Nominees
Who we want to win:
Will: I personally loved Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and that’s actually the only comedy on this list that I’ve watched. I tend to lean more toward drama series, which explains so much if you know me personally. So Kimmy and the mole women have my full and unwavering support. I’m really excited for the nominations this year because they are not just the most popular shows on TV. I think The Academy did right by showcasing super talented but not easily recognizable shows and actors/actresses.
Meryl: I’m also rooting for Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. The Netflix original comedy had such a strong presence from the get-go. It’s a fresh concept, was sharp and had an amazing cast. The Emmys were sensible enough to instantly recognize the show’s worth, so let’s hope they realize it’s better than most of the other comedies on TV. I would also like to see Modern Family's reign end in my lifetime.
Who we think will win:
Will: Modern Family has won the last five years in a row, since the show’s first season, which ties the record for most nominations in this category with Fraiser. I’m thinking it would be safe to place your bets with the ABC powerhouse but this is the year of freshmen shows so who knows who will take home the statue.
Meryl: I just don’t see how Modern Family has maintained winning for five straight years. Fortunately, its domination in the supporting acting categories has lessened significantly, but I still don’t think it warrants the overall big nomination here. However, it’s a frontrunner here and is likely to get it. Though, I would like to see Veep snag the trophy. It’s another formidable contender.
Nominees
Who we want to win:
Will: Since Empire was rudely snubbed in this category, I’m going with Orange Is The New Black. With all the recently-changed rules, The Academy forced OITNB, which competed in the comedy category last year, to switch to this one. No streaming service show has won a series award in the history of the Emmys so this may be the year Netflix takes home the gold.
Meryl: Like Will is with comedies, I haven’t seen most of these dramas, except of course Orange Is The New Black and Game of Thrones. Game of Thrones has lost its spectacularness for me, so I’m pulling for OITNB as well. Litchfield or die.
Who we think will win:
Will: Mad Men and Homeland have both won this award in the past, four times and one time respectively, and Breaking Bad, the show that Better Call Saul is a spin-off of, won this award the past two years so any of those is a good bet. The best bet is probably Mad Men since this is its last award show cycle and The Academy will likely honor them.
Meryl: Now that Breaking Bad is out of the game, it’s pretty hard to say which show the trophy will go to. I’d place my bets on Downton Abbey just because it’s been a critic favorite for quite some time and felt like it was always second to Breaking Bad.
Nominees
Who we want to win:
Will: Shameless is one of my favorite shows so I would LOVE for William H. Macy to bring the award back to the Southside for the Gallaghers.
Meryl: Don Cheadle is always so great in House of Lies, but I’d like to see either Matt LeBlanc or Anthony Anderson take the trophy. LeBlanc because I just want to see him be recognized for doing something other than Joey on Friends, and Anderson because he’s spearheading a successful comedy about a black family and we need more of that on our screens. I have to add that I’m stunned Jim Parsons isn’t nominated. He’s an Emmys darling. It’s not a snub by any means. I’m just surprised The Academy didn’t just throw him a nom for the hell of it.
Who we think will win:
Will: Interesting to note, CBS has taken home this award the last five consecutive years. None of their comedies are nominated this year, but the award will likely go to C.K., Cheadle, Macy, or LeBlanc who were all nominated last year.
Meryl: I like that Will just listed four of the five nominees to say, “It will go to one of them.” I think Louis C.K. is the frontrunner here. He’s beloved by critics and fans.
Nominees
Who we want to win:
Will: : I cannot say enough how much I love Amy Schumer, but I am obsessed with Lily Tomlin in Grance and Frankie. It only makes it THAT much sweeter that Meryl is the Grace and I am the Frankie of our friendship. For that reason, the Netflix newcomer has my vote.
Meryl: This is the category I’m looking forward, and at the same time, dreading most because it’s filled with some of the finest ladies in comedy, but that’s exactly why I’m so scared. I have no idea who to root for because they’re all my favorites. How is it even possible to run against Lily Tomlin? I love Grance and Frankie for the same reason Will listed above but also because Tomlin is outrageously hilarious in it. Amy Schumer is the current “it girl” and rightfully so because she’s everything I aspire to be: hilarious, purposeful, satirical, political, empowering. Then there’s Amazing Amy… Poehler. The woman ran Parks and Recreation like a boss and deserves a trophy for her last year on the show.
Who we think will win:
Will: Julia Louis-Dreyfus has won this award the past three years so she is always a good bet, but Amy Poehler’s Parks and Recreation has ended so she also has a very good shot at winning this.
Meryl: Julia Louis-Dreyfus is the one actor who I am 100 percent, totally OK with winning consistently. Her performance on Veep is side-splitting. She so deserves the award, but I would love for Schumer to win. She is so in right now with the poignant sketches in the third season of her show and her first, highly anticipated feature film Trainwreck premieres this month.
