--- description: With 'Game of Thrones,' 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,' 'Russian Doll' and more vying for TV supremacy, we predict who will take home an Emmy. title: Here's Who Will Win—And Who Should—at the 2019 Emmys image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt05e4dd601cafce4a/698a0318b3fce31e610c5914/emmys-2019-who-will-win.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [awards](/tag/awards/) ## awards Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Here's Who Will Win—And Who Should—at the 2019 Emmys  by [Judy Berman](/author/judy-berman/)  ## Judy Berman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close TV Critic Sep 18, 2019 4:08 PM CUT  BBC; FX; HBO  by [Judy Berman](/author/judy-berman/)  ## Judy Berman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close TV Critic Sep 18, 2019 4:08 PM CUT The [71st Primetime Emmy Awards](https://time.com/5668732/emmys-2019/ "undefined") are upon us, and with them the time-honored tradition of guessing what the Television Academy will deem the past year’s greatest contributions to the medium of television. If you’re placing bets, I urge you to consult an oddsmaker—or at least an awards blogger—rather than a critic; we are notoriously bad at this stuff. But we do have fun gaming it all out. So, with the 2019 ceremony less than a week away, here are my predictions (and preferences) for the [night’s biggest categories](https://time.com/5627336/emmy-nominations-2019/ "undefined").  The wedding of Shiv and Tom in the season 1 finale of 'Succession.' Colin Hutton/HBO ### Drama Series _Better Call Saul_ _Bodyguard_ _Game of Thrones_ _Killing Eve_ _Ozark_ _Pose_ _Succession_ _This Is Us_ **Will Win:** _Succession_ **Should Win:** _Succession_ This category should’ve been [_Game of Thrones_](https://time.com/5570434/game-of-thrones-season-8-episode-1-review/ "undefined")‘ to lose, but I’m betting that the public backlash to its [astoundingly weak final season](https://time.com/5591754/game-of-thrones-series-finale-review/ "undefined") was intense enough to kill the Academy’s temptation to reward the show on the basis of its popularity. Maybe that’s naive. Yet a very different HBO series, [_Succession_](https://time.com/5646634/succession-season-2-power-rankings/ "undefined"), which is currently airing its second season but was nominated for its first, is the buzziest and best newcomer of the bunch—a true heir to such pre-_Thrones_ winners as _Mad Men_ and _Breaking Bad_, set in a world that should be familiar to much of the Emmys’ voting body. That said, the unexceptional but crowd-pleasing British political thriller _Bodyguard_ could conceivably be a spoiler.  The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: Season 2 Amazon ### Comedy Series _Barry_ _Fleabag_ _The Good Place_ _The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel_ _Russian Doll_ _Schitt’s Creek_ _Veep_ **Will Win:** [_The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel_](https://time.com/5466478/marvelous-mrs-maisel-season-2/ "undefined") **Should Win:** _Fleabag_ This is easily the hardest category to predict—not just because _Maisel_ broke _Veep_‘s three-time winning streak in 2018, but also because, for once, the nominees actually include many of the year’s best comedies. It’s a relief to see Canadian treasure _Schitt’s Creek_ finally get the recognition it deserves, after four seasons of snubs. And in my estimation, the transcendent second season of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s [_Fleabag_ ](https://time.com/5590251/fleabag-season-2-review/ "undefined")only narrowly edges out the debut run for mind-bending Natasha Lyonne vehicle _Russian_ _Doll_. But if the Academy honored either show, it would be the weirdest winner in the history of the Emmys. (Only _Arrested Development_ comes close.) Besides, despite a fun but uneven second season and the possibility that _Veep_ might win back the crown for its final season, _Maisel_ is catnip for the showbiz set.  Aunjanue Ellis and Ethan Herisse in a scene from 'When They See Us' Atsushi Nishijima/Netflix ### Limited Series _Chernobyl_ _Escape at Dannemora_ _Fosse/Verdon_ _Sharp Objects_ _When They See Us_ **Will Win:** _When They See Us_ **Should Win:** _Sharp Objects_ Another category where even the weakest nominee_—Escape at_ _Dannemora_—has much to recommend it. Though surprise hit and certified Important Drama _Chernobyl_ could also pull out a win, Ava DuVernay’s Central Park Five miniseries _When They See Us_ combines righteous and relevant subject matter, thoughtful storytelling, fully realized characters and stellar performances by a young cast. It may be the all-around best work yet by one of the most beloved figures in Hollywood. And it’s simply the kind of the show that wins awards. For me, it’s a close second to the polarizing [_Sharp Objects_](https://time.com/5324721/hbo-sharp-objects/ "undefined"), a poetic meditation on family, history, trauma and the female-victim archetype from creator Marti Noxon, author Gillian Flynn, director Jean-Marc Vallée and stars Amy Adams, Patricia Clarkson and Eliza Scanlen. Bleak though it undoubtedly was, the miniseries was most remarkable for its intricacy—the way every closeup, cut and song on the soundtrack underscored its disturbing themes without overstating them.  