Coming off of a banner year of Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or a Movie performances, this round of Emmy contenders more so face the challenge of making sure voters give their shows a chance.
We will update this article throughout the season, along with all our predictions, so make sure to keep checking IndieWire for the latest news from the 2023 Emmys race. The nomination round of voting takes place from June 15 to June 26, with the official Emmy nominations announced Wednesday, July 12. The Creative Arts Emmy Awards will be presented over two consecutive nights on Saturday, September 9 and Sunday, September 10, with an edited presentation of the ceremonies to be broadcast on FXX at a later date. Finally, the 75th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards take place on Monday, September 18, and air live on FOX at 8:00 p.m. ET/ 5:00 p.m. PT.
The State of the Race
It really is not as easy as it was last year to peg who the frontrunners are for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or a Movie. Yes, Jessica Chastain just won a Screen Actors Guild award for her turn as country star Tammy Wynette in Showtime’s “George and Tammy,” but that took a lot of effort on her part to appear at as many FYC screenings as possible to support the show even as she was readying her grand return to Broadway in a revival of “A Doll’s House.”
That really is what it comes down to; if one’s show was not whatever version we have of a watercooler series now, how do the creators, stars, and awards strategists make sure voters go watch it. Currently, Dominique Fishback’s performance in the Donald Glover-produced “Swarm” is making waves on social media, but may have trouble reaching the old crowd that is the TV Academy members. Amber Midthunder really did get a breakout moment last summer with “Prey,” but the Emmys just don’t embrace TV movies like they used to, and being nominated for a straight-up action role is not easy either.
One contender to watch is Emily Blunt in the Amazon Prime Video revenge western “The English,” which feeds into some of those similar hang-ups, but has really positioned itself as a fun discovery, giving voters a chance to tell their peers about how it’s one good show they probably missed. Though the series did not exactly take the world by storm last November, Blunt still was nominated at several winter awards shows, including the SAG Awards.
There is plenty more to come though, from “Great Expectations” on FX to “The Last Thing He Told Me” on Apple TV+, but another fun possibility is “WandaVision” co-stars Elizabeth Olsen and Kathryn Hahn both following up the success of their Marvel Cinematic Universe series with more Emmy nominations, now for their respective, engaging turns in the limited series “Love and Death” (HBO Max) and “Tiny Beautiful Things” (Hulu).
Current Contenders (In Alphabetical Order):
Emily Blunt, “The English” (Amazon Prime Video)
Shalom Brune-Franklin, “Great Expectations” (FX)
Lizzy Caplan, “Fleishman Is in Trouble” (FX)
Jessica Chastain, “George and Tammy” (Showtime)
Vera Farmiga, “Five Days at Memorial” (Apple TV+)
Dominique Fishback, “Swarm” (Amazon Prime Video)
Jennifer Garner, “The Last Thing He Told Me” (Apple TV+)
Kathryn Hahn, “Tiny Beautiful Things” (Hulu)
Riley Keough, “Daisy Jones and the Six” (Amazon Prime Video)
Amber Midthunder, “Prey” (Hulu)
Elizabeth Olsen, “Love and Death” (HBO Max)
Bel Powley, “A Small Light” (National Geographic)
Zoe Saldana, “From Scratch” (Netflix)
Alicia Vikander, “Irma Vep” (HBO)
Rachel Weisz, “Dead Ringers” (Amazon Prime Video)
More Limited Series and TV Movie Category Predictions:
Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series
Outstanding TV Movie
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a Movie
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Movie
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or a Movie
To see IndieWire’s full set of predictions for the 75th Emmy Awards click here.
Last Year’s Winner: Amanda Seyfried, “The Dropout”
Still Eligible: No.
Hot Streak: Last year was Hulu’s first win in the category. Should an actress like Hahn or Midthunder win, it would continue the streak, and solidify the streaming service as a prime destination for Limited Series projects.
Notable Ineligible Series: Jennifer Coolidge, “The White Lotus: Sicily” (submitted as a Drama Series); Kate Mara, “Class of ’09” (the season will not air in time to be eligible); Juno Temple, “Fargo” (Season 5 was not eligible)
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