Who will, could, and should win the 2023 Emmy Awards this year? Loud and Clear shares our predictions for one of the most prestigious awards in television.
Television’s biggest night, the 2023 Emmy Awards have been recently delayed due to both the WGA and SAG strikes. Even though the ceremony has been delayed to January, Emmy voting has still taken place just a few weeks ago. Because of this, now is the best time to predict potential winners. As with many award shows, the key to predictions is knowing who has the most momentum and conversation around them at the time when ballots are being cast. Below are my picks for the above-the-line categories for the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards.
DRAMA SERIES
- Andor
- Better Call Saul
- The Crown
- House of the Dragon
- The Last of Us
- Succession
- The White Lotus
- Yellowjackets
Similarly to any other year that Succession has been in the awards conversation, I am fully expecting this brilliant show to sweep for its final season. Not only do the past few years prove that this show is quite unstoppable when it comes to awards recognition, but this year, it is more deserving than ever for the biggest award of the night. Season four includes some of the best television I have ever seen, from the writing to the acting. Secession’s only potential threat would be The White Lotus, since it swept the Limited Series category last year, but I honestly don’t think it poses much of a threat, at least in the Drama Series category.
- Will Win: Succession
- Could Win: The White Lotus
- Should Win: Succession
- Should’ve Been Nominated: The Boys
ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
- Jeff Bridges, The Old Man
- Brian Cox, Succession
- Kieran Culkin, Succession
- Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul
- Pedro Pascal, The Last of Us
- Jeremy Strong, Succession
The fourth season of Succession would not have been nearly as gut-wrenching without Kieran Culkin’s career-best performance as Roman. I feel fairly confident that one of the three Succession boys will take the trophy. Since both Jeremy Strong and Brian Cox have already won, Culkin has the best shot, especially since Roman has a more central role this season than any other. The only issue I see is if there is vote splitting between the Succession boys, which would give Bob Odenkirk a shot at finally winning for the final Season of Better Call Saul, a show that has a lot of passion to win something, and Actor might be this show’s best chance.
- Will Win: Kieran Culkin, Succession
- Could Win: Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul
- Should Win: Kieran Culkin, Succession
- Should’ve Been Nominated: Anthony Starr, The Boys
ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
- Sharon Horgan, Bad Sisters
- Melanie Lynskey, Yellowjackets
- Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid’s Tale
- Bella Ramsey, The Last of Us
- Keri Russell, The Diplomat
- Sarah Snook, Succession
Actress in a Drama Series might be the category that I am most passionate about. Sarah Snook has been my favorite performance of Succession since the start of the series, and this is her last shot to win. Luckily, similarly to Culkin, Snook also gives her best performance of her career in this season. The last episode produces some genuinely jaw dropping moments which would have not worked without her delicate delivery in the climactic scenes. In another year, I would have just as much passion for Bella Ramsey, whose work is just as strong in The Last of Us, but this is Snook’s year.
- Will Win: Sarah Snook, Succession
- Could Win: Bella Ramsey, The Last of Us
- Should Win: Sarah Snook, Succession
- Should’ve Been Nominated: Sophie Nelisse, Yellowjackets
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
- F. Murray Abraham, The White Lotus
- Nicholas Braun, Succession
- Michael Imperioli, The White Lotus
- Theo James, The White Lotus
- Matthew Macfadyen, Succession
- Alan Ruck, Succession
- Will Sharpe, The White Lotus
- Alexander Skarsgård, Succession
No surprise here: I believe that someone from Succession will win this award as well. My money is currently on Macfadyen, who has won already but is a fan-favorite character. If not him, then Alexander Skarsgård, who is amazing at playing unlikable characters is just as deserving. If none of these actors win, I will be shocked, because the strength that Succession has is evidently unstoppable.
- Will Win: Matthew Macfadyen, Succession
- Could Win: Alexander Skarsgård, Succession
- Should Win: Alexander Skarsgård, Succession
- Should’ve Been Nominated: Giancarlo Esposito, Better Call Saul
SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
- J. Smith-Cameron, Succession
- Jennifer Coolidge, The White Lotus
- Elizabeth Debicki, The Crown
- Meghann Fahy, The White Lotus
- Sabrina Impacciatore, The White Lotus
- Aubrey Plaza, The White Lotus
- Rhea Seehorn, Better Call Saul
- Simona Tabasco, The White Lotus
Finally, we have a prediction where Succession will most likely not win! Jennifer Coolidge has rightfully been going through a career resurgence over the last two years. Due to her immense popularity, her win for The White Lotus seems as solidified as it can be this year. Her only competition would be Rhea Seehorn, who has immense passion behind her for Better Call Saul, similarly to Odenkirk, but I’m doubtful that this passion will result in a win. While Coolidge is perfection in The White Lotus, her performance is extremely similar to the first season. I would prefer any of the other actresses, especially Aubrey Plaza or Meghann Fahy, who each deserve their time in the spotlight to win, but that seems extremely unlikely.
