Emmy Category Analysis: Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

By Abe Friedtanzer

Lily James in Pam and Tommy

This is quite a lineup, though just one of its six nominees is from an anthology series and none are from TV movies (Jenna Ortega would have made a phenomenal choice for HBO Max’s The Fallout). Every character portrayed is based on a real person, with only Margaret Qualley’s Alex Russell adapted from author Stephanie Land into someone slightly fictionalized. Exactly half of these women star in projects nominated for Best Limited or Anthology Series, but there’s still support for the other three even if their projects underperformed. Only Lily James and Amanda Seyfried are brand-new to the Emmys, and, of the rest, all but Qualley have actually won before. I think it’s likely a race between the newbies, but let’s examine the lineup...

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Emmy Category Analysis: Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

by Christopher James

Quinta Brunson faces off against two previous Emmy winners for the first season of "Abbott Elementary."

Variety in nominations is rare this Emmy season. Thus, the Lead Actress in a Comedy Series race stands out. This is the only category amongst drama and comedy acting honors wherein more than half of the nominees come from shows without a Series nomination.

This makes watching the nominated episodes a bit more fun. There are only so many times one can watch every episode of Hacks and Ted Lasso, no matter how good they are! In addition, it makes the race a little easier to call. The last time an actress won this prize for a show not nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series was when Melissa McCarthy surprised with a win for Mike & Molly in 2011, which (not) coincidentally was the same year she was the breakout star of Bridesmaids in movie theaters. Let’s analyze the race after the jump...

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Emmy Category Analysis: Lead Actress in a Drama Series

By Abe Friedtanzer

Previous winner Zendaya in her standout episode of Euphoria

Though none of last year’s Lead Drama Actress nominees were eligible this year, the shortlist for 2022 is actually pretty close to what this category was like two years ago albeit with a different actress from The Morning Show in contention. Two Emmy seasons ago, Zendaya was the big winner for her buzzy freshman show, and now her fiercest competition is also in a buzzy freshman show. Melanie Lynskey is hot off a win from the Hollywood Critics Association. While it’s possible that the other four will factor into the race, it feels like a race between those two.

But let’s dig deeper. Brief descriptions of the nominees below - click on the episode titles for spoiler-filled reviews…

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Emmy Category Analysis: Fantasy Costumes

by Cláudio Alves

From 2015 to 2017, fantasy and sci-fi costumes were awarded alongside period stylings at the Emmys. Then, in 2018, they got their own category. Unlike the category for contemporary costumes, this one's fond of repeats. At least, it was fond of Game of Thrones, which won the race thrice. For the past two years, though, this has been a category where the TV Academy honors big superhero productions. Watchmen and Wandavision are our most recent winners, and either Loki or Moon Knight could continue the trend. That being said, the biggest boon to a show's chances in this race seems to be its overall popularity across the board, in which case, What We Do in The Shadows might have a chance…

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Emmy Category Analysis: Contemporary Costumes

by Cláudio Alves

Unlike at the Oscars, contemporary costume design is regularly recognized by the Emmys. That's what happens when you have over one hundred categories, including separate prizes for costumes, depending on the type of narrative. This specific award has only existed since 2015, and so far, no show has won it twice, making for a nice reprieve from the TV Academy's usual allergy to spreading the wealth. Indeed, none of this year's nominees is a previous victor, though half of them have competed before. 

Usually, new programs have an advantage but never discount the power of a sweep – Schitt's Creek won on its second try as part of its final season's Emmy dominance. In other words, as with other categories, The White Lotus is well positioned to take home the gold…

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