The Pop Culture Pundit

The Emmy Awards are right around the corner–and given my love of all things awards season, it’s time to predict who I think will win in each category. Below, you will find my picks in the Drama, Comedy, and Limited/Anthology categories–the predicted winner is highlighted in bold. The 77th Primetime Emmy Awards air September 14, 2025 on CBS at 7 PM and are hosted by comedian Nate Bargatze. Let the awards predictions begin! 

Drama Series

Andor 

The Diplomat 

The Last of Us 

Paradise 

The Pitt 

Severance 

Slow Horses 

The White Lotus

Roaring back after a loooong three-year hiatus, Severance has received critical acclaim, given us viral memes, and even (maybe?) given us the long-lost Philly Justice trailer (at least I’d like to think it played a part in that considering they both star Adam Scott). And yet…I think it’ll get overshadowed by The Pitt, a critically acclaimed drama from the creators of ER that follows Dr. Robby Robinavitch (Noah Wyle) over a grueling hospital shift in real-time. 

Why do I think this? A couple key indicators. First, The Pitt recently swept the awards at the Television Critics Awards, which is usually a pretty good indicator of how people are feeling about nominations. Second, fellow real-time show 24 took home the gold for its 5th season in 2006, meaning there’s already precedent. 

This year’s Drama Series is probably the hardest to call–it could very well go to Severance, and I would be extremely happy considering it’s been one of my favorite shows this year. In the past, it’s been pretty clear-cut who was gonna win–Game of Thrones and Succession dominated for many years, while last year’s award was a no-brainer for Shogun. This year is a tight race–maybe Philly Justice should’ve been nominated to really shake things up. 

^{HBO Max via YouTube}

Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Sterling K. Brown, Paradise 

Gary Oldman, Slow Horses 

Pedro Pascal, The Last of Us 

Adam Scott, Severance 

Noah Wyle, The Pitt 

Once again, we have a match-up for Severance vs. The Pitt–and once again I am predicting in The Pitt’s favor. Don’t get me wrong, Adam Scott is one of my favorite actors–the Low Cal Calzone Zone still lives rent-free in my head–but Wyle was nominated in a role similar to The Pitt and the ‘90s, and that was for ER. It’s Wyle’s to lose–maybe he’ll finally dance through the Spirit Tunnel to celebrate?

Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Kathy Bates, Matlock 

Sharon Horgan, Bad Sisters 

Britt Lower, Severance 

Bella Ramsey, The Last of Us 

Keri Russell, The Diplomat 

Kathy Bates has never missed with the Emmys. She has 14 nominations and 2 wins (including 1 for Outstanding Guest for Two and Half Men which seems very random) and is poised to take home her third here. This would be a big deal for broadcast dramas as well: a network hasn’t won an Emmy in a drama category since Sterling K. Brown took home Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 2017 for This is Us, which aired on NBC (Matlock airs on CBS). 

Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Zach Cherry, Severance

Walton Goggins, The White Lotus

Jason Isaacs, The White Lotus

James Marsden, Paradise,

Sam Rockwell, The White Lotus

Tramell Tillman, Severance

John Turturro, Severance

Tramell Tillman deserves all the awards in the world for his marching band sequence in Severance. However, Walton Goggins is also having A Moment™, and he so deserves it. Between his roles in The White Lotus, Fallout (for which he is also Emmy-nominated) and The Righteous Gemstones (his Baby Billy is criminally underrated), Goggins deserves his first Emmy win. Moms everywhere will rejoice. 

^{SNL via YouTube}

Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Patricia Arquette, Severance

Carrie Coon, The White Lotus

Katherine LaNasa, The Pitt

Julianne Nicholson, Paradise

Parker Posey, The White Lotus

Natasha Rothwell, The White Lotus

Aimee Lou Wood, The White Lotus

My pick for Supporting Actress goes to Carrie Coon, whose monologue in The White Lotus finale inspired many opinion articles. However, Coon could split the vote with fellow White Lotus stars Parker Pokey, Natasha Rothwell and Aimee Lou Wood, leaving a door open for a dark horse win with Julianne Nicholson for Paradise or Katherine LaNasa for The Pitt. Though I don’t think Patricia Arquette had enough screen time this season to nab the award for Severance, she has won an Emmy before–two, in fact–so don’t count her out either. 

Comedy Series

Abbott Elementary 

The Bear 

Hacks 

Nobody Wants This 

Only Murders in the Building 

Shrinking 

The Studio 

What We Do in the Shadows 

The Studio broke the record for most Emmy nominations in an inaugural season of a sitcom, clocking in at an impressive 23. This was previously set by Ted Lasso with 20 nominations–and that took home the Emmys for Outstanding Comedy, Actor, Supporting Actor, and Supporting Actress that year, all the way back in 2021. I have a feeling history will be repeated here. 

