The 2021 Primetime Emmy nominations will be announced tomorrow, July 13, for the best in network, cable, and streaming programs that aired from June 2020 through May 2021 (including hanging episodes of shows that finished airing their seasons this past June). But who will make the cut when the academy announces their picks? Scroll down for our complete predictions in 25 categories, which are based on the combined predictions of thousands of Gold Derby users. Our projected winners are highlighted in gold.
The COVID-19 pandemic will arguably have an even bigger impact on the 2021 Emmys than they had on the 2020 race. That’s because many of the programs that would have been in production and premiering over the course of the past year were delayed, which means they’re ineligible for this year’s competition.
For instance, the only comedy among last year’s eight nominees for Best Comedy Series that was in consideration for 2021 prizes is “The Kominsky Method.” And the only three 2020 Best Drama Series nominees back in contention are “The Crown,” “The Handmaid’s Tale,” and “The Mandalorian.” The absences of academy favorites like “Succession,” “Ozark,” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” could open the door for previously overlooked shows and standout newcomers to make an impact.
See who we’re betting on below. Make or update your own predictions here in our predictions center before tomorrow’s announcement. Visit our forums here to discuss this season’s best TV. And of course vote for the winners of the 2021 Gold Derby TV Awards to decide for yourself who deserves the nod.
BEST COMEDY SERIES
“Ted Lasso” — 4/1
“The Flight Attendant” — 6/1
“Hacks” — 13/2
“The Kominsky Method” — 8/1
“PEN15” — 19/2
“Black-ish” — 11/1
“Girls5eva” — 14/1
“Master of None” — 15/1
Dark Horses: “Cobra Kai” (28/1); “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” (40/1); “Mythic Quest” (64/1)
BEST COMEDY ACTRESS
Jean Smart, “Hacks” — 18/5
Kaley Cuoco, “The Flight Attendant” — 18/5
Tracee Ellis Ross, “Black-ish” — 5/1
Renee Elise Goldsberry, “Girls5eva” — 7/1
Jane Levy, “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” — 12/1
Dark Horses: Allison Janney, “Mom” (14/1); Maya Erskine, “PEN15” (20/1); Lena Waithe, “Master of None” (25/1)
BEST COMEDY ACTOR
Jason Sudeikis, “Ted Lasso” — 16/5
Michael Douglas, “The Kominsky Method” — 4/1
Anthony Anderson, “Black-ish” — 9/2
Kenan Thompson, “Kenan” — 15/2
Ted Danson, “Mr. Mayor” — 8/1
Dark Horses: Ralph Macchio, “Cobra Kai” (25/1); William H. Macy, “Shameless” (28/1); Rob McElhenney, “Mythic Quest” (30/1); William Zabka, “Cobra Kai” (37/1)
BEST COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Hannah Waddingham, “Ted Lasso” — 9/2
Kate McKinnon, “Saturday Night Live” — 11/2
Cecily Strong, “Saturday Night Live” — 7/1
Juno Temple, “Ted Lasso” — 7/1
Rosie Perez, “The Flight Attendant” — 15/2
Hannah Einbinder, “Hacks” — 21/2
Zosia Mamet, “The Flight Attentant” — 16/1
Dark Horses: Aidy Bryant, “Saturday Night Live” (25/1); Paula Pell, “Girls5eva” (28/1); Kathleen Turner, “The Kominsky Method” (40/1)
BEST COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTOR
Kenan Thompson, “Saturday Night Live” — 5/1
Bowen Yang, “Saturday Night Live” — 11/2
Brett Goldstein, “Ted Lasso” — 6/1
Michiel Huisman, “The Flight Attendant” — 8/1
Brendan Hunt, “Ted Lasso” — 8/1
Alex Newell, “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” — 14/1
Ray Romano, “Made for Love” — 14/1
Dark Horses: Nick Mohammed, “Ted Lasso” (15/1); Pete Davidson, “Saturday Night Live” (44/1); Paul Reiser, “The Kominsky Method” (48/1)
BEST COMEDY GUEST ACTRESS
Maya Rudolph, “Saturday Night Live” — 10/3
Tina Fey, “Girls5eva” — 9/2
Kristen Wiig, “Saturday Night Live” — 9/2