Nominees
Who we want to win:
Will: Kyle Chandler is terrific as the golden child in Bloodline and won this award in 2010 for his role in Friday Night Lights. Could this be one of Netflix’s, hopefully, many wins?
Meryl: I will root for Kevin Spacey in anything he does. I must say I'm stoked to see some fresh shows in this category. Congrats, Bloodline and Better Call Saul.
Who we think will win:
Will: The Newsroom and Mad Men have both completed their last seasons so this may be Daniels’ and Hamm’s best chance to win. Daniels has won this award previously for The Newsroom, so it will likely go to Hamm who has yet to win an Emmy.
Meryl: Because I haven’t seen any of these shows (oops), I’m going to go with Spacey because he seems the most buzzed about. I think it’s time he wins for the role.
Nominees
Who we want to win:
Will: Cookie Lyon needs to walk away in stilettos and a fur coat with this award. Empire was the highest-rated new show of the season and this was one of the only nominations it received. But I also loved Viola Davis in HTGAWM so I would be extremely happy either way. This is also the first time two African American actresses have been nominated the same year in this category and it’s a shame Kerry Washington of Scandal, who has been nominated in this category the last two years, couldn’t join them.
Meryl: TATIANA MASLANY ALL THE WAY. I have been waiting for THREE YEARS to finally cheer Maslany on in her nomination. The woman plays nine characters in one show and makes them all seem like completely different people. What else was The Academy waiting for?! I’m overjoyed that she has finally been nominated after having been the biggest snub for the past two years. Now, let’s do right the whole way through and give her that trophy.
Who we think will win:
Will: Claire Danes has won this award twice, but since this is the last season of Mad Men, Moss might walk away with an award on her first nomination. However, I really do believe Henson and Davis both have really good shots at winning this.
Meryl: Homeland has gotten horrible reviews recently, so I’d say Wright is a likely winner. But I am also pulling for Viola Davis who slayed the entire universe on HTGAWM. I’d do anything for Maslany to win but Davis is a suitable second option for me.
Nominees
Who we want to win:
Will: My love for Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt knows no bounds, so Tituss Burgess 100 percent has my vote.
Meryl: I also agree with Will for Tituss. Ellie Kemper isn’t what made Unbreakable Kimmy Schimdt. Tituss Burgess and Jane Krakowski did, so I’m thrilled they’ve both been nominated. I’m also praying Jon Hamm and Tina Fey win for their guest roles on the show. At the same time, Tony Hale, like Julia Louis-Dreyfus, has had a solid run on Veep and would be very deserving of the award. On a different note, it feels wrong to nominate Keegan-Michael Key on his own. Key and Jordan Peele feel like one unit and should be nominated accordingly.
Who we think will win:
Will: I think that this may be one of the few times when who I want to win and who I think will win are the same. Tituss Burgess takes home the award.
Meryl: I think Burgess is a fan favorite and is incredibly beloved but I don’t think the Emmys will recognize that. A choice like Hale or Burrell is more likely.
Nominees
Who we want to win:
Will: Similar to Tituss Burgess, Jane Krakowski steals every scene she’s in on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt so she has vote as well.
Meryl: I’m rooting for Jane Krakowski all the way. Her sass and quickness kills me, whether it’s in Unbreakable or 30 Rock. She’s stupendous and I’m glad she’s back in the TV universe. At the same time, Allison Janney is possibly one of the greatest actresses in the world and would be a great choice. I do love Kate McKinnon on SNL, but of the women in the cast, I’d rather Aidy Bryant, Cecily Strong or Leslie Jones.
Who we think will win:
Will: I don’t really think there is a clear front-runner here, so I’m sticking with my choice of Jane Krakowski. Hopefully my love for the Netflix comedy isn’t too biased here.
Meryl: Mayim Bialik had her time, but she and Janney are like candidates. But I am letting my love for the show make me biased because I desperately want Krakowski to win!
Nominees
Who we want to win:
Will: Ben Mendelsohn is a supreme mess up on Bloodline and the polar opposite of his on-screen brother, Kyle Chandler. Like William H. Macy in Shameless, he captures the relatable and “bad” person which is often times not translated on TV.
Meryl: Peter Dinklage!! “He’s still going strong!” I’m still frustrated Dinklage didn’t win after his arc in the fourth season, so I’d like to see him get one now. He has never delivered a bad performance.
Who we think will win:
Will: Previous winners Aaron Paul and Bobby Cannavale are not nominated this year, leaving the field wide open for anyone. This one is anyone’s game.
Meryl: I can’t even make a good guess here. Dinklage has a big enough name that he could take home the trophy, but I see drama favorites from Downton Abbey or The Good Wife taking home the win.
