Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.
Visit the prediction pages for the respective ceremonies via the links below:
OSCARS | EMMYS | GRAMMYS | TONYS
2023 Emmy Predictions:
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Weekly Commentary (Updated: June 18, 2023): The lead comedy actress has 76 talents (compared to 91 in 2022) in the discussion. This means only five nominees will be named, dramatically changing the race.
Jenna Ortega would be the second youngest ever to be nominated in the category’s history for “Wednesday.” She would surpass Patty Duke, who was 17 in 1964 for “The Patty Duke Show.” Her Netflix series was loud and proud during the phase one voting window (not to mention her Actors on Actors episode was among Variety’s record-breaking incredible numbers). She could be a very likely name being called.
Only Quinta Brunson (“Abbott Elementary”) seems assured a spot, with Rachel Brosnahan (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”) a comfortable second-place holder for the final season of her beloved series.
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Primetime Emmy predictions in the major categories.
Brunson, the first Black woman nominated in three comedy categories for the inaugural season of ABC’s “Abbott,” could become the first Black woman nominated twice for writing, the award she won last year. In addition, she could be the most nominated Black woman in a single year with four, if she can add a guest comedy actress nom for hosting “Saturday Night Live.”
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Emmy predictions in all categories.
Nomination voting is now open to the 20,000+ members of the Television Academy. The first round of voting ends on June 26 at 10 p.m. PT. The official nominees will be announced on Tuesday, July 12. The 75th Primetime Emmy Awards, produced by Jesse Collins Entertainment, are (tentatively scheduled pending the outcome of the WGA strike) on Monday, Sept. 18 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on Fox. The two-night Creative Arts Emmys are scheduled for Sept. 9 and Sept. 10.
And the Predicted Nominees Are:
- Quinta Brunson — “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
- Rachel Brosnahan — “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Prime Video)
- Natasha Lyonne — “Poker Face” (Peacock)
- Jenna Ortega — “Wednesday” (Netflix)
- Christina Applegate — “Dead to Me” (Netflix)
Next in Line
- Elle Fanning — “The Great” (Hulu)
- Bridget Everett — “Somebody Somewhere” (HBO)
- Selena Gomez — “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)
- Linda Cardellini — “Dead to Me” (Netflix)
- Robin Thede — “A Black Lady Sketch Show” (HBO)
Other Top-Tier Possibilities
- Cecily Strong — “Schmigadoon!” (Apple TV+)
- Kerry Washington — “Unprisoned” (Hulu)
- Heléne Yorke — “The Other Two” (HBO)
- Christina Vidal — “Primo” (Freevee)
- Melissa Rauch — “Night Court” (NBC)
- Tatiana Maslany — “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law” (Disney+)
- Maya Rudolph — “Loot” (Apple TV+)
- Amy Schumer — “Inside Amy Schumer” (Paramount+)
- Ana Gasteyer — “American Auto” (NBC)
- Marcia Gay Harden — “So Help Me Todd” (CBS)
All Eligible Titles (Alphabetized by Network)**
- Quinta Brunson — “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
- Sara Gilbert — “The Conners” (ABC)
- Wendi McLendon-Covey — “The Goldbergs” (ABC)
- Gina Rodriguez — “Not Dead Yet” (ABC)
- Sarah Goldberg — “Sisters” (AMC)
- Susan Stanley — “Sisters” (AMC)
- Gabrielle Dennis — “The Big Door Prize” (Apple TV+)
- Maya Rudolph — “Loot” (Apple TV+)
- Charlotte Nicdao — “Mythic Quest” (Apple TV+)
- Rose Byrne — “Physical” (Apple TV+)
- Cecily Strong — “Schmigadoon!” (Apple TV+)
- Patricia Williams — “The Ms. Pat Show” (BET+)
- Tisha Campbell — “Act Your Age” (BounceTV)
- Kym Whitley — “Act Your Age” (BounceTV)
- Fọláḱẹ Olówófôyekù — “Bob Hearts Abishola” (CBS)
- Rose McIver — “Ghosts” (CBS)
- Beth Behrs — “The Neighborhood” (CBS)
- Marcia Gay Harden — “So Help Me Todd” (CBS)
- Awkwafina — “Awkwafina is Nora From Queens” (Comedy Central)
- Tatiana Maslany — “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law” (Disney+)
- Mayim Bialik — “Call Me Kat” (Fox)
- Jaime Pressly — “Welcome to Flatch” (Fox)
- Sofia Black-D’Elia — “Single Drunk Female” (Freeform)