Issa Rae, “A Black Lady Sketch Show” — 11/2
Anya Taylor-Joy, “Saturday Night Live” — 17/2
Dark Horses: Andrea Anders, “Ted Lasso” (25/1); Candice Bergen, “The Conners” (42/1); Elisabeth Shue, “Cobra Kai” (46/1)
BEST COMEDY GUEST ACTOR
Dave Chappelle, “Saturday Night Live” — 10/3
Dan Levy, “Saturday Night Live” — 9/2
Anthony Head, “Ted Lasso” — 5/1
Rege-Jean Page, “Saturday Night Live” — 17/2
Chris Rock, “Saturday Night Live” — 9/1
Dark Horses: Morgan Freeman, “The Kominsky Method” (13/1); Aziz Ansari, “Master of None” (28/1); Daniel Kaluuya, “Saturday Night Live” (30/1)
BEST DRAMA SERIES
“The Crown” — 4/1
“The Mandalorian” — 6/1
“Bridgerton” — 7/1
“The Handmaid’s Tale” — 15/2
“Pose” — 17/2
“Lovecraft Country” — 17/2
“This is Us” — 23/2
“The Boys” — 16/1
Dark Horses: “Perry Mason” (33/1); “In Treatment” (90/1)
BEST DRAMA ACTRESS
Emma Corrin, “The Crown” — 7/2
Olivia Colman, “The Crown” — 9/2
Elisabeth Moss, “The Handmaid’s Tale” — 5/1
Uzo Aduba, “In Treatment” — 6/1
Jurnee Smollett, “Lovecraft Country” — 9/1
Mj Rodriguez, “Pose” — 11/1
Dark Horses: Phoebe Dynevor, “Bridgerton” (22/1); Sarah Paulson, “Ratched” (28/1)
BEST DRAMA ACTOR
Josh O’Connor, “The Crown” — 18/5
Billy Porter, “Pose” — 9/2
Rege-Jean Page, “Bridgerton” — 5/1
Matthew Rhys, “Perry Mason” — 6/1
Sterling K. Brown, “This is Us” — 7/1
Jonathan Majors, “Lovecraft Country” — 11/1
Dark Horses: Pedro Pascal, “The Mandalorian” (30/1); Joseph Fiennes, “The Handmaid’s Tale” (78/1)
BEST DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Gillian Anderson, “The Crown” — 4/1
Helena Bonham Carter, “The Crown” — 11/2
Wunmi Mosaku, “Lovecraft Country” — 8/1
Ann Dowd, “The Handmaid’s Tale” — 17/2
Samira Wiley, “The Handmaid’s Tale” — 9/1
Yvonne Strahovski, “The Handmaid’s Tale” — 13/1
Cynthia Nixon, “Ratched” — 16/1
Tatiana Maslany, “Perry Mason” — 22/1
Dark Horses: Emerald Fennell, “The Crown” (25/1); Aunjanue Ellis, “Lovecraft Country” (30/1); Dominique Jackson, “Pose” (56/1); Nicola Coughlan, “Bridgerton” (58/1)
BEST DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTOR
Michael K. Williams, “Lovecraft Country” — 9/2
Tobias Menzies, “The Crown” — 6/1
Bradley Whitford, “The Handmaid’s Tale” — 13/2
John Lithgow, “Perry Mason” — 15/2
Giancarlo Esposito, “The Mandalorian” — 8/1
John Benjamin Hickey, “In Treatment” — 12/1
Anthony Ramos, “In Treatment” — 14/1
Jonathan Bailey, “Bridgerton” — 18/1
Dark Horses: Chris Sullivan, “This is Us” (37/1); O-T Fagbenle, “The Handmaid’s Tale” (42/1); Wyatt Russell, “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” (66/1); Daniel Bruhl, “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” (75/1)
BEST DRAMA GUEST ACTRESS
Alexis Bledel, “The Handmaid’s Tale” — 7/2
Rosario Dawson, “The Mandalorian” — 5/1
Phylicia Rashad, “This is Us” — 5/1
Mckenna Grace, “The Handmaid’s Tale” — 13/2
Claire Foy, “The Crown” — 8/1
Dark Horses: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” (10/1); Angelica Ross, “Pose” (22/1); Sophie Okonedo, “Ratched” (37/1); Diana Rigg, “All Creatures Great and Small” (42/1)
BEST DRAMA GUEST ACTOR
Charles Dance, “The Crown” — 17/5
Courtney B. Vance, “Lovecraft Country” — 39/10
Michael Angarano, “This is Us” — 11/2
Timothy Olyphant, “The Mandalorian” — 11/2
Mark Hamill, “The Mandalorian” — 13/2
Dark Horses: Patrick Dempsey, “Grey’s Anatomy” (20/1); Bill Burr, “The Mandalorian” (40/1); Don Cheadle, “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” (42/1)
BEST LIMITED SERIES
“The Queen’s Gambit” — 17/5
“I May Destroy You” — 4/1
“Mare of Easttown” — 9/2
“The Underground Railroad” — 5/1
“WandaVision” — 13/2
Dark Horses: “Small Axe” (15/1); “It’s a Sin” (64/1)
BEST TV MOVIE
“Sylvie’s Love” — 10/3
“Uncle Frank” — 4/1
“Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia” — 9/2
