Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Emmys ceremonies from film awards editor Clayton Davis. Following history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Emmy predictions are updated regularly with the current year's list of contenders in all categories. Variety's Awards Circuit Prediction schedule consists of four phases, running all year long: Draft, Pre-Season, Regular Season and Post Season. The eligibility calendar and dates of awards will determine how long each phase lasts and is subject to change.
To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit THE EMMYS COLLECTIVEVisit each individual category, according to the awards show from THE EMMYS HUBLink to film awards hub THE OSCARS HUB
DRAFT>>>PRE-SEASON>>>REGULAR SEASON>>>POST SEASON
2021 EMMYS PREDICTIONS:
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES
UPDATED: June 3, 2021
AWARDS PREDICTION COMMENTARY: What a difference an episode can make. Julianne Nicholson’s work on the finale of “Mare of Easttown” is a masterclass in acting and could very well catapult her to a long overdue nomination. It’s the type of performance that’s hard to ignore, but she does face stiff competition, most notably from her co-star Jean Smart, who is an Emmy staple.
Meanwhile Smart’s Renaissance year continues. As the titular Mare’s mother, Helen Fahey, in the HBO limited series, Smart gets to shine in critical scenes, and with the added flavor of “Hacks” in her arsenal this season, she could be a double threat for Emmy love.
A serious question though: Was this race just Kathryn Hahn’s all along? We’ll find out when nominations are announced, but her entry brings excitement and marks a new dawn of what an Emmy nominee (winner?) could and should be. Joining the shortlist of great MCU villains, the former 2017 nominee for “Transparent” will surely be a crowd favorite in the category.
But no, it wasn’t just Agatha Harkness all along because Monica Rambeau was right there for us to worship each and every week of “WandaVision.” Teyonah Parris has not misstepped yet in her short career with memorable turns in films like “If Beale Street Could Talk,” and seeing her take a superhero stance in the Disney Plus series was even more poignant. We may never be able to her payback for her contribution to the television and representation landscape. Let Emmy do that for us.
Also, let’s get this straight: Marielle Heller is going to dominate our entertainment industry, both behind and in front of the camera? That’s perfectly adequate as her filmmaking is a revelation and her acting turn as Alma Wheatley in Netflix’s “The Queen’s Gambit” is a stunning standout in a series that’s chock-full of them. There’s no stopping her now.
The eligibility period ends on May 31 before nomination-round voting begins on June 17, concluding on June 28. The Primetime Emmy nominations will be announced on July 13, 2021.
AND THE PREDICTED NOMINEES ARE:
Julianne Nicholson"Mare of Easttown" (HBO)
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EMMY HISTORY: Never nominatedROLE: Lori Ross
–CREATOR: Brad IngelsbySYNOPSIS: A detective in a small Pennsylvania town investigates a local murder while trying to keep her life from falling apart.STARRING: Kate Winslet, Julianne Nicholson. Jean Smart, Angourie Rice, David Denman, Neal Huff, Guy Pearce, Cailee Spaeny, John Douglas Thompson, Joe Tippett, Evan Peters, Sosie Bacon, James McArdle
Marielle Heller"The Queen's Gambit" (Netflix)
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EMMY HISTORY: Never nominated.ROLE: Alma Wheatley
–CREATOR: Scott Frank, Allan ScottSYNOPSIS: Orphaned at the tender age of nine, prodigious introvert Beth Harmon discovers and masters the game of chess in 1960s USA. But child stardom comes at a price.STARRING: Anya Taylor-Joy, Bill Camp, Moses Ingram, Isla Johnston, Christiane Seidel, Rebecca Root, Chloe Pirrie, Akemnji Ndifornyen, Marielle Heller, Harry Melling, Patrick Kennedy, Jacob Fortune-Lloyd, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Marcin Dorociński
Kathryn Hahn"WandaVision" (Disney Plus)
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EMMY HISTORY: One nominationROLE: Agnes / Agatha Harkness
–CREATOR: Jac SchaefferSYNOPSIS: Blends the style of classic sitcoms with the MCU, in which Wanda Maximoff and Vision - two super-powered beings living their ideal suburban lives - begin to suspect that everything is not as it seems.STARRING: Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Debra Jo Rupp, Fred Melamed, Kathryn Hahn, Teyonah Parris, Randall Park, Kat Dennings, Evan Peters
Jean Smart"Mare of Easttown" (HBO)–
EMMY HISTORY: Nine nominations, three wins (guest comedy actress for "Frasier" in 2000 and 2001, and supporting comedy actress for "Samantha Who?" in 2008)ROLE: Helen Fahey
–CREATOR: Brad IngelsbySYNOPSIS: A detective in a small Pennsylvania town investigates a local murder while trying to keep her life from falling apart.STARRING: Kate Winslet, Julianne Nicholson. Jean Smart, Angourie Rice, David Denman, Neal Huff, Guy Pearce, Cailee Spaeny, John Douglas Thompson, Joe Tippett, Evan Peters, Sosie Bacon, James McArdle
Letitia Wright"Small Axe" (Amazon Prime Video)
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EMMY HISTORY: One nominationROLE: Altheia Jones
–CREATOR: Steve McQueenSYNOPSIS: "Small Axe" is based on the real-life experiences of London's West Indian community and is set between 1969 and 1982.STARRING: Letitia Wright, John Boyega, Malachi Kirby, Shaun Parkes, Rochenda Sandall, Alex Jennings, Jack Lowden, Micheal Ward
Renée Elise Goldsberry"Hamilton" (Disney Plus)
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EMMY HISTORY: Never nominatedROLE: Angelica Schuyler
–CREATOR: Lin-Manuel Miranda (book), Thomas Kail (director)
SYNOPSIS: The real life of one of America's foremost founding fathers and first Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton. Captured live on Broadway from the Richard Rodgers Theater with the original Broadway cast.