Apple TV+ via YouTube

Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Adam Brody, Nobody Wants This 

Seth Rogen, The Studio 

Jason Segel, Shrinking 

Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building 

Jeremy Allen White, The Bear 

While Jeremy Allen White has won the past two seasons for The Bear, this is Seth Rogen’s night. For his work on The Studio, Rogen could win up to four awards on Emmys night–including Best Directing, Best Writing, and Best Comedy Show, essentially doing what Bill Hader did for Barry but actually winning all four awards (I’m still mad Hader didn’t win for Best Directing for “ronny/lily” and I’m sure this is not the last you will hear about it). 

Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Uzo Aduba, The Residence 

Kristen Bell, Nobody Wants This 

Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary 

Ayo Edebiri, The Bear 

Jean Smart, Hacks 

Jean Smart has never lost this category for her critically acclaimed role as Deborah Vance in Hacks–and she’s not about to lose this year. Her winning streak should continue without a doubt. 

Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Ike Barinholtz, The Studio

Colman Domingo, The Four Seasons

Harrison Ford, Shrinking

Jeff Hiller, Somebody Somewhere

Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Bear

Michael Urie, Shrinking

Bowen Yang, Saturday Night Live

While I would love to see Harrison Ford win for his role as Dr. Paul Rhodes, Ford has tragically never been loved by awards bodies–his sole Oscar nomination is for the 1985 film Witness (which is an incredible film, but he was definitely robbed of a Best Actor nom for The Fugitive!) I think he’ll end up splitting the vote with fellow Shrinking star Michael Urie, who won a Critics Choice award earlier this year for his role as Brian. In a year in which a Studio sweep is almost guaranteed, we can expect Ike Barinholtz to take home his first trophy–and hopefully thank Sal Saperstein in the process. 

Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Liza Colón-Zayas, The Bear

Hannah Einbinder, Hacks

Kathryn Hahn, The Studio

Janelle James, Abbott Elementary

Catherine O’Hara, The Studio

Sheryl Lee Ralph, Abbott Elementary

Jessica Williams, Shrinking

Every year people predict it’ll be Hannah Einbinder’s year to finally take home the gold as Ava Daniels, Jean Smart’s co-star in Hacks. But once again, with a Studio sweep the most probable outcome, I think Catherine O’Hara will take home the Emmy–she already has precedent too, taking home the Best Actress in a Comedy Emmy in 2020 for her role as Moira Rose in Schitt’s Creek.  

Limited or Anthology Series

Adolescence 

Black Mirror 

Dying for Sex 

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story 

The Penguin 

Call it the Baby Reindeer Rule of Thumb–a buzzy new Netflix show steals the show and as a result takes all the Emmys. Adolescence, much like Baby Reindeer, is a Netflix show that people couldn’t stop talking about–and the conversations should continue with a Best Limited or Anthology Series win. 

Netflix via YouTube

Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series

Colin Farrell, The Penguin 

Stephen Graham, Adolescence 

Jake Gyllenhaal, Presumed Innocent 

Brian Tyree Henry, Dope Thief 

Cooper Koch, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story 

Colin Farrell has received critical acclaim–and many awards–for his transformative role as the titular villain in The Penguin. With a Golden Globe and an SAG award already in the bag, we can expect him to complete the triple crown of TV awards with an Emmy win. 

Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series

Cate Blanchett, Disclaimer 

Meghann Fahy, Sirens 

Rashida Jones, Black Mirror 

Cristin Milioti, The Penguin 

Michelle Williams, Dying for Sex 

Five-time Oscar nominated Dawson’s Creek alum Michelle Williams has precedent in this category–she won for Fosse/Verdon in 2019. I expect her to add to her trophy pile with a win here. 

Supporting Actor in a Limited Series

Javier Bardem, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story

Bill Camp, Presumed Innocent

Owen Cooper, Adolescence

Rob Delaney, Dying for Sex

Peter Sarsgaard, Presumed Innocent

Ashley Walters, Adolescence

Owen Cooper could make history here–as one of the youngest Emmy nominees ever (he’s only 15), taking home the win for his role as murder suspect Jamie Miller could break some records. He’s up against some big competition, including Oscar winner Javier Bardem–but considering Adolescence has gotten so much buzz, particularly for Cooper’s performance, I think he has the best chance of winning in this category. 

Supporting Actress in a Limited Series

Erin Doherty, Adolescence

Ruth Negga, Presumed Innocent

Chloë Sevigny, Monsters: The Erik and Lyle Menendez Story

Jenny Slate, Dying for Sex

Christine Tremarco, Adolescence

Similarly, Erin Doherty has gotten acclaim for her role as forensic psychologist Briony Ariston–and I think she has the best chance of taking home the award here as well. Baby Reindeer also won for Supporting Actress last year, and I expect the pattern to repeat here.