We will update this article throughout the season, along with all our predictions, so make sure to keep checking IndieWire for the latest news from the 2025 Emmys race. The nomination round of voting takes place from June 12 to June 23, with the official Emmy nominations announced Tuesday, July 15. Afterwards, final voting commences on August 18 and ends the night of August 27. The 77th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards are set to take place on Sunday, September 14, and air live on CBS at 8:00 p.m. ET/ 5:00 p.m. PT.
The State of the Race
One of the silver linings of TV production schedules being so out of whack the past few years is that the Emmys landscape has been changing year after year, with dozens of contenders coming in and out of the different categories. The most boring part of the Emmys used to be seeing the same person win again and again each year, even if it’s arguably earned. That’s over. Mostly.
“Hacks” star Jean Smart, who won her third Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Emmy for the Max series last year, is the prime suspect in bringing back that Emmys trend of unassailable annual wins. But while that can be a little boring, even though the TV veteran is undeniably excellent on the show as standup comic Deborah Vance, a different way to look at her place in this year’s Emmy race is that a fourth win would put her up on the comedy actress Mount Rushmore next to “Veep” star Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Murphy Brown” star Candice Bergen, and Mary Tyler Moore (though technically, she would tied with “Mad About You” star Helen Hunt, her “Hacks” co-star, who won this category four seasons in a row in the late ‘90s).
The main competition for Smart has been “Abbott Elementary” creator/star Quinta Brunson, who won this category in the year where “Hacks” wasn’t eligible, and “The Bear” star Ayo Edebiri, whose FX show has become somewhat of an Emmys rival with the Max comedy. But those two actresses have more categories that they can be nominated in, with Brunson having also won an Emmy for writing the pilot of her hit ABC comedy, and Edebiri entering this Emmys season a DGA nominee for her directorial debut in Season 3. There is a reality in which all three win an Emmy this year.
Why not throw in Selena Gomez too, as she only has one nomination in this category for “Only Murders in the Building”? The Hulu series has made her the most-nominated Latina producer in the history of the Outstanding Comedy Series category. With the murder mystery comedy’s SAG Award win for Best Ensemble, things are looking better than ever for the show’s Emmy chances.
Meanwhile, the only other recent nominee once again in the mix for the same show is Natasha Lyonne for “Poker Face,” which likely has an even stronger hold in the Emmys race now that the Television Academy has given the NBCUniversal-owned streaming service more acknowledgement.
However, the new thing about the Comedy Series races this season is that Netflix has more contenders than ever, so one can expect that, based on the streaming services track record, it has a good chance of getting multiple stars nominated in the category. “Nobody Wants This” star Kristen Bell is currently at the top of the heap, given how the show had both commercial success and several winter TV awards nominations, her inclusion would be a welcome addition after years of leading acclaimed series like “Veronica Mars” and “The Good Place” without receiving any Primetime Emmy nominations. But she is not Netflix’s heaviest hitter.
Multiple time Emmy winners Tina Fey and Uzo Aduba also have the new Netflix comedies “The Four Seasons” and “The Residence” entering the race as Emmys buzz builds, and the Kate Hudson-fronted “Running Point” has been a big success for the network as well, already receiving a Season 2 renewal.
It’s also worth noting that Amazon Prime Video, which has had a couple of its stars win this category, has the new Amy Sherman-Palladino series “Étoile” starring César Award winner Charlotte Gainsbourg, and NBC has a new hit comedy in “St. Denis Medical,” which stars Emmy nominees Wendi McLendon-Covey and Allison Tolman.
Plus, with HBO lighter on comedies this year, maybe it is finally time for voters to recognize Bridget Everett for the final season of the Peabody Award-winning “Somebody Somewhere.”
Current Contenders (In Alphabetical Order):
Uzo Aduba, “The Residence” (Netflix)
Kristen Bell, “Nobody Wants This” (Netflix)
Quinta Brunson, “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
Ayo Edebiri, “The Bear” (FX)
Bridget Everett, “Somebody Somewhere” (HBO)
Tina Fey, “The Four Seasons” (Netflix)
Charlotte Gainsbourg, “Étoile” (Prime Video)
Selena Gomez, “Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)
Kathryn Hahn, “Agatha All Along” (Disney+)
Kate Hudson, “Running Point” (Netflix)
Natasha Lyonne, “Poker Face” (Peacock)
Rose McIver, “Ghosts” (CBS)
Wendi McLendon-Covey, “St. Denis Medical” (NBC)
Allison Tolman, “St. Denis Medical” (NBC)
Jean Smart, “Hacks” (Max)
More Comedy Category Predictions:
Outstanding Comedy Series
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
View IndieWire’s full set of predictions for the 77th Emmy Awards.
Last Year’s Winner: Jean Smart, “Hacks”
Still Eligible: Yes.
Hot Streak: While a fourth Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series wouldn’t break any major awards records, it would set up “Hacks” star Jean Smart to be in the same league as TV comedy legends Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Candice Bergen, and Mary Tyler Moore.
Notable Ineligible Series: Maya Rudolph, “Loot” (Season 3 is not eligible); Kristen Wiig, “Palm Royale” (Season 2 is not eligible).
