2015 Emmy Nomination Predictions: Best Supporting Actor in a TV Movie/Limited Series

2015 Nomination Predictions
Michael Chiklis "American Horror Story: Freak Show"
Damien Lewis "Wolf Hall"
Bill Murray "Olive Kitteridge"
Jonathan Pryce "Wolf Hall"
Stephen Rea "The Honorable Woman"
Finn Wittrock "American Horror Story: Freak Show"

Other Contenders - Michael Kenneth Williams "Bessie", Louis Gossett Jr. "The Book of Negroes", Michael Gambon "The Casual Vacancy", John Gallagher Jr. "Olive Kitteridge", Cory Michael Smith "Olive Kitteridge", Jason Isaacs "Stockholm, Pennsylvania", Neil Patrick Harris "American Horror Story: Freak Show", Denis O'Hare "American Horror Story: Freak Show", John Carroll Lynch "American Horror Story: Freak Show", Wes Bentley "American Horror Story: Freak Show", Elvis Nolasco "American Crime", Cuba Gooding Jr. "The Book of Negroes", Ralph Fiennes "Worricker: Salting the Battlefield", Dean Norris "Sons of Liberty", William DeVane "24: Live Another Day", Benjamin Bratt "24: Live Another Day", Hugh Fraser "Agatha Christie's Poirot: Curtian, Poirot's Last Case", Olivier Martinez "Texas Rising", Ray Liotta "Texas Rising", Jeremy Davies "Texas Rising", Mike Epps "Bessie", Kelsey Grammer "Killing Jesus", Nick Nolte "Gracepoint", Zachary Quinto "The Slap", Brian Cox "The Slap", Tim Roth "Grace of Monaco", Patrick Fuqit "Full Circle", Iain Glen "The Red Tent", Jeffrey Dean Morgan "The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe"

Commentary - A tough race that looks like it is about twelve guys for six slots. I would love to see Michael Kenneth Williams, John Gallagher Jr., Cory Michael Smith, or Louis Gossett Jr. make the cut, and Michael Gambon is an acting legend (despite the mild reception to The Casual Vacancy). Jason Issacs got a surprise CCTA nod for the Stockholm, Pennsylvania, so he too is the running. But I don't think either of them or the guys from American Horror Story (Well some of the guys: O'Hare, Harris, and unfortunately Lynch) can break through ahead of the stiff competition that they face. First is the great Bill Murray. I didn't find his work in Olive Kitteridge to be astonishing by any means, but anytime you can honor a criminally under-rewarded legend like Murray, it is worth it. While some of the AHS guys might not make the cut, I still think that two will do so. First is Emmy-winner Michael Chiklis, who is a well-liked guy among Emmy voters. Second is the explosive performance from Finn Wittrock, probably the most deserving of the bunch. Damien Lewis is another well-liked Emmy winner, who is great in Wolf Hall, and probably has some left over good will from his Homeland days. I think he will be joined by his co-star Jonathan Pryce, who has a better shot at a nomination, and a win than his co-star. Finally,  I think that Stephen Rea, an Oscar-nominee, with a really fantastic role in The Honorable Woman, will beat out stiff competition. But between now and the final list, I would not be surprised if I am convinced to switch a few of these guys around.

2015 Emmy Nomination Predictions: Best Supporting Actress in a TV Movie/Limited Series

2015 Nomination Predictions
Angela Bassett "American Horror Story: Freak Show"
Kathy Bates "American Horror Story: Freak Show"
Judy Davis "Worricker: Salting the Battlefield"
Janet McTeer "The Honorable Woman"
MoNique "Bessie"
Sarah Paulson "American Horror Story: Freak Show"

Other Contenders - Susan Sarandon "The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe", Cynthia Nixon "Stockholm, Pennsylvania", Zoe Kazan "Olive Kitteridge", Frances Conroy "American Horror Story: Freak Show", Claire Foy "Wolf Hall", Emma Roberts "American Horror Story: Freak Show", Jane Alexander "The Book of Negroes", Regina King "American Crime", Honeysuckle Weeks "Foyle's War: Elise, The Final Mystery", Khandi Alexander "Bessie", Morena Baccarin "The Red Tent", Minnie Driver "The Red Tent", Debra Winger "The Red Tent", Lauren Ambrose "Dig", Kate Burton "Full Circle", Rosemarie DeWitt "Olive Kitteridge", Olympia Dukakis "Big Driver", Melissa George "The Slap", Uma Thurman "The Slap", Thandie Newton "The Slap", Caitlin Gerard "American Crime", Keeley Hawes "The Casual Vacancy", Abigail Lawrie "The Casual Vacancy", Julia McKenzie "The Casual Vacancy", Kelli O'Hara "Peter Pan Live!", Mary Lynn Rajskub "24: Live Another Day", Lili Taylor "American Crime", Emily Watson "The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe", Joanne Whalley "Wolf Hall"

