Emmy Predictions: Lead Actress in a Drama Series – Can Mj Rodriguez Break Into the Lineup for the Final Season of ‘Pose’?

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.

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2021 EMMYS PREDICTIONS:
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

UPDATED: May 20, 2021

AWARDS PREDICTION COMMENTARY: This category doesn’t have a deep bench of selections as in previous years. Emma Corrin and Olivia Colman look all but assured nominations for “The Crown,” especially given its frontrunner status for drama series. Former Emmy winner Elisabeth Moss could pose their greatest threat for her work in the new season of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” which is roaring back with audiences and critics.

Last year we had history made with Zendaya winning the category for “Euphoria”: she became the second Black actress and the youngest ever to win. There has never been more than two Black women nominated in the same year, but we have a possibility to have three with Uzo Aduba (“In Treatment”), Mj Rodriguez (“Pose”) and Jurnee Smollett (“Lovecraft Country”). There are also a few dark horses in the running for spots including Myha’la Herrold (“Industry”) and Brandee Evans (“P-Valley”). We even have a Latina in the running as Christian Serratos received acclaim for her performance in “Selena: The Series.”

Let’s see if the push for diversity and representation can have its overdue moment for lead drama actress.

The eligibility period ends on May 31 before nomination-round voting begins on June 17, concluding June 28. The Primetime Emmy nominations will be announced on July 13, 2021.

AND THE PREDICTED NOMINEES ARE:

Emma Corrin
"The Crown" (Netflix)

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EMMY HISTORY: Never nominated
ROLE: Diana, Princess of Wales / Lady Diana Spencer
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CREATOR: Peter Morgan SYNOPSIS: Follows the political rivalries and romance of Queen Elizabeth II's reign and the events that shaped the second half of the twentieth century. STARRING: Olivia Colman, Tobias Menzies, Helena Bonham Carter, Gillian Anderson, Josh O'Connor, Emma Corrin, Marion Bailey, Erin Doherty, Stephen Boxer, Emerald Fennell
Elisabeth Moss
"The Handmaid's Tale" (Hulu)

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EMMY HISTORY: 12 nominations, two wins (lead actress drama and outstanding drama series for "The Handmaid's Tale" in 2018)
ROLE: June Osborne
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CREATOR: Bruce Miller
SYNOPSIS: Set in a dystopian future, a woman is forced to live as a concubine under a fundamentalist theocratic dictatorship.
STARRING: Elisabeth Moss, Yvonne Strahovski, Joseph Fiennes, Ann Dowd, Madeline Brewer, Amanda Brugel, Max Minghella, O-T Fagbenie, Samira Wiley, Nina Kiri, Alexis Bledel, Bahia Watson, Bradley Whitford
Olivia Colman
"The Crown" (Netflix)

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EMMY HISTORY: Three nominations
ROLE: Queen Elizabeth II
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CREATOR: Peter Morgan SYNOPSIS: Follows the political rivalries and romance of Queen Elizabeth II's reign and the events that shaped the second half of the twentieth century. STARRING: Olivia Colman, Tobias Menzies, Helena Bonham Carter, Gillian Anderson, Josh O'Connor, Emma Corrin, Marion Bailey, Erin Doherty, Stephen Boxer, Emerald Fennell
Uzo Aduba
"In Treatment" (HBO)

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EMMY HISTORY: Four nominations, three wins (guest actress comedy for "Orange is the New Black" in 2014, supporting actress drama for "Orange Is the New Black" in 2015 and supporting actress limited series for "Mrs. America" in 2020)
ROLE: Brooke / Dr. Brooke Lawrence
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CREATORS: Rodrigo García, Hagai Levi, Nir Bergman
SYNOPSIS: A psychotherapist questions his abilities and gets help by reuniting with his old therapist, whom he has not seen for ten years.
STARRING: Uzo Aduba, Anthony Ramos, Liza Colón-Zayas, John Benjamin Hickey, Quintessa Swindell, Joel Kinnaman
Mj Rodriguez
"Pose" (FX)

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EMMY HISTORY: Never nominated
ROLE: Bianca Rodriguez
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CREATORS: Steven Canals, Brad Falchuk, Ryan Murphy
SYNOPSIS: In the New York of the late 80s and early 90s, this is a story of ball culture and the gay and trans community, the raging AIDS crisis and capitalism.
STARRING: Billy Porter, Evan Peters, Kate Mara, James Van Der Beek, Mj Rodriguez, Dominique Jackson, Indya Moore, Ryan Jamaal Swain, Charlayne Woodard, Hailie Sahar, Angelica Ross, Dyllón Burnside, Angel Bismark Curiel, Sandra Bernhard, Jason A. Rodriguez
Jurnee Smollett
"Lovecraft Country" (HBO)