- Will Win: Jennifer Coolidge, The White Lotus
- Could Win: Rhea Seehorn, Better Call Saul
- Should Win: Aubrey Plaza, The White Lotus
- Should’ve Been Nominated: Christina Ricci, Yellowjackets
COMEDY SERIES
- Abbott Elementary
- Barry
- The Bear
- Jury Duty
- The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
- Only Murders in the Building
- Ted Lasso
- Wednesday
While many believe that Ted Lasso will win for its final season, I am extremely confident in The Bear. This show made the extremely smart choice to release the second season during the Emmy voting period, reminding voters how special this show is. Even if people were not directly voting for the first season, The Bear was on the forefront of everyone’s minds, and given the quality and popularity of the show, I can’t see a world where it doesn’t win this award, along with a few others.
- Will Win: The Bear
- Could Win: Ted Lasso
- Should Win: Abbott Elementary
- Should Have Been Nominated: Shrinking
ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
- Bill Hader, Barry
- Jason Segel, Shrinking
- Martin Short, Only Murders in the Building
- Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso
- Jeremy Allen White, The Bear
Simply put, The Bear would not be nearly as successful without Jeremy Allen White. While I believe that this show is 100% a drama over a comedy, White’s performance is extremely gripping, and given that he swept the fall awards season, I don’t have any reason to bet against him this year. The only reason why my personal pick is Jason Segel over White is because I think that Segal is better at balancing the drama and comedy in his show, which makes him more deserving of a Comedy Award, but I doubt voters have the same mentality.
- Will Win: Jeremy Allen White, The Bear
- Could Win: Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso
- Should Win: Jason Segel, Shrinking
- Should Have Been Nominated: Steve Martin, Only Murders in the Building
ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
- Christina Applegate, Dead to Me
- Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
- Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary
- Natasha Lyonne, Poker Face
- Jenna Ortega, Wednesday
Actress in a Comedy Series is a little tough for me to predict for a few reasons. Mainly, I don’t feel a lot of passion surrounding any of these performances. Quinta Brunson is the safest bet for the second season of Abbott Elementary. She won last year for writing, but this would be her first win for acting which is extremely deserving. However, she has two main competitors. First Rachel Bresnahan for the final season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel makes a lot of sense.
The Emmys like to award shows for their final season, and she hasn’t won in a few years for this role. However, I think Brunson’s main competition is Jenna Ortega who has launched to the center of pop culture after Wednesday came out. Similarly to Zendaya’s win for Euphoria, I could see Ortega take the gold since she is a new rising talent who is on top of everyone’s minds, and her performance as Wednesday is instantly iconic.
- Will Win: Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary
- Could Win: Jenna Ortega, Wednesday
- Should Win: Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary
- Should’ve Been Nominated: Selena Gomez, Only Murders in the Building
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
- Anthony Carrigan, Barry
- Phil Dunster, Ted Lasso
- Brett Goldstein, Ted Lasso
- James Marsden, Jury Duty
- Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Bear
- Tyler James Williams, Abbott Elementary
- Henry Winkler, Barry
In a perfect world, Harrison Ford would be a shoo-in for the win. If he had been nominated, I believe that he would have actually won due to a similar career resurgence narrative that Jennifer Coolidge is experiencing. Since Ford isn’t a nominee, one might think that Brett Goldstein might go three for three for Ted Lasso, but this category is more crowded than ever with memorable performances. Ebon Moss-Bachrach has a really strong chance of winning since Cousin is such a fan favorite, but I don’t think The Bear is strong enough to sweep every category it is nominated for.
Because of this, Tyler James Williams might be able to swoop in and win here. He already won the Golden Globe for Supporting Actor, and in Abbott’s sophomore season, he has a more prominent role. At the end of the day, this category is a huge toss-up for me, but Williams should come out on top.
- Will Win: Tyler James Williams, Abbott Elementary
- Could Win: Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Bear
- Should Win: Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Bear
- Should Have Been Nominated: Harrison Ford, Shrinking
SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
- Alex Borstein, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
- Ayo Edebiri, The Bear
- Janelle James, Abbott Elementary
- Sheryl Lee Ralph, Abbott Elementary
- Juno Temple, Ted Lasso
- Hannah Waddingham, Ted Lasso
- Jessica Williams, Shrinking
This might be wishful thinking, but I have an extremely hard time believing that anyone else has a stronger chance to win this category than Ayo Edebiri. Her role as Sydney is the definition of a star-making performance, and I think the Television Academy will feel the same way. While Sheryl Lee Ralph’s win last year led to one of the best awards speeches ever given (in my opinion) might make voters eager to get her back on the podium, Edebiri’s sudden popularity should keep her win solidified. Even though I don’t think Jessica Williams has a chance at winning, I must mention how brilliant she is on Shrinking, giving my favorite performance out of any show during this television season. Hopefully, when season two comes out, her competition is less strong, and she’ll be rewarded for her comedic brilliance.