Commentary - Is this the year that Sarah Paulson finally wins an Emmy? Well she definitely should, but she will face some still internal competition, let alone external. I fully expect Angela Bassett and Kathy Bates to return (and that doesn't include Frances Conroy and Emma Roberts). But there is another contender that could upset the AHS apple cart. Of course I'm talking about Oscar-winner MoNique, whose fiery and complex role in Bessie earned her rave reviews, and hopefully a well-deserved Emmy nomination. Janet McTeer is an Oscar nominee, and has a great role in The Honorable Woman. This would be her second nomination, and while it has been a good bit since The Honorable Woman aired, we know that Emmy voters love all things British and I think they will reward the series with lots of love. The final slot for me is tricky. I would love to see one of the other AHS girls get in, or maybe even Jane Alexander, or the wonderful Zoe Kazan. Regina King, The Red Tent trio, Khandi Alexander, Honeysuckle Weeks, The Slap trio, Claire Foy could all jump ahead. Then of course there are two acting giants in the race, who also happen to be in crappy projects. That it why I am personally leaving them off the list, but if either Cynthia Nixon or Susan Sarandon or both get nominated come July 16th, I would not be surprised one bit. Instead, I am going with Judy Davis. She has eleven Emmy nods under her belt, and three wins and was nominated for this role in Page Eight, even when the rest of the film was pretty much ignored. This will be an interesting race to watch. It will tell us if American Horror Story's Emmy luck is running out, whether big names can still overpower quality projects, and in general how a lot of the other races in these categories are going to go.

2015 BET Award Winners

I will update the winner as they come in!

Best Male Hip-Hop Artist - Kendrick Lamar
Best Female Hip-Hop Artist - Nicki Minaj
Best Male Pop/R&B Artist - Chris Brown
Best Female Pop/R&B Artist - Beyonce
Best New Artist - Sam Smith
Best Group - Rae Sremmurd
Best Collaboration - Common and John Legend "Glory"
Best Gospel Artist - Lecrae
Video of the Year - Beyonce "7/11"
Video Director of the Year - Beyonce, Ed Burke, Todd Tourso
Coca-Cola Viewer's Choice Award - Nicki Minaj feat. Drake, Lil Wayne, and Chris Brown "Only"
YoungStars Award - Mo'Ne Davis
Best Movie - Selma
Best Actor - Terrence Howard
Best Actress - Taraji P. Henson
Centric Award - The Weeknd "Earned It"
Sportsman Of the Year  - Stephan Curry
Sportswoman Of the Year - Serena Williams
Best International Act (UK) - Stormzy
Best International Act (Africa) - Stonebwoy (Ghana)
Humanitarian Award - Tom Joyner
Ultimate Icon: Music Dance Visual Award - Janet Jackson
Fandemonium Award - Chris Brown

2015 Emmy Nomination Predictions: Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series

2015 Nomination Predictions

Andre Braugher "Law & Order: SVU"

Dylan Baker "The Good Wife" 

Beau Bridges "Masters of Sex" 

Michael J. Fox "The Good Wife" 

David Hyde Pierce "The Good Wife" 

Courtney B. Vance "Scandal" 

Other Contenders - Ed Asner "The Good Wife", Robert Morse "Mad Men", Reg E. Cathey "House of Cards", F. Murray Abraham "Homeland", Corey Stoll "Homeland", Sam Shepard "Bloodline", Alan Alda "The Blacklist", David Strathairn "The Blacklist", Ron Perlman "The Blacklist", Reed Birney "The Blacklist", Walton Goggins "Sons of Anarchy", Mel Rodriguez "Better Call Saul", Raymond Cruz "Better Call Saul", Michael Mando "Better Call Saul", Oliver Platt "The Good Wife", Gary Cole "The Good Wife", Michael Cerveris "The Good Wife", Kyle MacLachlan "The Good Wife", Pablo Schreiber "Orange is the New Black", Christian Borle "Masters of Sex", Richard Schiff "Manhattan", Scott Glenn "The Leftovers", Louis Gossett Jr. "Madam Secretary", Harry Hamlin "Law & Order: SVU", Lars Mikkelson "House of Cards", Edward James Olmos "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."