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EMMY HISTORY: Never nominated
ROLE: Letitia 'Leti' Lewis
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CREATOR: Misha Green SYNOPSIS: A young African-American travels across the U.S. in the 1950s in search of his missing father. STARRING: Jonathan Majors, Jurnee Smollett, Aunjanue Ellis, Courtney B. Vance, Wunmi Mosaku, Abbey Lee, Jamie Chung, Jada Harris, Michael K. Williams

NEXT IN LINE CONTENDERS:

Sarah Paulson
"Ratched" (Netflix)

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EMMY HISTORY: Seven nominations, one win (lead actress limited series for "The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story" in 2016)
ROLE: Nurse Mildred Ratched
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CREATOR: Bruce Miller SYNOPSIS: Set in a dystopian future, a woman is forced to live as a concubine under a fundamentalist theocratic dictatorship. STARRING: Elisabeth Moss, Yvonne Strahovski, Joseph Fiennes, Ann Dowd, Madeline Brewer, Amanda Brugel, Max Minghella, O-T Fagbenie, Samira Wiley, Nina Kiri, Alexis Bledel, Bahia Watson, Bradley Whitford
Phoebe Dynevor
"Bridgerton" (Netflix)

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EMMY HISTORY: Never nominated
ROLE: Daphne Bridgerton
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CREATOR: Chris Van Dusen SYNOPSIS: Wealth, lust, and betrayal set against the backdrop of Regency-era England, seen through the eyes of the powerful Bridgerton family. STARRING: Adjoa Andoh, Lorraine Ashbourne, Jonathan Bailey, Ruby Barker, Sabrina Bartlett, Harriet Cains, Bessie Carter, Nicola Coughlan, Phoebe Dynevor, Ruth Gemmell, Florence Hunt, Claudia Jessie, Ben Miller, Luke Newton, Regé-Jean Page, Golda Rosheuvel, Luke Thompson, Will Tilston, Polly Walker, Julie Andrews
Mandy Moore
"This Is Us" (NBC)

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EMMY HISTORY: One nomination
ROLE: Rebecca Pearson
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CREATOR: Dan Fogelman SYNOPSIS: A heartwarming and emotional story about a unique set of triplets, their struggles and their wonderful parents. STARRING: Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz, Justin Hartley, Susan Kelechi Watson, Chris Sullivan, Jon Huertas, Alexadra Breckenridge, Niles Fitch, Logan Shroyer, Hannah Zeile, Mackenzie Hancsicsak, Parker Bates, Eris Baker, Faithe Herman, Lonnie Chavis, Melanie Liburd, Lyric Ross, Asante Blackk, Griffin Dunne, Caitlin Thompson
Christian Serratos
"Selena: The Series" (Netflix)

–
EMMY HISTORY: Never nominated
ROLE: Selena Quintanilla
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CREATOR: Moisés Zamora SYNOPSIS: Late Tejano singer Selena as her dreams come true, and her family makes life-changing choices on the singer's journey to success. STARRING: Christian Serratos, Gabriel Chavarria, Ricardo Chavira, Noemi Gonzalez, Seidy Lopez, Hunter Reese Peña, Carlos Alfred Jr., Jesse Posey, Julio Macia

TOP-TIER AWARDS CONTENDERS:

Melissa George
"The Mosquito Coast" (Apple TV Plus)
–
EMMY HISTORY: Never nominated
ROLE: Margot Fox
–
CREATOR: Neil Cross SYNOPSIS: An idealist uproots his family and moves them to Latin America. STARRING: Justin Theroux, Melissa George, Logan Polish, Gabriel Bateman, Kimberly Elise, James LeGros
Rebecca Breeds
"Clarice" (CBS)
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EMMY HISTORY: Never nominated
ROLE: Clarice Starling
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CREATORS: Alex Kurtzman, Jenny Lumet SYNOPSIS: A look at the untold personal story of FBI agent Clarice Starling, as she returns to the field about a year after the events of "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991). STARRING: Rebecca Breeds, Michael Cudlitz, Lucca De Oliveira, Nick Sandow, Devyn A. Tyler, Kal Penn
Aya Cash
"The Boys" (Amazon Prime Video)
–
EMMY HISTORY: Never nominated
ROLE: Stormfront
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CREATOR: Eric Kripke SYNOPSIS: A group of vigilantes set out to take down corrupt superheroes who abuse their superpowers. STARRING: Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Dominique McElligott, Jessie T. Usher, Laz Alonso, Chace Crawford, Tomer Capon, Karen Fukuhara, Nathan Mitchell, Elisabeth Shue, Colby Minifie, Aya Cash
Jennifer Connelly
"Snowpiercer" (TNT)
–
EMMY HISTORY: Never nominated
ROLE: Melanie Cavill
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CREATOR: Josh Friedman, Graeme Manson SYNOPSIS: A group of vigilantes set out to take down corrupt superheroes who abuse their superpowers. STARRING: Daveed Diggs, Iddo Goldberg, Mickey Cumner, Alison Wright, Jennifer Connelly, Sheila Vand, Annalise Basso, Miranda Edwards
Amanda Collin
"Raised By Wolves" (HBO Max)
–
EMMY HISTORY: Never nominated
ROLE: Mother
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CREATOR: Aaron Guzikowski SYNOPSIS: Androids are tasked with raising human children on a mysterious planet. STARRING: Amanda Collin, Abubakar Salim, Winta McGrath, Travis Fimmel, Niamh Algar, Jordan Loughran
Dakota Fanning
"The Alienist: Angel of Darkness" (TNT)
–
EMMY HISTORY: Never nominated
ROLE: Sara Howard
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CREATOR: Hossein Amini, E. Max Frye, Steve Golin, Cary Joji Fukunaga, Eric Roth SYNOPSIS: Newspaper illustrator John Moore meets with criminal psychologist (alienist) Dr. Laszlo Kreizler to investigate a serial killer in New York during the late 19th century. STARRING: Daniel Brühl, Luke Evans, Brian Geraghty, Robert Ray Wisdom, Douglas Smith, Matthew Shear, Q'orianka Kilcher, Matt Lintz, Dakota Fanning, Rosy McEwen, Melanie Field
Sonequa Martin-Green
"Star Trek: Discovery" (Paramount Plus)
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EMMY HISTORY: Never nominated
ROLE: Michael Burnham
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CREATOR: Bryan Fuller, Alex Kurtzman SYNOPSIS: Ten years before Kirk, Spock, and the Enterprise, the USS Discovery discovers new worlds and lifeforms as one Starfleet officer learns to understand all things alien. STARRING: Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Anthony Rapp, Mary Wiseman
Laura Donnelly
"The Nevers" (HBO)
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EMMY HISTORY: Never nominated
ROLE: Dr. Shaun Murphy
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CREATOR: David Shore SYNOPSIS: Shaun Murphy, a young surgeon with autism and Savant syndrome, is recruited into the surgical unit of a prestigious hospital. STARRING: Freddie Highmore, Antonia Thomas, Richard Schiff, Hill Harper, Christina Chang, Paige Spara, Will Yun Lee, Fiona Gubelmann
Myha'la Herrold
"Industry" (HBO)
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EMMY HISTORY: Three nominations, one win (outstanding made for television movie for "Door to Door" in 2003)
ROLE: Ellsworth 'Bumpy' Johnson
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CREATOR: Chris Brancato, Paul Eckstein SYNOPSIS: A gangster named Bumpy Johnson makes his way in Harlem during the 1960s. A TV prequel to the 2007 film, 'American Gangster', which centered on the criminal enterprise of Frank Lucas. STARRING: Forest Whitaker, Nigel Thatch, Ilfenesh Hadera, Lucy Fry, Antoinette Crowe-Legacy, Vincent D'Onofrio, Erik LaRay Harvey, Giancarlo Esposito
Katheryn Winnick
"Big Sky" (ABC)
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EMMY HISTORY: Never nominated
ROLE: John Dutton
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CREATOR: Taylor Sheridan, John Linson SYNOPSIS: A ranching family in Montana faces off against others encroaching on their land.. STARRING: Kevin Costner, Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly, Wes Bentley, Cole Hauser, Kelsey Asbille, Brecken Merrill, Jefferson White, Gil Birmingham, Ian Bohen

ALL AWARDS CONTENDERS (UNRANKED):

AWARDS CATEGORY HISTORY (Lead Actress in a Drama 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: Tyne Daly and Michael Learned have the most awards in this category with four while Barbara Bain, Kathy Baker, Edie Falco and Loretta Young all have three each. “Cagney & Lacey” is the series with the most awards in this category with six.

For nominations: Angela Lansbury has the most nominations in this category with 12, which were all consecutive, failing to win any of her nods. The next most nominated actors are Sharon Gless, Mariska Hargitay, Michael Learned and Julianna Marguilies with eight.

“Cagney & Lacey” and “Murder, She Wrote” are the series with the most nominations in this category with 12 each.

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.

This article was originally published by Variety.com. Read the original article here.

2021 EMMYS PREDICTIONS:OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES