Here's Who We Think Will Win Big at the 2022 Primetime Emmys

Here are our predictions for the hottest races of the 2022 Emmy Awards, airing Sept. 12 on NBC.

If you’re like us, you’re finding it hard to keep up with all of the excellent small-screen viewing these days. That makes it hard to pick the best shows, but we gave it a shot. Here are our predictions for the hottest races of the 2022 Emmy Awards, airing Sept. 12 on NBC.

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Emmy Predictions 2022

Outstanding Drama Series

• Better Call Saul

• Euphoria

• Ozark

• Severance

• Squid Game

• Stranger Things

• Succession

• Yellowjackets

The Emmy goes to…Succession

Talk about a power move: The ferocious HBO family saga Succession picked up a whopping 25 Emmy nominations for its third season. It will be a major upset if the series doesn’t strike it rich in the biggest category.

Outstanding Comedy Series

• Abbott Elementary

• Barry

• Curb Your Enthusiasm

• Hacks

• The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

• Only Murders in the Building

• Ted Lasso

• What We Do in the Shadows

The Emmy goes to…Ted Lasso 

Though the rookie hit Abbott Elementary gets high marks, Ted Lasso—the Apple TV+ series in which a big-hearted American football coach leads an English soccer team—will likely score its second consecutive win in this category.

Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series

• Dopesick

• The Dropout

• Inventing Anna

• Pam & Tommy

• The White Lotus

The Emmy goes to…Dopesick 

All were bingeworthy, but the edge goes to the searing and widely hailed Hulu drama Dopesick, which stars Michael Keaton and explores America’s struggle with opioid addiction.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

• Jason Bateman, Ozark

• Brian Cox, Succession

• Lee Jung-jae, Squid Game

• Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul

• Adam Scott, Severance

• Jeremy Strong, Succession

The Emmy goes to…Lee Jung-jae

Jung-jae’s character, Seong Gi-hun, managed to defeat 455 other players in the Netflix survival drama Squid Game, an international breakout phenomenon. The actor can go the distance here too.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

• Jodie Comer, Killing Eve
  

• Laura Linney, Ozark
  

• Melanie Lynskey, Yellowjackets
  

• Sandra Oh, Killing Eve
  

• Reese Witherspoon, The Morning Show
  

• Zendaya, Euphoria

The Emmy goes to…Zendaya 

This one is a toughie, with Comer, Linney and Oh being honored for the last go-rounds of their respective series. But Zendaya is a former winner still flying high, and HBO’s Euphoria was a smash among younger viewers—a much-sought demographic for the industry.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

• Donald Glover, Atlanta

• Bill Hader, Barry

• Nicholas Hoult, The Great

• Steve Martin, Only Murders in the Building

• Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building

• Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso

The Emmy goes to…Jason Sudeikis 

In a category stacked with Saturday Night Live alums and former hosts—only Hoult has never stepped foot on the Studio 8H stage—it’s easy to believe that Sudeikis’ endearing fish-(and chips)-out-of-water coach will be a repeat victor.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

• Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

• Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary

• Kaley Cuoco, The Flight Attendant

• Elle Fanning, The Great

• Issa Rae, Insecure

• Jean Smart, Hacks

The Emmy goes to…Quinta Brunson 

A star is born! Brunson writes, produces and stars in a smart and sweet show dedicated to her sixth-grade teacher. For that alone, she goes straight to the head of the class.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

• Colin Firth, The Staircase
  

• Andrew Garfield, Under the Banner of Heaven
  

• Oscar Isaac, Scenes From a Marriage
  

• Michael Keaton, Dopesick
  

• Himesh Patel, Station Eleven
  

• Sebastian Stan, Pam & Tommy

The Emmy goes to…Michael Keaton 

It always feels special when a big movie star takes on a TV project. That’s definitely the case for the veteran Keaton, so riveting as an old-school doctor from a small mining town.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

• Toni Collette, The Staircase

• Julia Garner, Inventing Anna

• Lily James, Pam & Tommy

• Sarah Paulson, Impeachment: American Crime Story

• Margaret Qualley, Maid

• Amanda Seyfried, The Dropout

The Emmy goes to…Amanda Seyfried 

Ooh, this category is chock full of tantalizing real-life villains and victims. But Seyfried’s uncanny portrayal of disgraced billionaire Elizabeth Holmes—deep voice and all!—was a standout.

Related: Is The Dropout Based on a True Story?

Outstanding Variety Talk Series

• The Daily Show With Trevor Noah

• Jimmy Kimmel Live!

• Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

• Late Night With Seth Meyers

• The Late Show With Stephen Colbert

The Emmy goes to…John Oliver

Congrats to Meyers for nabbing his first nomination for his talk show. But alas, Oliver and his team have swept this category for the past six years. And this one looks like a rerun.

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