Commentary - This race looks to be so stacked with veterans, that it will be hard to determine which of the bunch they will go for. I fully expect Beau Bridges to return for his dramatic season opener of Masters of Sex. And The Good Wife could have a boatload of potentials. I am currently leaving off Ed Asner, Gary Cole, and Oliver Platt, but all three should not be discounted. Instead, I am going for Dylan Baker, who has been nominated several times for his role as Colin Sweeney, and it is easy to see why, as he steals every scene he is in. David Hyde Pierce hasn't had a big role in a while, so maybe some of the hype has faded, but if voters still love him as much as they did in his Frasier days, then I would be shocked if he didn't make the cut. Finally, I am going with Michael J. Fox, who, like Baker, is a perpetual nominee in this category, and has had a lot to do the last two seasons, as his role has expanded within the story line. That leaves two slots. Besides the other Good Wife guys, there is Robert Morse, who would seem like an easy pick, but his role as a ghost was incredibly short this year. Reg E. Cathey had a great episode, and honestly, he is the one I am thinking about moving into the mix before my final list. F. Murray Abraham and Corey Stoll are fantastic on Homeland this season, although a lot of their buzz depends on whether Emmy voters recognized the return to form for the last season. Sam Shepard has a great part on Bloodline, Walton Goggins should be in for his awesome role on Sons of Anarchy, Better Call Saul has three great potentials, and Alan Alda/David Strathairn are beloved veterans with juicy roles on The Blacklist. But I am going in a different direction. Law & Order: SVU used to dominate these guest categories, but have not been as potent in recent years as the show has aged. But Andre Braugher is just a knockout for these voters (remember all the nods he got for Men of Certain Age?). He is just one of those actors whose name gets checked off no matter what. I think he gets in. And finally, while Joe Morton has moved up to Supporting, this category has been won twice in a row by Scandal actors. I think that Courtney B. Vance, who was powerful in his arch on the show this season, could continue the Scandal streak. 

2015 Emmy Nomination Predictions: Best Guest Actress in a Drama Series

2015 Nomination Predictions
Kate Burton "Scandal"
Allison Janney "Masters of Sex"
Margo Martindale "The Americans"
Diana Rigg "Game of Thrones"
Lois Smith "The Americans"
Cicely Tyson "How to Get Away With Murder"

Other Contenders - Jennifer Hudson "Empire", Julianne Nicholson "Masters of Sex", Marcia Gay Harden "How to Get Away With Murder", Patricia Arquette "Boardwalk Empire", CCH Pounder "Sons of Anarchy", Mary-Louise Parker "The Blackist", Ann-Margaret "Ray Donovan", Julia Ormond "Mad Men", Alison Brie "Mad Men", Kiernan Shipka "Mad Men", Jessica Pare "Mad Men", Elizabeth Reaser "Mad Men", Khandi Alexander "Scandal", Linda Lavin "The Good Wife", Carrie Preston "The Good Wife", Rita Wilson "The Good Wife" Stockard Channing "The Good Wife", Jessalyn Gilsig "Vikings" Laura Prepon "Orange is the New Black", Rachel Brosnahan "House of Cards", Courtney Love "Empire", Taraji P. Henson "Person of Interest", Sarah Silverman "Masters of Sex", Amanda Plummer "The Blacklist", Kate Burton "Grey's Anatomy", Debbie Allen "Grey's Anatomy", Betsy Brandt "Parenthood", Joan Collins "The Royals", Rosario Dawson "Marvel's Daredevil", Kaitlyn Dever "Justified", Meagan Good "Law & Order: SVU", Mariksa Hargitay "Chicago P.D.", Mary McCormack "Scandal"

Commentary - This category is so stacked, I kind of feel bad for voters who have to only pick a few. There are four returning nominees from last year. Kate Mara is off of House of Cards, and Jane Fonda was bumped up to Supporting Actress. I honestly think that all four of them will return. Janney might be beatable this year, as she was only in one or two (I can't remember) episodes early in the second season of Masters of Sex, and did not have the screen time she did last year, but she will definitely return with a nomination. Margo Martindale has rapidly become an Emmy favorite, and her role on The Americans is juicy to say the least. Diana Rigg is a scene-stealer, and has gotten several nods in a row. She probably will never win because there is not one stand-out episode, but another nomination seems likely. Finally, after getting a surprise nod last year (she is clearly well-liked among her peers, so it shouldn't have been a big surprise), but her character was back in full force this season, and another nod seems appropriate. Finally, I think that there will be a spot for the great Cicely Tyson. She is beloved, she is amazingly talented, and has a great role opposite Viola Davis in How to Get Away With Murder. That leaves one slot, hypothetically, although we all know that these guest races are known for a lot of surprises. Jennifer Hudson could get 3/4 to EGOT for Empire. One of my personal favorites was Julianne Nicholson for Masters of Sex. I know Janney is the bigger name, but maybe they can make room for both of them this year. Oscar winners Marcia Gay Harden and Patricia Arquette both had big roles in How to Get Away With Murder and Boardwalk Empire respectively. CCH Pounder has another fierce role in Sons of Anarchy, Mary-Louise Parker is an Emmy favorite, and the multitude of talent from Mad Men and The Good Wife should not be discounted, as history has suggested that both shows do well with actors. But a new contender has emerged, with a CCTA nomination under her belt, and a performance that still has folks talking. I think that veteran Lois Smith will get her first Emmy nomination after 64 years on television.

