Who do you love? When it comes to the Primetime Emmy Awards, the nominees are always an indicator of what Television Academy voters adore even more than the programs or performances they respect. What we know so far is that “The Pitt,” “The White Lotus,” “Hacks,” “Severance,” and “Adolescence” are on a pedestal. The question marks are whether “Andor,” “The Studio,” “Agatha All Along,” the second season of “Squid Game,” the third season of “The Bear,” and the fourth season of “Slow Horses” are beloved enough to make a substantial impression. More than Oscar or Grammy noms, Emmy nominations predictions are never an exact science. 26,000 voters make sure of that.
Before jumping into our predictions, a couple of reminders.
First, never underestimate the power of Netflix. Even with Peak TV fading, the streamer employs a plethora of industry professionals, especially actors. Every year, a Netflix program (or two) will overperform in terms of nominations or pop up in a major category that was unexpected. At this point, expect it.
Second, familiarity is key. Sure, we know voters will select “Abbott Elementary,” “Only Murders in the Building,” and essentially every obvious Reality Competition, Talk Series, or Scripted Variety Series on their ballots. But when some acting or series categories are less competitive, the recognizable name or title always wins. So, even if some viewers were disappointed by the last go-around of “The Bear” or “The Last of Us,” it will likely still get their vote (usually).
Third, there will be shows that underperform across the board despite critical acclaim or strong streaming/viewership. There are two major titles that we’re concerned over, and we’re pretty sure you’ll figure out which ones they are. Prepare yourselves.
Keeping all that in mind, here are some final 2025 Emmy nomination predictions to consider.
OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
“Hacks”
“The Studio”
“Abbott Elementary”
“The Bear”
“Only Murders in the Building”
“Nobody Wants This”
“Shrinking”
“Agatha All Along”
ALMOST THERE: “What We Do In The Shadows,” “The Four Seasons,” “A Man on the Inside”
LOWDOWN: If Netflix overperforms, don’t be surprised if “Four Seasons” makes the cut over “Agatha” or “Shrinking.” “What We Do” has a shot for its last season, but FX’s reminder campaign was somewhat tepid in our humble opinion. It’s certainly a safe choice for the eighth slot, however.
OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
“Severance”
“Andor”
“The White Lotus”
“The Pitt”
“Slow Horses”
“The Last of Us”
“The Diplomat”
“Paradise”
ALMOST THERE: “Matlock,” “Squid Game,” “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Yellowjackets”
LOWDOWN: “Paradise” is the bubble show here. “Squid Game” makes sense (Netflix, big hit), but season two was not well received. Also, do not be shocked if “Matlock” is the final nominee. Many in the industry respect its success and think it’s leaps and bounds better than a traditional network procedural (plus, know a few who surprised me by voting for it).
OUTSTANDING LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES
“Adolescence”
“The Penguin”
“Dying for Sex”
“Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story”
“Disclaimer”
ALMOST THERE: “Black Mirror,” “Say Nothing,” “Presumed Innocent,” “Sirens”
LOWDOWN: This category is pretty much a lock. If Apple can get “Presumed Innocent” in considering it began releasing in June 2024, that’s a major accomplishment.
OUTSTANDING REALITY COMPETITION SERIES
“The Traitors”
“RuPaul’s Drag Race”
“The Amazing Race”
“The Voice”
“Top Chef”
ALMOST THERE: “Survivor,” “Is It Cake?”
LOWDOWN: We simply don’t believe in “Beast Games,” that’s not even a dark horse contender. The question is whether “Survivor” can overtake “The Amazing Race” or “The Voice.”
OUTSTANDING TV MOVIE
“Rebel Ridge”
“Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy”
“The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat”
“Mountainhead”
“Out of My Mind”
ALMOST THERE: “Am I Ok?,” “Nonnas,” “G20”
LOWDOWN: As always, this category is going to raise eyebrows once the nominations come out. “Rebel,” “Bridget,” and “Mountainhead” (maybe) are really the only safe bets.
OUTSTANDING TALK SERIES
“The Daily Show”
“Late Show with Stephen Colbert”
“Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney”
ALMOST THERE: “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” “Late Night with Seth Meyers”
LOWDOWN: Despite it not popping as much as “Everybody’s In LA,” we think the John Mulaney love is too strong for Television Academy voters to ignore it. If not, “Jimmy Kimmel” is your third nominee.
OUTSTANDING SCRIPTED VARIETY SERIES
“Late Week Tonight with John Oliver”
“Saturday Night Live”
ALMOST THERE: “Fantasmas”
LOWDOWN: I mean, no one else is getting nominated, but maybe Julio Torres’ celebrated “Fantasmas” somehow surprises, or maybe this category deserved three nominees.
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Martin Short, “Only Murders in the Building”
Seth Rogen, “The Studio”
Jeremy Allen White, “The Bear”
Adam Brody, “Nobody Wants This”
Jason Segel “Shrinking”
ALMOST THERE: Steve Martin, “Only Murders in the Building,” Ted Danson, “A Man on the Inside,” Matt Berry, “What We Do In The Shadows”
LOWDOWN: Martin Short and Jeremy Allen White are the only true locks here. Anyone else could easily get snubbed by Steve Martin or Ted Danson. Matt Berry is a dark horse after landing his first nod last year when the category had six nominees.
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Jean Smart, “Hacks”
Quinta Brunson, “Abbott Elementary”
Ayo Edebiri, “The Bear”
Kathryn Hahn, “Agatha All Along”
Kristen Bell, “Nobody Wants This”
ALMOST THERE: Natasha Lyonne, “Poker Face,” Tina Fey, “The Four Seasons,” Selena Gomez, “Only Murders in the Building,” Uzo Aduba, “The Residence”
LOWDOWN: Natasha Lyonne likely has the best shot at cracking the five.
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Paul W. Downs, “Hacks”
Ebon Moss-Bachrach, “The Bear”
Tyler James Williams, “Abbott Elementary”
Bowen Yang, “Saturday Night Live”
Ike Barinholtz, “The Studio”
Harrison Ford, “Shrinking”
ALMOST THERE: Michael Urie, “Shrinking,” Colman Domingo, “The Four Seasons,” Brett Goldstein, “Shrinking”
LOWDOWN: Lots of moving pieces here. “SNL” actors are not as prominent as they used to be outside of Guest Actor/Actress categories, but Bowen Yang has been nominated three out of the last four years. We don’t see how that changes. Ike Barinholtz is likely borderline with another “Shrinking” star potentially taking his slot.
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Hannah Einbinder, “Hacks”
Catherine O’Hara, “The Studio”
Sheryl Lee Ralph, “Abbott Elementary”
Janelle James, “Abbott Elementary”
Liza Colon-Zayas, “The Bear”
Megan Stalter, “Hacks”
ALMOST THERE: Jessica Williams, “Shrinking,” Kathryn Hahn, “The Studio,” Meryl Streep, “Only Murders in the Building”
LOWDOWN: If “The Studio” underperforms, even Catherine O’Hara won’t be able to save this nomination. Is the love for “Hacks” strong enough for Megan Stalter to crack the six-nominee field? If not, Jessica Williams or Meryl Streep are waiting.
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Adam Scott, “Severance”
Noah Wylie, “The Pitt”
Pedro Pascal, “The Last of Us”
Gary Oldman, “Slow Horses”
Sterling K. Brown, “Paradise”
ALMOST THERE: Diego Luna, “Andor,” Lee Jung-Jae, “Squid Games,” Jeff Bridges, “The Old Man”
LOWDOWN: It pains us that Diego Luna likely won’t make this list.