- Christina Vidal — “Primo” (Freevee)
- Martha Plimpton — “Sprung” (Freevee)
- Devery Jacobs — “Reservation Dogs” (FX)
- Natasia Demetriou — “What We Do in the Shadows” (FX)
- Robin Thede — “A Black Lady Sketch Show” (HBO)
- Cassandra Ciangherotti — “Los Espookys” (HBO)
- Ana Fabrega — “Los Espookys” (HBO)
- Heléne Yorke — “The Other Two” (HBO)
- Daisy May Cooper — “Rain Dogs” (HBO)
- Alicia Pilgrim — “Random Acts of Flyness” (HBO)
- KaMillion — “Rap Shit” (HBO)
- Aida Osman — “Rap Shit” (HBO)
- Bridget Everett — “Somebody Somewhere” (HBO)
- Chandra Russell — “South Side” (HBO)
- Máiréad Tyers — “Extraordinary” (Hulu)
- Elle Fanning — “The Great” (Hulu)
- Hilary Duff — “How I Met Your Father” (Hulu)
- Selena Gomez — “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)
- Judy Greer — “Reboot” (Hulu)
- Mae Whitman — “Up Here” (Hulu)
- Ana Gasteyer — “American Auto” (NBC)
- Mayan Lopez — “Lopez vs. Lopez” (NBC)
- Melissa Rauch — “Night Court” (NBC)
- Stacey Leilua — “Young Rock” (NBC)
- Christina Applegate — “Dead to Me” (Netflix)
- Linda Cardellini — “Dead to Me” (Netflix)
- Lily Collins — “Emily in Paris” (Netflix)
- Monica Barbaro — “Fubar” (Netflix)
- Maitreyi Ramakrishnan — “Never Have I Ever” (Netflix)
- Debra Jo Rupp — “That ’90s Show” (Netflix)
- Tisha Campbell — “Uncoupled” (Netflix)
- Kim Fields — “The Upshaws” (Netflix)
- Jenna Ortega — “Wednesday” (Netflix)
- Wendy Raquel Robinson — “The Game” (Paramount+)
- Marisa Davila — “Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies” (Paramount+)
- Tricia Fukuhara — “Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies” (Paramount+)
- Ari Notartomaso — “Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies” (Paramount+)
- Cheyenne Isabel Wells — “Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies” (Paramount+)
- Amy Schumer — “Inside Amy Schumer” (Paramount+)
- Natasha Lyonne — “Poker Face” (Peacock)
- Cristin Milioti — “The Resort” (Peacock)
- Jana Schieding — “Rutherford Falls” (Peacock)
- Meagan Good — “Harlem” (Prime Video)
- Chanté Adams — “A League of Their Own” (Prime Video)
- Abbi Jacobsen — “A League of Their Own” (Prime Video)
- Melia Kreiling — “Mammals” (Prime Video)
- Rachel Brosnahan — “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Prime Video)
- Rhianne Barreto — “The Outlaws” (Prime Video)
- Zoe Lister-Jones — “Slip” (The Roku Channel)
- Ziwe — “Ziwe” (Showtime)
- Jasmine Cephas Jones — “Blindspotting” (Starz)
- Sara Tomko — “Resident Alien” (Syfy)
** This official list and category submission is not yet complete or confirmed and is subject to change.
2022 category winner: Jean Smart — “Hacks” (HBO) — Season 2
Emmy Awards Predictions Categories
DRAMA SERIES | COMEDY SERIES | LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES | TV MOVIE | LEAD ACTOR (DRAMA) | LEAD ACTOR (COMEDY) | LEAD ACTOR (LIMITED/TV MOVIE) | LEAD ACTRESS (DRAMA) | LEAD ACTRESS (COMEDY) | LEAD ACTRESS (LIMITED/TV MOVIE) | SUPPORTING ACTOR (DRAMA) | SUPPORTING ACTOR (COMEDY) | SUPPORTING ACTOR (LIMITED/TV MOVIE) | SUPPORTING ACTRESS (DRAMA) | SUPPORTING ACTRESS (COMEDY) | SUPPORTING ACTRESS (LIMITED/TV MOVIE) | TALK SERIES | SCRIPTED VARIETY | GAME SHOW | DIRECTING (DRAMA, COMEDY, LIMITED/TV MOVIE) | WRITING (DRAMA, COMEDY, LIMITED/TV MOVIE) | REALITY (COMPETITION, STRUCTURED, UNSTRUCTURED, HOST)
Creative Arts and Other Emmy Categories
GUEST ACTOR (DRAMA) | GUEST ACTRESS (DRAMA) | GUEST ACTOR (COMEDY) | GUEST ACTRESS (COMEDY) | VOICE-OVER | SHORT FORM | DOCUMENTARY | MUSIC | ANIMATED | OTHER CATEGORIES
About the Primetime Emmy Awards
The Primetime Emmy Awards, better known as the Emmys, are given out by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). Since 1949, the awards have recognized excellence in American primetime television programming. They are divided into three classes – Primetime Emmy Awards, the Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards (honors artisan achievements), and the Primetime Engineering Emmy Awards (recognizes significant engineering and technological contributions). The typical eligibility period is between June 1 and May 31 of any given year. The Television Academy comprises over 25,000 members, representing 30 professional peer groups, including performers, directors, producers, art directors, artisans, and executives.