WHAT COULD HAPPEN
2015
ON A HOT STREAK
A sixth award would give Modern Family the record for most consecutive Emmys for best comedy.
OUT WITH A BANG
Mad Men would set a record with a fifth award for best drama.
BOUNDARY BREAKERS
Empire’s Taraji P. Henson or How to Get Away With Murder’s Viola Davis could become the first African-American woman to win best actress in a drama series.
IS DIGITAL DUE?
No streaming service has won an Emmy for best series (comedy or drama). That could change this year with Amazon’s Transparent and Netflix’s Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt in contention for best comedy and Netflix’s House of Cards and Orange Is the New Black up for best drama.
ALL-TIME LEADING LADIES
If Veep’s Julia Louis-Dreyfus nabs a fifth Emmy for lead actress in a comedy, she will tie Candice Bergen and Mary Tyler Moore for most wins in the category.
MULTIPLE PERSONALITIES
Clone drama Orphan Black’s Tatiana Maslany could be the first actress to win an Emmy for playing multiple characters on the same show.
FANTASY FIRST
If Game of Thrones wins for best drama, it will be the first fantasy series ever to do so.
LOVABLE LOSER
Mad Men star Jon Hamm could beat his own undesirable record of most snubs for a lead actor in a drama series. He has been nominated eight times without a win.
This appears in the September 21, 2015 issue of TIME.
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