Emmy Awards 2021: our predictions

After the smart working ceremony in 2020, the 73rd edition of Emmy Awards, scheduled for the night between Sunday 19 and Monday 20 September, is preparing, in addition to returning in attendance, also to reward the most viewed and loved television titles of the last year. After the exploit of Schitt’s Creek, which arrived in Italy five years late thanks to Infinity, and of miniseries such as Watchmen e Succession, this year to triumph, at least on paper, should be large productions such as The Crown, but also smaller products like Ted Lasso e Feel Good, both of Apple Tv +. Leading the 2021 Emmy nominations are two giants: HBO, which was recently joined by the streaming service HBO Max, and Netflix, leaders respectively with 130 and 129 nominations each, while Disney +, more “new” than its competitors, still stands out with 71. The most popular securities are, on an equal footing, The Crown e The Mandalorian with 24 nominations each, followed by WandaVision with 23 and from The Handmaid’s Tale with 21. But if we want to go beyond the numbers and find out who really has the best chance of winning the prizes – for the record, the evening will be hosted by actor and comedian Cedric The Entertainer from Los Angeles and will be broadcast live on Sky Atlantic and simulcast on Sy Serie from 00.30 – where should we start from?

Browse gallery

Let’s start with the heaviest Emmy, the one for the best drama series. Beyond the unexpected nomination of Bridgerton, to have the road smoothed should be the fourth season of The Crown, that also thanks to the entry of Diana, the extraordinary Emma Corrin who should have no problem winning the award for best actress in a drama series, has managed to set up an exciting plot capable of satisfying all tastes. Competitors, like The Boys of Amazon Prime Video and the psychedelic Lovecraft Country HBO, co-produced by Jordan Peele, have very little hope of catching up. On the side of the comedy series, however, the victory of Ted Lasso, the Apple TV + series by Jason Sudeikis – in pole position as the best actor in a comedy – which, with simplicity and tenderness, also entered the hearts of Italian viewers (although, unfortunately, we are still talking about a fairly narrow niche). Also here, Emily in Paris will easily wave the white flag as well as the unsuccessful The Flight Attendant and the third and final season of the Kominsky method which, despite the absence of Alan Arkin, still managed to find a worthy ending thanks to the sublime interpretation of Michael Douglas and Paul Reiser.

On the miniseries chapter, the battle could be fought between two titles: The chess queen, that is the most viewed miniseries ever on Netflix, and Murder in Easttown of HBO, although we are quite certain that the series with Anya Taylor-Joy will win (even if, in this category, they would certainly have deserved WandaVision, the beautiful first Marvel spin-off from Disney +, and I May Destroy You by Michaela Coel, unfairly snubbed at the Golden Globes). Few surprises, however, for the Emmys linked to the performers: Josh O’Connor, that is the Carlo of The Crown, is highly favored as best actor in a drama series (we do not even comment on the nomination of Regé-Jean Page for Bridgerton); Anya Taylor-Joy already has the Emmy in her pocket The chess queen (a tear, however, falls for both Elizabeth Olsen and Kate Winslet), while Hugh Grant would have a good chance of making it as best actor in a miniseries thanks to The Undoing (although Paul Bettany in WandaVision That was great). For non-protagonists: Nick Mohammed could win for Ted Lasso; Jean Smart per Hacks; Hannah Waddingham per Ted Lasso; Helena Bonham Carter per The Crown; the late Michael K Williams for Lovecraft Country; Julianne Nicholson per Murder in Easttown; e Jonathan Groff per Hamilton.

In short, at an Emmy ceremony that should mainly focus on three titles – The Crown, who has already dominated the SAGs, the Critics’ Choice Awards and the Golden Globes, The chess queen e Ted Lasso –, there is a noteworthy novelty: the candidacy of Mj Rodriguez, first transgender woman to be nominated in a major category, for her outstanding performance in Pose, who, alas, still risks going home empty-handed. Among the well-known faces who will take turns on stage to reward the candidates there will also be the great one Dolly Parton, the actresses Awkwafina ed Ellen Pompeo, director Ava DuVernay, Michael Douglas and part of the cast of Schitt’s Creek, winner of the last edition.

