The 61st annual Primetime Emmy Awards show will be airing live tonight at 8 pm ET. I will be breaking down each award and giving you who I want to win and who will win.
BEST COMEDY SERIES
Entourage (fourth nomination)
Family Guy (first nomination)
Flight of the Conchords (first nomination)
How I Met Your Mother (first nomination)
The Office (fourth nomination, one win)
30 Rock (third nomination, two wins)
Weeds (first nomination)
My Pick: 30 Rock
Who will win: 30 Rock
The first time nominees are not going to give 30 Rock a run for their money. The only other shows that have a remote chance at winning are, Entourage and The Office. 30 Rock will continue its streak of Outstanding Comedy Series.
BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
(third nomination, one win)
Steve Carell, The Office
(fourth nomination)
Jemaine Clement, Flight of the Conchords
(first nomination)
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
(first nomination)
Tony Shalhoub, Monk (seventh nomination, three wins)
Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men (fourth nomination)
My Pick: Jim Parsons
Who will win: Jim Parsons
Parsons was never better than in the Christmas episode in which an emotionally defective Sheldon hugged Penny after she gives him the best Christmas gift ever: a napkin drenched in Leonard Nimoy’s DNA. Wisely, that’s the one he submitted to Emmy voters.
BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Christina Applegate, Samantha Who? (second nomination)
Toni Collette, United States of Tara
(first nomination)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, The New Adventures of Old Christine
(fourth nomination, one win)
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
(third nomination, one win)
Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds
(third nomination)
Sarah Silverman, The Sarah Silverman Program(first nomination)
My Pick: Toni Collette
Who will win: Tina Fey
Collette played five different personalities on her Showtime series and with anyone of those characters she deserves to win. However, Fey has won the past two years, and is a fan favorite so that should help her win yet another Emmy
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men (fourth nomination)
Kevin Dillon, Entourage (third nomination)
Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother (third nomination)
Jack McBrayer, 30 Rock (first nomination)
Tracy Morgan, 30 Rock (first nomination)
Rainn Wilson, The Office (third nomination)
My Pick: Neil Patrick Harris
Who will win: Neil Patrick Harris
With Emmy hog Jeremy Piven out of the running, the last remaining obstacle standing in the way of Harris and that gold statue has been cleared.
SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Kristin Chenoweth, Pushing Daisies (second nomination)
Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock
(first nomination)
Elizabeth Perkins, Weeds
(third nomination)
Amy Poehler, Saturday Night Live
(second nomination)
Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live
(first nomination)
Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty (third nomination)
My Pick: Kristen Wiig
Who will win: Amy Poehler
While Kristen Wiig is now the only “known” female cast member on SNL she will have plenty more chances to win this. Plus Poehler’s impression of Hillary Clinton was a fan favorite.
BEST DRAMA SERIES
Big Love
(first nomination)
Breaking Bad
(first nomination)
Damages
(second nomination)
Dexter (second nomination)
House (fourth nomination)
Lost
(third nomination)
Mad Men (second nomination, one win)
My Pick: Lost
Who will win: Mad Men
Lost is definitely saving up for their series finale, and they will win next year, but this year will once again go to Mad Men. Dexter has the potential to win, but since not being a cable show, it will hurt them in the long run.
BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Simon Baker, The Mentalist (first nomination)
Gabriel Byrne, In Treatment
(second nomination)
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad (fifth nomination, one win)
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
(second nomination)
Jon Hamm, Mad Men (second nomination)
Hugh Laurie, House (fourth nomination)
My Pick: Michael C. Hall
Who will win: Hugh Laurie
Once again, Hall being on Showtime, not a cable TV station, will hurt him, but he still deserves this award. Three-seasons of playing a dark character with a dry sense of humor gets fans to love him and want more. Laurie has definitely earned this award though because he still has not won after three previous nominations.
BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Glenn Close, Damages
(second nomination, one win)
Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters
(third nomination, one win)
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU
(sixth nomination, one win)
Holly Hunter, Saving Grace
(second nomination)
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men (first nomination)
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer (fourth nomination)
My Pick: Glenn Close
Who will win: Glenn Close
Even a subpar season of Damages (from what fans say) can’t change this one simple fact: Close’s consistently riveting performances makes her virtually unbeatable.
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Christian Clemenson, Boston Legal (first nomination)
Michael Emerson, Lost
(third nomination)
William Hurt, Damages (first nomination)
Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad
(first nomination)
William Shatner, Boston Legal (fifth nomination, one win)
John Slattery, Mad Men (second nomination)
My Pick: Michael Emerson
Who will win: Michael Emerson
Third time is a charm for Benjamin Linus. One of the best villains on any TV show this decade, Emerson deserves this win with Lost winding down.
SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Rose Byrne, Damages
(first nomination)
Hope Davis, In Treatment
(first nomination)
Cherry Jones, 24
(first nomination)
Sandra Oh, Grey’s Anatomy
(fifth nomination)
Dianne Wiest, In Treatment (second nomination, one win)
Chandra Wilson, Grey’s Anatomy (fourth nomination)
My Pick: Chandra Wilson
Who will win: Chandra Wilson
Wilson brought her A-game this year as Bailey faced upheaval in her personal and professional lives.
REALITY COMPETITION PROGRAM
The Amazing Race
(seventh nomination, six wins)
American Idol
(seventh nomination)
Dancing With The Stars (fourth nomination)
Project Runway
(fifth nomination)
Top Chef (third nomination)
My Pick: The Amazing Race
Who will win: The Amazing Race
Amazing Race has never lost in this category. Anyone would be a fool to start betting against it now, six for six, soon to be seven for seven.