“Oslo” — 5/1
“Christmas on the Square” — 11/2
Dark Horse: “Unpregnant” (28/1)
BEST MOVIE/LIMITED ACTRESS
Anya Taylor-Joy, “The Queen’s Gambit” — 71/20
Kate Winslet, “Mare of Easttown” — 19/5
Michaela Coel, “I May Destroy You” — 4/1
Elizabeth Olsen, “WandaVision” — 6/1
Cynthia Erivo, “Genius: Aretha” — 8/1
Dark Horses: Thuso Mbedu, “The Underground Railroad” (11/1); Nicole Kidman, “The Undoing” (28/1)
BEST MOVIE/LIMITED ACTOR
Ethan Hawke, “The Good Lord Bird” — 17/5
Hugh Grant, “The Undoing” — 4/1
Paul Bettany, “WandaVision” — 11/2
Lin-Manuel Miranda, “Hamilton” — 9/1
Jeff Daniels, “The Comey Rule” — 10/1
Dark Horses: Ewan McGregor, “Halson” (12/1); Bryan Cranston, “Your Honor” (20/1); Leslie Odom Jr., “Hamilton” (22/1); Joel Edgerton, “The Underground Railroad” (35/1)
BEST MOVIE/LIMITED SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Kathryn Hahn, “WandaVision” — 19/5
Marielle Heller, “The Queen’s Gambit” — 9/2
Jean Smart, “Mare of Easttown” — 11/2
Letitia Wright, “Small Axe” — 13/2
Julianne Nicholson, “Mare of Easttown” — 7/1
Weruche Opia, “I May Destroy You” — 10/1
Dark Horses: Renee Elise Goldsberry, “Hamilton” (20/1); Teyonah Parris, “WandaVision” (33/1); Jessie Buckley, “Fargo” (40/1)
BEST MOVIE/LIMITED SUPPORTING ACTOR
John Boyega, “Small Axe” — 18/5
Bill Camp, “The Queen’s Gambit” — 9/2
Donald Sutherland, “The Undoing” — 11/2
Daveed Diggs, “Hamilton” — 17/2
Evan Peters, “Mare of Easttown” — 9/1
Brendan Gleeson, “The Comey Rule” — 19/2
Dark Horses: William Jackson Harper, “The Underground Railroad” (18/1); Courtney B. Vance, “Genius: Aretha” (28/1); Paapa Essiedu, “I May Destroy You” (60/1)
BEST ANIMATED PROGRAM
“The Simpsons” — 18/5
“Big Mouth” — 4/1
“Bob’s Burgers” — 9/2
“Harley Quinn” — 6/1
“Archer” — 19/2
Dark Horses: “South Park: The Pandemic Special” (14/1); “Invincible” (16/1)
BEST COMPETITION PROGRAM
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” — 82/25
“The Masked Singer” — 9/2
“The Voice” — 9/2
“Nailed It” — 5/1
“The Amazing Race” — 6/1
Dark Horse: “Top Chef” (13/1)
BEST REALITY HOST
RuPaul Charles, “RuPaul’s Drag Race” — 82/25
Nicole Byer, “Nailed It” — 4/1
Bobby Berk, Karamo Brown, Tan France, Antoni Porowski, Jonathan Van Ness, “Queer Eye” — 9/2
Padma Lakshmi and Tom Colicchio, “Top Chef” — 5/1
Leslie Jones, “Supermarket Sweep” — 7/1
Dark Horses: Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John, Kevin O’Leary, “Shark Tank” (25/1); Jane Lynch, “The Weakest Link” (44/1); Tiffany Haddish, “Kids Say the Darndest Things” (66/1)
BEST VARIETY TALK SERIES
“Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” — 69/20
“The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” — 4/1
“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” — 9/2
“Full Frontal with Samantha Bee” — 6/1
“Late Night with Seth Meyers” — 13/2
Dark Horses: “Conan” (22/1); “Jimmy Kimmel Live” (28/1); “Desus and Mero” (35/1)
BEST VARIETY SKETCH SERIES
“Saturday Night Live” — 18/25
“A Black Lady Sketch Show” — 17/10
Dark Horses: “The Amber Ruffin Show” (33/1); “How to with John Wilson” (78/1)
Make your predictions at Gold Derby now. Download our free and easy app for Apple/iPhone devices or Android (Google Play) to compete against legions of other fans plus our experts and editors for best prediction accuracy scores. See our latest prediction champs. Can you top our esteemed leaderboards next? Always remember to keep your predictions updated because they impact our latest racetrack odds, which terrify Hollywood chiefs and stars. Don’t miss the fun. Speak up and share your huffy opinions in our famous forums where 5,000 showbiz leaders lurk every day to track latest awards buzz. Everybody wants to know: What do you think? Who do you predict and why?