STARRING: Daveed Diggs, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Jonathan Groff, Christopher Jackson, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr., Okieriete Onaodowan, Anthony Ramos, Phillipa Soo
(L-R): Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau and Randall Park as Jimmy Woo in Marvel Studios’ WANDAVISION exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.
Courtesy of Marvel Studios
NEXT IN LINE CONTENDERS:
Teyonah Parris"WandaVision" (Disney Plus)
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EMMY HISTORY: Never nominatedROLE: Monica Rambeau
–CREATOR: Jac SchaefferSYNOPSIS: Blends the style of classic sitcoms with the MCU, in which Wanda Maximoff and Vision - two super-powered beings living their ideal suburban lives - begin to suspect that everything is not as it seems.STARRING: Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Debra Jo Rupp, Fred Melamed, Kathryn Hahn, Teyonah Parris, Randall Park, Kat Dennings, Evan Peters
Weruche Opia"I May Destroy You" (HBO)
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EMMY HISTORY: Never nominatedROLE: Terry
–CREATOR: Michaela CoelSYNOPSIS: The question of sexual consent in contemporary life and how, in the new landscape of dating and relationships, we make the distinction between liberation and exploitation.STARRING: Michaela Coel, Weruche Opia, Paapa Essiedu, Marouane Zotti, Stephen Wright, Adam James, Natalie Walter, Aml Ameen, Lara Rossi, Ann Akin, Chin Nyenwe, Lewis Reeves, Sarah Niles, Mariah Gale, Rebecca Calder, Andi Osho
Phillipa Soo"Hamilton" (Disney Plus)–
EMMY HISTORY: Never nominatedROLE: Eliza Hamilton
–CREATOR: Lin-Manuel Miranda (book), Thomas Kail (director)
SYNOPSIS: The real life of one of America's foremost founding fathers and first Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton. Captured live on Broadway from the Richard Rodgers Theater with the original Broadway cast.
STARRING: Daveed Diggs, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Jonathan Groff, Christopher Jackson, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr., Okieriete Onaodowan, Anthony Ramos, Phillipa Soo
Jessie Buckley"Fargo" (FX)
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EMMY HISTORY: Never nominatedROLE: Oraetta Mayflower
–CREATOR: Noah Hawley
SYNOPSIS: Various chronicles of deception, intrigue and murder in and around frozen Minnesota. Yet all of these tales mysteriously lead back one way or another to Fargo, North Dakota.
STARRING: Chris Rock, Jessie Buckley, Jason Schwartzman, Ben Whishaw, Jack Huston, Salvatore Esposito, E'myri Crutchfield, Andrew Bird, Anji White, Jeremie Harris, Matthew Elam, Corey Hendrix, James Vincent Meredith, Francesco Acquaroli
ALL AWARDS CONTENDERS (UNRANKED):
AWARDS CATEGORY HISTORY (Supporting Actress in a Limited Series)
The Primetime Emmy Awards, better known simply as the Emmys, is television’s most prestigious artistic award. There are many records held for both wins and nominations in the near eight decades.
For wins: The rules for this category has changed many times over the years, but as it stands, five women have won this category twice – Jane Alexander, Judy Davis, Colleen Dewhurst, Regina King and Mare Winningham. King is the only person to win her two awards consecutively.
For nominations: Kathy Bates has the most nominations in this category with seven, winning once for “American Horror Story.” Coincidentally, her series is also the most nominated program in this category with 12 nominations.
2021 Primetime Emmy Awards Predictions
About the Primetime Emmy Awards (Emmys)
The Primetime Emmy Awards, better known as the Emmys, is given out by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). Since 1949, the awards recognize 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 and various artisans and executives.
- The 73rd Emmy Awards are scheduled to air on Sunday, Sept. 19 at 8:00 pm est on CBS and on-demand on sister streamer Paramount Plus.