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
In recent years, the Outstanding Comedy Series race has really been a highlight of the Emmys. The most unsatisfying result, even if it’s accurate, can be the same show winning everything over and over again. But despite current contenders “Hacks,” “The Bear,” “Abbott Elementary,” and “Only Murders in the Building” being consistently nominated for multiple seasons, the consensus of what show deserves what award changes from year to year.
Though “Hacks” is the most recent category winner, the Max series just lost Best Comedy Ensemble to “Only Murders in the Building” at the 2025 SAG Awards. A similar instance happened two years ago when “Abbott Elementary” won Best Comedy Ensemble over the first season of “The Bear,” the show that would eventually go on to win the Outstanding Comedy Series Emmy. Point is, the comedy categories are much tighter races than we give them credit for, which is how we see “The Bear” last year break the record for most wins, yet lose the final Emmy to “Hacks.”
Diving deeper into incumbent talk, one of the other highlights of the most recent Emmys was the success of FX overall. In addition to all “The Bear” wins, the cable network got three titles into this category. “Reservations Dogs” ended, so it is no longer eligible, but “What We Do in the Shadows” is still in for its final season. However, this year is so competitive, with many power players in the mix, that it will still be a fight for the supernatural comedy to get recognition. It already feels a little too tight for the network’s new hit “English Teacher” to break through, even though that show did receive some nominations throughout the winter awards season.
“Nobody Wants This” should fare better, as another new title that even won a Critics Choice Award for star Adam Brody in February. Right now, that is the Netflix comedy that has most entered the zeitgeist, and that popularity usually lets a show sail into Emmys contention. But the streaming service invested a lot into comedy this year, from currently airing, well-received shows like “A Man on the Inside” and “Running Point,” to ambitious new series “The Residence” and “The Four Seasons,” starring multiple Emmy winners Uzo Aduba and Tina Fey, respectively. Also, “Cobra Kai” has been nominated once, and just premiered its final season, so Netflix really has a lot of options for which show to push for what would be the network’s first Outstanding Comedy Series win.
However, the standard strategy is for a network to put all their eggs in one basket. We see that this year with Apple TV+’s “The Studio” (though “Shrinking” is a solid contender as well), Amazon Prime Video’s “Étoile” from Emmy winner Amy Sherman-Palladino, Disney+’s “Agatha All Along” (the follow-up to Outstanding Limited Series Emmy nominee “WandaVision”), and Peacock taking a second big swing with “Poker Face” Season 2. The streaming service has captured more voters’ attention with hits like “The Traitors.”
In terms of the most welcome longshots, many are holding out hope that “The Righteous Gemstones” finally gets recognized for its final season, which seems very plausible if you’re an HBO show. There is also still a wish for the Television Academy to turn their attention toward the strides that network TV comedies have made amid the success of “Abbott Elementary,” with shows like “Ghosts” on CBS, and the new NBC hit “St. Denis Medical,” which uses a similar mockumentary style to the aforementioned Emmy-winning ABC series.
Current Contenders (In Alphabetical Order):
“Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
“Agatha All Along” (Disney+)
“The Bear” (FX)
“Étoile” (Prime Video)
“English Teacher” (FX)
“The Four Seasons” (Netflix)
“Hacks” (Max)
“Nobody Wants This” (Netflix)
“Only Murders in the Building” (Hulu)
“Poker Face” (Peacock)
“The Righteous Gemstones” (HBO)
“Shrinking” (Apple TV+)
“St. Denis Medical” (NBC)
“The Studio” (Apple TV+)
“What We Do in the Shadows” (FX)
More Comedy Category Predictions:
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
To see IndieWire’s full set of predictions for the 77th Emmy Awards, click here.
Last Year’s Winner: “Hacks”
Still Eligible: Yes.
Hot Streak: While “Ted Lasso” is the most recent series to win the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series twice in a row, it’s been years since the category has had a true hot streak with a specific show and/or network winning the category year after year.
Notable Ineligible Series: “Reservation Dogs” (ended); “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (ended); “The Gentlemen” (Season 2 is not eligible); “Palm Royale” (Season 2 is not eligible)