Here is the full list of nominations for the 2021 Emmy Awards:

Best Drama Series
The Boys
Bridgerton
The Crown
The Handmaid’s Tale
Lovecraft Country
The Mandalorian
Pose
This Is Us

Best Comedy Series
The flight attendant
Black-ish
Cobra Kai
Emily in Paris
Hacks
The Kominsky method
Pen15
Ted Lasso

Best Miniseries
I May Destroy You
Murder in Easttown
The chess queen
The Underground Railroad
WandaVision

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us)
Jonathan Majors (Lovecraft Country)
Josh O’Connor (The Crown)
Regé-Jean Page (Bridgerton)
Billy Porter (Pose)
Matthew Rhys (Perry Mason)

Best Actress in a Drama Series
Uzo Aduba (In Treatment)
Olivia Colman (The Crown)
Emma Corrin (The Crown)
Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Mj Rodriguez (Pose)
Jurnee Smollett (Lovecraft Country)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Anderson (Black-ish)
Michael Douglas (The Kominsky method)
William H. Macy (Shameless)
Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso)
Kenan Thompson (COM)Kenan)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Aidy Bryant (Shrill)
Kaley Cuoco (The flight attendant)
Allison Janney (Mom)
Tracee Ellis Ross (Black-ish)
Jean Smart (Hacks)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie Made for TV
Paul Bettany (WandaVision)
Hugh Grant (The Undoing – The Untold Truths)
Ewan McGregor (Halston)
Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton)
Leslie Odom Jr. (Hamilton)

Best Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie Made for TV
Michaela Coel (I May Destroy You)
Cynthia Erivo (Genius: Aretha)
Elizabeth Olsen (WandaVision)
Anya Taylor-Joy (The chess queen)
Kate Winslet (Murder in Easttown)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Carl Clemons-Hopkins (Hacks)
Brett Goldstein (Ted Lasso)
Brendan Hunt (Ted Lasso)
Nick Mohammed (Ted Lasso)
Paul Reiser (The Kominsky method)
Jeremy Swift (Ted Lasso)
Kenan Thompson (COM)Saturday Night Live)
Bowen Yang (Saturday Night Live)

Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Aidy Bryant (Saturday Night Live)
Hannah Einbinder (Hacks)
Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live)
Rosie Perez (The flight attendant)
Cecily Strong (Saturday Night Live)
Juno Temple (Ted Lasso)
Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso)

Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Giancarlo Esposito (The Mandalorian)
OT Fagbenle (The Handmaid’s Tale)
John Lithgow (Perry Mason)
Tobias Menzies (The Crown)
Max Minghella (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Chris Sullivan (This is Us)
Bradley Whitford (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Michael Kenneth Williams (Lovecraft Country)

Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Gillian Anderson (The Crown)
Helena Bonham Carter (The Crown)
Madeline Brewer (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Ann Dowd (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Aunjanue Ellis (Lovecraft Country)
Emerald Fennell (The Crown)
Yvonne Strahovski (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Samira Wiley (The Handmaid’s Tale)

Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie Made for TV
Thomas Brodie-Sangster (The chess queen)
Daveed Diggs (Hamilton)
Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You)
Jonathan Groff (Hamilton)
Evan Peters (Murder in Easttown)
Anthony Ramos (Hamilton)

Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie
Renée Elise Goldsberry (Hamilton)
Kathryn Hahn (WandaVision)
Moses Ingram (The chess queen)
Julianne Nicholson (Murder in Easttown)
Jean Smart (Murder in Easttown)
Phillipa Soo (Hamilton)

Best TV Movie
Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square
Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia
Oslo
Sylvie’s Love
Uncle Frank