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 Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Weekly Commentary (Updated June 22, 2023): The guest comedy actress race has 99 names in the running for nominations.
Diversity is more than ethnicity, and we’re seeing a trending number of roles for older actors in the biz. As a result, veteran Carol Burnett, 90, could become the most senior woman nominated for acting if she picks up a supporting drama actress nom for the final season of AMC’s “Better Call Saul.” However, veteran Shirley MacLaine, 89, would be the second oldest ever with her possible guest comedy actress mention for “Only Murders in the Building.”
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Primetime Emmy predictions in the major categories.
The Oscar-winning actress of “Terms of Endearment” (1983) is also an Emmy winner for outstanding special (comedy, variety or music) for 1976’s “Gypsy in My Soul.” With five career noms, the most recent in 2009 for lead actress (limited) for “Coco Chanel,” she’s a veteran that her peers could quickly embrace.
Quinta Brunson could be the most nominated Black woman in a single year with four noms. That is if she can add a guest comedy actress nom for hosting “Saturday Night Live” with her likely comedy series, writing and lead actress noms for ABC’s “Abbott Elementary.”
Also from “SNL,” where seven are vying for attention, they submitted Megan Thee Stallion, Amy Schumer, Keke Palmer, Aubrey Plaza, Jenna Ortega, and former cast member Molly Shannon. Ana de Armas was the only woman not submitted for consideration, despite receiving her first Oscar nom this year for her performance as Marilyn Monroe in Netflix’s “Blonde.”
Stephanie Hsu picked up a deserving Oscar nomination in supporting actress for her performance in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” That goodwill may carry over into an Emmy nomination, for which she has three shows submitted for consideration — “American Born Chinese” from Disney+, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” from Prime Video and “Poker Face” from Peacock.
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Emmy predictions in all categories.
Emmy Nominations voting runs from June 15-26. The Primetime Emmy nominations will be announced on July 12. Check back every Thursday for the latest updates. All information is preliminary and is subject to change.
And the Predicted Nominees Are:
- Shirley MacLaine — “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)
- Taraji P. Henson — “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
- Quinta Brunson — “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
- Judith Light — “Poker Face” (Peacock)
- Cherry Jones — “Poker Face” (Peacock)
- Sarah Niles — “Ted Lasso” (Apple TV+)
Next in Line
- Harriet Walter — “Ted Lasso” (Apple TV+)
- Ayo Edebiri — “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
- Issa Rae — “A Black Lady Sketch Show” (HBO)
- Rachel McAdams — “Dave” (FX)
Other Top-Tier Possibilities
- Yvette Nicole Brown — “A Black Lady Sketch Show” (HBO)
- Jane Lynch — “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)
- Stephanie Hsu — “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Prime Video)
- Catherine Zeta-Jones — “Wednesday” (Netflix)
- Stephanie Hsu — “American Born Chinese” (Disney+)
- Amy Schumer — “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
- Keke Palmer — “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
- Molly Ringwald — “The Bear” (FX)
- Megan Thee Stallion — “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
- Tracee Ellis Ross — “A Black Lady Sketch Show” (HBO)
- Amy Morton — “The Bear” (FX)
All Eligible Titles (Alphabetized by Network)**
- Ayo Edebiri — “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
- Taraji P. Henson — “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
- June Diane Raphael — “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
- Lauren Weedman — “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
- Jane Curtin — “The Conners” (ABC)
- Estelle Parsons — “The Conners” (ABC)
- Katey Sagal — “The Conners” (ABC)
- Wendie Malick — “Shrinking” (Apple TV+)
- Becky Ann Baker — “Ted Lasso” (Apple TV+)
- Jodi Balfour — “Ted Lasso” (Apple TV+)
- Sarah Niles — “Ted Lasso” (Apple TV+)
- Harriet Walter — “Ted Lasso” (Apple TV+)
- Stephanie Hsu — “American Born Chinese” (Disney+)
- Patty Guggenheim — “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law” (Disney+)
- Amy Morton — “The Bear” (FX)
- Molly Ringwald — “The Bear” (FX)
- Jane Levy — “Dave” (FX)
- Rachel McAdams — “Dave” (FX)
- Megan Mullally — “Reservation Dogs” (FX)
- D’Arcy Carden — “Barry” (HBO)
- Elizabeth Perkins — “Barry” (HBO)
- Yvette Nicole Brown — “A Black Lady Sketch Show” (HBO)
- Issa Rae — “A Black Lady Sketch Show” (HBO)
- Tracee Ellis Ross — “A Black Lady Sketch Show” (HBO)
- Jackée Harry — “A Black Lady Sketch Show” (HBO)
- Kyla Pratt — “A Black Lady Sketch Show” (HBO)
- Kym Whitley — “A Black Lady Sketch Show” (HBO)
- Tina Fey — “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)
- Jackie Hoffman — “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)
- Jane Lynch — “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)
- Shirley MacLaine — “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)
- Amy Ryan — “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)
- Maria Gibbs — “Unprisoned” (Hulu)
- Faith Ford — “Night Court” (NBC)
- Wendie Malick — “Night Court” (NBC)
- Quinta Brunson — “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
- Jenna Ortega — “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
- Keke Palmer — “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
- Aubrey Plaza — “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
- Amy Schumer — “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
- Molly Shannon — “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
- Catherine Zeta-Jones — “Wednesday” (Netflix)
- Dana Delany — “Tulsa King” (Paramount+)
- Andrea Savage — “Tulsa King” (Paramount+)
- Annabella Sciorra — “Tulsa King” (Paramount+)
- Scarlett Rose Stallone — “Tulsa King” (Paramount+)
- Tatiana Zappardino — “Tulsa King” (Paramount+)
- Ellen Barkin — “Poker Face” (Peacock)
- Hong Chau — “Poker Face” (Peacock)
- Stephanie Hsu — “Poker Face” (Peacock)
- Cherry Jones — “Poker Face” (Peacock)
- Judith Light — “Poker Face” (Peacock)
- S. Epatha Merkerson — “Poker Face” (Peacock)
- Chloe Sevigny — “Poker Face” (Peacock)
- Nina Arianda — “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Prime Video)
- Kelly Bishop — “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Prime Video)
- Sutton Foster — “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Prime Video)
- Stephanie Hsu — “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Prime Video)
- Justine Lupe — “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Prime Video)
- Jane Lynch — “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Prime Video)
** This official list and/or category submission is not yet complete or confirmed and is subject to change.
2022 category winner: Laurie Metcalf as Weed in “Hacks” (HBO)
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.