Nominees
Who we want to win:
Will: Uzo Aduba won the award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her performance in OITNB last year and will hopefully win in this category.
Meryl: As much as I love to watch my queens Lena Headey and Emilia Clarke slay on Game of Thrones, I spiritually need Uzo Aduba to win this award.
Who we think will win:
Will: I think either Aduba will walk away with the award, her performance is one of the most critically-acclaimed on the show, or Christina Hendricks will ride the “This is the last time this show is competing” train to a win. She has been nominated the past several years for her role on the show.
Meryl: I will accept OITNB losing overall if Aduba wins here, but it’s hard to say here. All of these shows are well loved by the Emmys, so it’s hard to choose a frontrunner.
Nominees
Who we want to win:
Will: So the only one I have seen is American Horror Story: Freak Show and unlike everyone else, I actually really loved this season. I just finished it this week and other than the annoying accents, I thought it was a solid season of sadness and good-quality acting.
Meryl: I’ve also only seen Freak Show but it was stunningly atrocious, and I’m disappointed it was granted a nomination. American Crime had a lot of good buzz and had an interesting concept, so I’d like to give it to them.
Who we think will win:
Will: This is the first year this category has been separated from the TV Movie category, so there isn't much to go on and I haven't heard much on the other shows so this is an up in the air category for me.
Meryl: I’m not really able to say here because I haven’t seen them but fingers crossed AHS doesn’t get it.
Nominees
Who we want to win:
Will: Full disclosure, I haven't seen any of these but I LOVE Agatha Christie so I'm sure the movie was lovely. However, I've only heard good things about Bessie and I love Queen Latifah more than life itself so that's who I'm going with.
Meryl: I haven’t seen any of these either, but I am all about Queen Latifah and am rooting for her and her project all the way!
Who we think will win:
Will: I think Bessie had enough stars in it to put it as a good contender for this. Now I have to watch it to see if they brought their A-game.
Meryl: Grace of Monaco was killed by the critics in Cannes, so I don’t even know how it was nominated. I’d really like to see Bessie or Nightingale win here.
Nominees
Who we want to win:
Will: Solely going off the fact that my mom loves American Crime, my pick is Timothy Hutton.
Meryl: Hi, David Oyelowo, I’m still sorry for your Oscar snub. That’s why I’m hoping you get your award here!
Who we think will win:
Will: I've heard a few good things about American Horror Story: Freak Show so that could be a contender. It's anyone's game for me.
Meryl: I actually think Oyelowo has garnered a ton of attention in the past year, so I’m putting him as my frontrunner.
Nominees
Who we want to win:
Will: Just give it to Jessica Lange already, it was her last season on AHS and so she deserves it.
Meryl: Polar opposite with Will. Lange was good in this atrocious season, but she’s not at all deserving. She won for Murder House and Coven — her two best seasons. She’s good. Again, I’m all in for Queen Latifah.
Who we think will win:
Will: I honestly think Lange will walk away with this one. She's won the award in the past and since it's her last turn, she'll likely win it again. The real question here is, will Gaga be able to do the same next year?
Meryl: Maggie Gyllenhaal won the Golden Globe for this role, so I’m betting she’ll win the Emmy. Side note, I would give anything to see the day when Lady Gaga wins an Emmy. Fingers crossed for next year.
Nominees
Who we want to win:
Will: Finn Wittrock was one of the best, and creepiest, parts of this season so I'd like to see him get recognized for playing a crazy and spoiled rich kid.
Meryl: Wittrock was great as the sadistic Dandy, so I’d also root for him here, but Bill Murray will always be my No. 1 in anything he does. I highly disagree with their choice to nominate O’Hare. Nothing about his performance stood out. At the very least, nominate Evan Peters or John Caroll Lynch.
Who we think will win:
Will: I think either one of the actors from American Horror Story has a good shot at winning. The season may not have been critically lauded, but I think these two did a phenomenal job.
Meryl: This is a toss up. Just because, I’m placing my bet with Murray.
Nominees
Who we want to win:
Will: Sarah Paulson played conjoined twins. I repeat. One actress played conjoined twins for an entire season of a show. She deserves this award. She'll no doubt walk home with this one.
Meryl: I actually strongly disliked Kathy Bates in Freak Show, but Angela Bassett and Sarah Paulson delivered pretty solid performances in an otherwise pitiful season. I would have preferred Paulson had won for Asylum but I’d be OK with her getting her trophy for this season.
Who we think will win:
Will: I think it's a pretty big general consensus that Sarah Paulson should get this award.
Meryl: I think fans love Paulson but I'm not so sure about The Academy. I’d say it’s between Regina King and either Bassett or Bates.