in the comedy series category and that fact could help it stand out in not only the comedy series category but also in its acting role. Wever's performance is very strained in a good way as the audience can see there is so much depth to the character that is being hidden and so many details that Wever hides perfectly in a professional way. Her role is substantial in the show as the series rotates around two characters mainly (one being Wever and her character Ruby) and she really dominates most of the scenes she is in, playing the stressed and annoyed mom character that is normally very simplistic, but with Wever's turn on the character, she conveys the difficulty and complexity of the character. Due to this new take on a very usual type of character and the buzz around "Run," I can easily see Wever earning a nomination and if this follows Fleabag (the show is also written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge who also stars in it), she could even win this category unexpectedly. Plus, Wever is so loved by the voters that she has already won shockingly for her role in Godless which was completely out of the blue and has a very strong chance to be nominated for her role in the limited series "Unbelievable" as well which really gives her major buzz with the Emmy voters. 

Adding to the complicated mix, Pamela Adlon could and most likely will join the category again for "Better Things," as the FX comedy show has been gaining so much momentum this past year. I wouldn't be too shocked to see her and the show winning this year and being the next "Fleabag." Adlon is so unique in this show and hilarious that the Emmy voters will most likely be entertained and give attention to her role especially if the show is to be nominated in the comedy series category. I personally can't see Adlon being left out of the category as we already know Emmy voters love her (she's been nominated more than once), and also know how much more famous "Better Things," has become in a similar way to "Schitt's Creek." Finishing out my predictions for who will be nominated, my next choice is going to be different, but I really feel like her role is so great in a fantastic show and a nomination is overdue. Kristen Bell plays Eleanor in "The Good Place," so funny and amazing that I am shocked she has never been nominated. With this being the last season and chance for "The Good Place," I can definitely see Emmy voters wanting to finally give love to one of the funniest performances in television and finally awarding Bell for four successful years. She has been snubbed in the past, but this year, she built up on her role and developed the character to be more emotional and overall be different from previous seasons which will most likely stand out to voters and could set her aside from other actresses, finally giving her the much deserved and overdue first nomination in this category.

Going into some of the very strong contenders for this category, I have already mentioned Cardellini as a strong possibility, but I also see another star in a very underrated show getting some attention for their role. Jane Levy in "Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist," is another strong contender in this category as she takes what could have been a very simple role and takes everything she can from it in the emotional aspect as we can always see what she is feeling despite the writing trying to hide the emotions which Levy supports in a very strong way and conveys to the audience. The singing and dancing from Levy also puts her high up as she must have trained and learned those skills or developed them for the show which the Emmy voters automatically admire and love to award, therefore making Levy another strong contender for this category. But with the abundance of strong performances this year, Levy will have to make some noise with the voters to sneak in and snatch other spots from actresses in shows that might be gaining more attention. Another very likely and powerful actress that could increase her Emmy chances is Awkwafina (coming from a fresh golden globe victory) who starred in the successful and popular "Nora From Queens." While the show itself might have not been everything people hyped it up to be, Awkwafina is hilarious and overall fun which is something the voters love in these categories and could easily bring her up to a much-deserved nomination. Awkwafina somehow successfully pulls off a role that would usually be annoying and brings an interesting sense of humor and an overall delivery that only Awkwafina could bring as she sort of saves the show from itself at times and takes all the weight of it. Because of this difficult and great role, I can definitely see voters loving Awkwafina and giving her the nomination over others that play a more simple role that the voters are used to. 

Another contender that has been gaining a lot of momentum especially with the success of this interesting and new satirical show is Elle Fanning for her period role as a Queen in "The Great" that has proven successful in the Emmys (and Oscars-Olivia Colman) in the previous years. Elle Fanning adds the comedic aspect to the show while also bringing the royalty perspective to the show in a very professional way that voters will love. She also plays a main role in a period show and based on shows such as "The Crown" or movies such as "The Favourite," I wouldn't be shocked to see the Emmys favor this period piece and continue their streak of loving those types of shows through either the show or her performance that stands out. Although "The Great" has received some mixed reviews, the one things most critics agree is that Fanning's performance is exceptional which could transfer to a nomination and I wouldn't be too surprised to see her name on the list. 