- Will Win: Ayo Edebiri, The Bear
- Could Win: Sheryl Lee Ralph, Abbott Elementary
- Should Win: Jessica Williams, Shrinking
- Should Have Been Nominated: Lisa Ann Walter, Abbott Elementary
LIMITED SERIES
- Beef
- Dahmer—Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
- Daisy Jones and the Six
- Fleishman Is in Trouble
- Obi-Wan Kenobi
Unfortunately, Limited Series is one of the weakest categories of the night. Beef has both the critical acclaim and the popularity to win pretty easily. Dahmer feels much more of an acting showcase than an overall series winner, but I would think that is Beef’s only competition. Swarm, the best limited series to come out this year sadly isn’t nominated, but given its divisive reactions, I don’t think that it would have had much of a chance at winning anyway.
- Will Win: Beef
- Could Win: Dahmer—Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
- Should Win: Daisy Jones and the Six
- Should’ve Been Nominated: Swarm
ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR TV MOVIE
- Taron Egerton, Black Bird
- Kumail Nanjiani, Welcome to Chippendales
- Evan Peters, Dahmer—Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
- Daniel Radcliffe, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story
- Michael Shannon, George & Tammy
- Steven Yeun, Beef
Evan Peters as Jeffrey Dahmer has Emmy Winner written all over it. It’s a transformative performance on a Netflix show that broke streaming records. Besides Succession’s sweep, I don’t think there is a more guaranteed win this year.
- Will Win: Evan Peters, Dahmer—Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
- Could Win: Steven Yeun, Beef
- Should Win: Daniel Radcliffe, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story
- Should Have Been Nominated: Jesse Eisenberg, Fleishman Is in Trouble
ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR TV MOVIE
- Lizzy Caplan, Fleishman Is in Trouble
- Jessica Chastain, George & Tammy
- Dominique Fishback, Swarm
- Kathryn Hahn, Tiny Beautiful Things
- Riley Keough, Daisy Jones and the Six
- Ali Wong, Beef
While I wish that Dominique Fishback had a stronger chance of winning, I can’t complain that Ali Wong is the safest bet to win this year. Her performance in Beef is fascinating, and a win here would be one of the more unique performances to come out of the Emmys. Jessica Chastain still has a strong chance for George & Tammy. She won the SAG award earlier this year, and she is awards royalty at this point in her career. My money is still on Wong winning though, because if I’m predicting Beef to take Limited Series, it would need to win at least one other above-the-line award.
- Will Win: Ali Wong, Beef
- Could Win: Jessica Chastain, George & Tammy
- Should Win: Dominique Fishback, Swarm
- Should’ve Been Nominated: Sydney Sweeney, Reality
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR TV MOVIE
- Murray Bartlett, Welcome to Chippendales
- Paul Walter Hauser, Black Bird
- Richard Jenkins, Dahmer—Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
- Joseph Lee, Beef
- Ray Liotta, Black Bird
- Young Mazino, Beef
- Jesse Plemons, Love & Death
While a posthumous win for Ray Liotta would be an extremely special moment for the awards ceremony, ever since Black Bird came out, the most talked about performance was Paul Walter Hauser. Hauser gives such a creepy performance, and roles like this are crafted perfectly for supporting awards. At the end of the day, I would be extremely surprised if at least someone from Black Bird doesn’t go home with this award, but I would put my money on Paul Walter Hauser over Liotta.
- Will Win: Paul Walter Hauser, Black Bird
- Could Win: Ray Liotta, Black Bird
- Should Win: Ray Liotta, Black Bird
- Should’ve Been Nominated: Bowen Yang, Fire Island
SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR TV MOVIE
- Annaleigh Ashford, Welcome to Chippendales
- Maria Bello, Beef
- Claire Danes, Fleishman Is in Trouble
- Juliette Lewis, Welcome to Chippendales
- Camila Morrone, Daisy Jones & The Six
- Niecy Nash-Betts, Dahmer—Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
- Merritt Wever, Tiny Beautiful Things
Niecy Nash-Betts has been acting for decades and has gotten little to no awards attention for any of her roles before Dahmer. With a performance as strong as this one, it just feels like this is her time for the spotlight. As I stated earlier, Dahmer’s main strength is the performances, so if any series was going to win more than one award in the Limited Series category, it would be this one.
- Will Win: Niecy Nash-Betts, Dahmer—Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
- Could Win: Claire Danes, Fleishman Is in Trouble
- Should Win: Camila Morrone, Daisy Jones & The Six
- Should’ve Been Nominated: Ashley Park, Beef
The 75th Primetime Emmy Awards will air on Fox on January 15, 2024, due to a delay from September 2023 caused by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike.
