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.
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UPDATED: April 6, 2023
2023 Emmy Predictions:
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Brett Goldstein and Phil Dunster in “Ted Lasso” (Apple TV+)
Colin Hutton
Weekly Commentary: A competitive race for the Primetime Emmy Award for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series is brimming with multiple possibilities from varying programs.
Brett Goldstein, fresh off winning his second consecutive prize for his portrayal as Roy Kent in Apple’s “Ted Lasso,” is back in the race again, alongside his co-stars and co-nominees from last year, Toheed Jimoh as Sam Obisanya and Nick Mohammed as Nathan Shelley. In addition, Phil Dunster, Cristo Fernández, Anthony Head, Brendan Hunt and Jeremy Swift are also eligible for recognition.
The soccer comedy will battle a pool of beloved veterans, notably Harrison Ford, who at 80, is vying for his first career Emmy nomination for his performance as a therapist battling Parkinson’s disease from “Shrinking.” Also from Apple TV+ and created by “Ted Lasso” alums Goldstein and Bill Lawrence, along with star Jason Segel, Ford is riding a banner year that also finds him in contention for the drama series “1923” from Paramount+. Factoring in “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” premiering at Cannes with Ford receiving a tribute, rest assured that the campaign will use the exposure to their benefit. Aside from the performance arguably being one of Ford’s finest endeavors, he can possibly ride a wave of adoration that’s brought previous unrewarded Hollywood legends (i.e., Henry Winkler) Emmy gold.
Speaking of Winkler, along with co-stars Anthony Carrigan and Stephen Root, the Emmy winner will contend once again for the final season of HBO’s “Barry,” which is sure to drum up support.
After Tyler James Williams won the Golden Globe back in January, he’s a heavy favorite for the sophomore season of ABC’s “Abbott Elementary.” We’ll see if he can bring in the talents of Chris Perfetti for the ride.
And you can never count out the “Saturday Night Live” performers, with previous nominees Kenan Thompson and Bowen Yang in the discussion in this re-building year. Other standouts worth considering include James Austin Johnson, whose Donald Trump impersonation is the best that’s ever been performed on the sketch series. Many have enjoyed new featured player Marcello Hernandez, whose Latino spice is used in sketches such as his “Short Kings” Weekend Update bit, which was one of the funnier moments of the season.
They’ll be plenty more to talk about.
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:
Other Top-Tier Possibilities
- Kenan Thompson — “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
- Mel Brooks — “History of the World Part II” (Hulu)
- Leslie Jordan — “Call Me Kat” (Fox)
- Chris Perfetti — “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
- Stephen Root — “Barry” (HBO)
- Toheeb Jimoh — “Ted Lasso” (Apple TV+)
- Phil Dunster — “Ted Lasso” (Apple TV+)
- Luke Tennie — “Shrinking” (Apple TV+)
- Ke Huy Quan — “American Born Chinese” (Disney+)
- James Austin Johnson — “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
All Eligible Titles (Alphabetized by Network)**
** This list or category submission is not yet complete or confirmed and is subject to change.
2022 category winner: Brett Goldstein, “Ted Lasso” (Apple TV+) — 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 SERIES | GAME SHOW | DIRECTING (DRAMA, COMEDY, LIMITED/TV MOVIE) | WRITING (DRAMA, COMEDY, LIMITED/TV MOVIE) | VARIETY SKETCH, SERIES, SPECIALS |
Creative Arts and Other Emmy Categories
GUEST ACTING, VOICE-OVER | SHORT FORM | DOCUMENTARY | MUSIC | ANIMATED |
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.