There are a variety of other actresses that are on the edge of being nominated and are all very strong. I wouldn't count out Issa Rae from HBO's "Insecure" as she has been nominated before which wasn't expected, and her role in the latest season is just as comedic and entertaining which the voters might take notice of and allow her a repeat nomination. In addition, "Insecure" is gaining a lot of momentum quickly that could boost Issa Rae up all the way to a nomination and her show (and performance) is always so fun that it might be too loud, entertaining and funny for the voters to ignore. "Grace and Frankie" is another show that has had both the leads be nominated in one year and appeals to voters greatly with its more mature humor yet thoughtful friendship conveyed. Lily Tomlin has been a stand-out performance in "Grace and Frankie" and her latest performance might be a bit more held back but is still as strong as ever which could lead her to another nomination for the show. In similar fashion, Jane Fonda was given a stronger role in the latest season and stood out for the season and could definitely earn a repeat nomination as I thought it was her best season yet. The only reason I am hesitant to think they might repeat is because the show has lost a lot of momentum since the season was released and voters might be tired of their traditional style and possibly looking for something new and different. But, I wouldn't rule either of them out. In addition, Allison Janney has won her Emmy for Mom before she was moved to the lead actress category and her role was just as funny and interesting as usual which could finally get her back in this category especially with a more involved storyline that puts her back towards the lead instead of supporting. The only problem with her role in "Mom," is that the Emmy voters seem to be thinking of the been there done that idea and might not want to vote for her again as they already have several times, plus
Janney is eligible and has a good chance being nominated for other things such as "Bad Education" or "Troop Zero," that they might just want to ignore her in this category and give it to other and newer shows. 

Another actress in quite a stellar role is Aidy Bryant in the Hulu show "Shrill." Bryant is so unique and different than the other actresses on this list and provides a weirdly cheerful and entertaining energy to the show that makes her stand out and could help her earn a nomination which I think is highly deserved. She is already familiar with Emmy voters for her role on "Saturday Night Live" and I wouldn't be super shocked if she breaks into this category as voters are looking for that new fresh and stylistic acting that Bryant brings successfully. The only thing holding her back is a lack of buzz for "Shrill" and the momentum that is needed to boost her up with the Emmy voters as some of them might not have even heard of "Shrill." In addition, Tracee Ellis Ross from ABC's "Black-ish" has been nominated and won a golden globe for her role and could return to the category, but "Black-ish" has lost a lot of momentum with the voters and has struggled to stand out from the other comedy shows and Tracee Ellis Ross hasn't really brought anything new this season that would stand her out from other nominees, but there is always that strong possibility for her return. "GLOW's" Alison Brie has shockingly never been nominated in this category despite Betty Gilpin and "GLOW" being nominated and it could finally be her time especially since she made such a strong and unique performance in the latest season, but the voters might continue their weird ignorance towards her especially since "GLOW" has lost its connection with the voters and needs to stand out more to be recognized as much. 

Another role I adore is Justina Machado in "One Day At A Time," and she should have been nominated before, but with "One Day At A Time" gaining a lot of momentum this year and recognition from voters in general, this could finally be her year to break in like how "Schitt's Creek" did last year which would easily allow Machado to finally get the recognition she deserves for this complex and entertaining role she performs perfectly and hilariously. Performances such as Zoe Kravitz in "High Fidelity" and Gwyneth Paltrow in "The Politician" have gained momentum this year from audiences which could transfer to the Emmy voters (especially with "The Politician" season 2 releasing this month) and sneak both of them into a nomination, but it would not be the easiest path for them to make it in, due to how difficult and packed this category is with an abundance of stellar and hilarious performances from amazing actresses. 

My Predicted Nominees:

1. Catherine O'Hara (Schitt's Creek)

2. Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)

3. Merritt Wever (Run)

4. Christina Applegate (Dead to Me)

5. Pamela Adlon (Better Things)

6. Kristen Bell (The Good Place)

Strong Competitors:

Linda Cardellini (Dead to Me)

Jane Levy (Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist)

Awkwafina (Nora From Queens)

Elle Fanning (The Great) 

Possible Nominees:

Issa Rae (Insecure)

Lily Tomlin (Grace and Frankie)

Allison Janney (Mom)

Aidy Bryant (Shrill)
Jane Fonda (Grace and Frankie)

Tracee Ellis Ross (Black-ish)

Justina Machado (One Day At A Time)

Alison Brie (GLOW)
Zoe Kravitz (High Fidelity)

Gwyneth Paltrow (The Politician)