Sandra Oh as Eve Polastri and Nina Sosanya as Jess on the second season of Killing Eve BBC America ### Lead Actress in a Drama Series Emilia Clarke, _Game of Thrones_ Jodie Comer, _Killing Eve_ Viola Davis, _How to Get Away with Murder_ Laura Linney, _Ozark_ Mandy Moore, _This Is Us_ Sandra Oh, _Killing Eve_ Robin Wright, _House of Cards_ **Will Win:** [Sandra Oh](https://time.com/collection/100-most-influential-people-2019/5567697/sandra-oh/ "undefined") **Should Win:** Jodie Comer Lots of head-scratchers in this list of nominees, from consistently strong performers on past-their-prime shows (Davis, Wright) to actors who, to my mind, are coasting a bit on the visibility of their shows (Clarke, Moore). But even as _Killing Eve_ went off the rails as its second season progressed, Oh and Comer kept me riveted. And I certainly won’t be disappointed in the extremely likely event that the former—a long-undervalued TV vet who’s finally getting the accolades she deserves—takes the Emmy. The thing is, Season 2 really belonged to Comer. A young British actor with a big future of ahead of her, she nailed the delicate task of inhabiting a character who’s always playing a role while rendering that woman’s true self visible to the viewer.  Billy Porter in 'Pose.' Michael Parmelee/FX Copyright 2019, FX Networks. All Rights Reserved. ### Lead Actor in a Drama Series Jason Bateman, _Ozark_ Sterling K. Brown, _This Is Us_ Kit Harington, _Game of Thrones_ Bob Odenkirk, _Better Call Saul_ Billy Porter, _Pose_ Milo Ventimiglia, _This Is Us_ **Will Win:** [Billy Porter](https://time.com/5584938/billy-porter-met-gala-2019-look-inspiration/ "undefined") **Should Win:** Billy Porter Ballroom elder Pray Tell, the soul to Blanca’s (Mj Rodriguez) heart on groundbreaking drama _Pose_, is the role Billy Porter was born to play. This season, the show’s creators rewarded him with impassioned monologues, gorgeous song-and-dance sequences, a May-December (or at least May-October) romance, a valiant struggle with HIV, loads of productive self-doubt—and Porter made a meal out of each and every scene. Much as I can imagine the Emmys going for a safer, more mainstream pick, I’m going to err towards optimism and wager that his heroic, big-hearted performance will put him over the top.  Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara and Rizwan Manji in Schitt's Creek Pop TV ### Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Anthony Anderson, _Black-ish_ Don Cheadle, _Black Monday_ Ted Danson, _The Good Place_ Michael Douglas, _The Kominsky Method_ Bill Hader, _Barry_ Eugene Levy, _Schitt’s Creek_ **Will Win:** Bill Hader **Should Win:** Eugene Levy Michael Douglas isn’t even turning in TV’s best performance as a washed-up acting teacher (see: Henry Winkler in _Barry_), so as long as he doesn’t take the prize based on star power alone, I won’t complain. And there’s no denying that last year’s winner [Bill Hader](https://time.com/5210517/bill-hader-on-playing-a-hit-man-anxiety-and-avoiding-social-media/ "undefined") deserves his frontrunner status, for continuing to complicate the character of a repentant hitman who channels his guilt and regret onstage. But it’s been a while since the Academy honored a straight-up comedic performance in this category—and Levy brings both an improviser’s chops and his signature sweetness to _Schitt’s Creek_‘s financially ruined yet emotionally fulfilled patriarch.  Natasha Lyonne in Russian Doll Courtesy of Netflix **Lead Actress in a Comedy Series** Christina Applegate, _Dead to Me_ Rachel Brosnahan, _The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel_ Julia Louis-Dreyfus, _Veep_ Natasha Lyonne, _Russian Doll_ Catherine O’Hara, _Schitt’s Creek_ Phoebe Waller-Bridge, _Fleabag_ **Will Win:** [Julia Louis-Dreyfus](https://time.com/5540861/julia-louis-dreyfus-interview/ "undefined") **Should Win:** Natasha Lyonne or Catherine O’Hara Brosnahan may have slipped in last September, thanks to good timing, but Louis-Dreyfus has won this category every year _Veep_ has been eligible. Her victory for the show’s final season is the safest bet of the night. Listen: Selina Meyer is among the greatest characters in TV history, and Louis-Dreyfus is a living legend. She isn’t the only woman doing great work in comedy, though. Her peer [Catherine O’Hara](https://time.com/5560209/catherine-ohara-schitts-creek-interview/ "undefined"), for instance, has spent five seasons playing the self-styled diva Moira Rose. Down to the perfectly pretentious accent she invented for Moira, O’Hara disappears into the physically demanding role in each episode. But honestly, I can’t decide between Canada’s most charming export and Natasha Lyonne, a creator-star who has finally parlayed her gruff, street-smart persona into the lead role she so richly deserves. (Waller-Bridge, meanwhile, should get her trophy in the writing category.)  Verdon (Michelle Williams) and Fosse (Sam Rockwell) couldn’t live with each other but couldn’t work alone Pari Dukovic—FX ### Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Amy Adams, _Sharp Objects_ Patricia Arquette, _Escape at Dannemora_ Aunjanue Ellis, _When They See Us_ Joey King, _The Act_ Niecy Nash, _When They See Us_ Michelle Williams, _Fosse/Verdon_ **Will Win:** Michelle Williams, who sang, danced and personified the best and worst of female ambition, in what was admittedly an outstanding performance. **Should Win:** Amy Adams, the rare actor who can do dark and depressive just as convincingly as she does sweet and bubbly, in the rawest role of her career.  Mahershala Ali in season three of True Detective Warrick Page—HBO ### Lead Actor in a Limited Series Mahershala Ali, _True Detective_ Benicio del Toro, _Escape at Dannemora_ Hugh Grant, _A Very English Scandal_ Jared Harris, _Chernobyl_ Jharrel Jerome, _When They See Us_ Sam Rockwell, _Fosse/Verdon_ **Will Win:** Mahershala Ali, who more or less clinched the award the moment he accepted the role. **Should Win:** Jharrel Jerome, on the strength of his heartbreaking performance in the miniseries’ harrowing final episode.  Betty Gilpin (left) and Alison Brie in 'GLOW.' Ali Goldstein—Netflix **Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series** Sarah Goldberg, _Barry_ Olivia Colman, _Fleabag_ Kate McKinnon, _Saturday Night Live_ Alex Borstein, _The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel_ Sian Clifford, _Fleabag_ Betty Gilpin, _GLOW_ Marin Hinkle, _The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel_ Anna Chlumsky, _Veep_ **Will Win:** [Olivia Colman](https://time.com/5536628/2019-oscars-olivia-colman/ "undefined"). It’s just her year. **Should Win:** Betty Gilpin, a very smart actor who’s helped shape her character Debbie Eagan into the real hero and most dynamic figure on _GLOW_.  Anthony Carrigan in 'Barry' Isabella Vosmikova/HBO ### Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Stephen Root, _Barry_ Anthony Carrigan, _Barry_ Tony Shalhoub, _The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel_ Henry Winkler, _Barry_ Alan Arkin, _The Kominsky Method_ Tony Hale, _Veep_ **Will Win:** Tony Shalhoub. Season 2 was a big one for Pa Maisel, from wooing back his runaway wife to prancing around the Catskills like he owned the place. **Should Win:** Anthony Carrigan, for making a believable—and weirdly moving—character out of Chechnya’s most sensitive mobster.  Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister. Helen Sloan/HBO ### Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Jonathan Banks, _Better Call Saul_ Alfie Allen, _Game of Thrones_ Peter Dinklage, _Game of Thrones_ Chris Sullivan, _This Is Us_ Giancarlo Esposito, _Better Call Saul_ Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, _Game of Thrones_ Michael Kelly, _House of Cards_ **Will Win:** Peter Dinklage, still the best thing about _Game of Thrones_ after all these years. **Should Win:** Dinklage  Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth. Helen Sloan/HBO ### Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Gwendoline Christie, _Game of Thrones_ Sophie Turner, _Game of Thrones_ Fiona Shaw, _Killing Eve_ Lena Headey, _Game of Thrones_ Maisie Williams, _Game of Thrones_ Julia Garner, _Ozark_ **Will Win:** [Gwendoline Christie](https://time.com/5591842/game-of-thrones-brienne-finale/ "undefined"). A breakout performance from an actor who beautifully balances vulnerability and strength. **Should Win:** Christie or Sophie Turner, who has consistently located the agency in a character originally written as silly and passive—while growing up on TV’s biggest show. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5679130/emmys-2019-predictions/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5679130/emmys-2019-predictions/"},"headline":"Here's Who Will Win—And Who Should—at the 2019 Emmys","datePublished":"2019-09-18T16:08:47.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:56:38.621Z","description":"With 'Game of Thrones,' 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,' 'Russian Doll' and more vying for TV supremacy, we predict who will take home an Emmy","url":"https://time.com/5679130/emmys-2019-predictions/","keywords":["awards"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt05e4dd601cafce4a/698a0318b3fce31e610c5914/emmys-2019-who-will-win.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Judy Berman","jobTitle":"TV Critic","url":"https://time.com/author/judy-berman/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt05e4dd601cafce4a/698a0318b3fce31e610c5914/emmys-2019-who-will-win.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Emmys Predictions Who Will Win 2019","caption":"Sandra Oh in Killing Eve; Billy Porter in Pose; Peter Dinklage in Game of Thrones","creditText":"BBC; FX; HBO","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/awards/","name":"awards"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5679130/emmys-2019-predictions/","name":"Here's Who Will Win—And Who Should—at the 2019 Emmys"}}]}] ```