2015 Emmy Nomination Predictions: Best Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

2015 Nomination Predictions
Steve Buscemi "Portlandia"
Louis C.K. "Saturday Night Live"
Bill Hader "Saturday Night Live"
Jon Hamm "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt"
Nathan Lane "Modern Family"
Bradley Whitford "Transparent"

Other Contenders - Mel Brooks "The Comedians", Billy Bob Thornton "The Big Bang Theory", Michael Rapaport "Louie", Dick Van Dyke "The Middle", Josh Charles "Inside Amy Schumer", Stephen Colbert "The Mindy Project", Steven Weber "The Comedians", Rob Reiner "New Girl", Rob Reiner "The Comedians", Paul Giamatti "Inside Amy Schumer", Chris Rock "Saturday Night Live", Jim Carrey "Saturday Night Live", Dwayne Johnson "Saturday Night Live", Kevin Hart "Saturday Night Live", J.K. Simmons "Saturday Night Live", Woody Harrelson "Saturday Night Live" Chris Hemsworth "Saturday Night Live", Fred Willard "Modern Family", Paul Rudd "Parks and Recreation", Seth Rogen "The Comeback", Hugh Bonneville "Galavant", Ricky Gervais "Galavant", Zachary Quinto "Girls", Jason Ritter "Girls", Dean Norris "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt", Richard Kind "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt", Ed Asner "Mom", Chris Colfer "Hot in Cleveland", Jake Lacy "Girls", Bill Murray "Alpha House"

Commentary - Once again, curve balls are expected, but I see about twelve to fourteen guys that seen like the safest bets. Saturday Night Live usually gets at least two in, and previous nominees Louis C.K. and Bill Hader seem like safe bets. Although for my money I would have picked Hader, then either Martin Freeman or Michael Keaton, but neither of them were submitted. Jon Hamm could get two nominations this year, for the final season of Mad Men, and for his scene-stealing performance in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and honestly, probably has a better shot winning here than in the other category. Nathan Lane has gotten several nominations for Modern Family, and has another great episode this season. I would honestly be surprised if he missed out this time around. I also expect Bradley Whitford, a beloved Emmy veteran, who has a knockout role in Transparent, to join the ranks. Plus, he already has a CCTA to back him up. Beyond these five, there are a lot of possibilities. Mel Brooks is a legend, but he only has a few scenes in The Comedians. Rob Reiner is another legend, and his role in New Girl is certainly worthy, if voters are still paying attention to that show. Finally, Dick Van Dyke has a great part in The Middle this season, but once again, voters have to be paying attention to that show. Josh Charles and Paul Giamatti had worthy parts in Inside Amy Schumer, a show that is quickly on the rise. Steven Weber, like Bradley Whitford, plays a transgender individual very well. Stephen Colbert steals the show in his part of this season's The Mindy Project. I personally found him annoying as hell, but Michael Rapaport certainly made an impact in Louie, and finally, Billy Bob Thornton proved his comedic chops on The Big Bang Theory. But for my final slot, I am going with a nominee last year, on yet another show that is starting to catch on with voters. Of course, I am talking about Steve Buscemi on Portlandia. He is a great actor, with a great role, and is a well-liked veteran among actors. As always, we'll have to wait and see...

The Academy Gets 322 New Members

Actors
Elizabeth Banks – “Love & Mercy,” “The Hunger Games”
Choi Min-sik– “Lucy,” “Oldboy”
Benedict Cumberbatch – “The Imitation Game,” “Star Trek Into Darkness”
Martin Freeman – “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” “Hot Fuzz”
Heather Graham – “The Hangover,” “Boogie Nights”
Tom Hardy – “Mad Max: Fury Road,” “Inception”
Kevin Hart – “The Wedding Ringer,” “Ride Along”
Felicity Jones – “The Theory of Everything,” “Like Crazy”
Stephen Lang – “Avatar,” “The Men Who Stare at Goats”
Jodi Long – “A Picture of You,” “Beginners”
John Carroll Lynch – “Shutter Island,” “Zodiac”
Gugu Mbatha-Raw – “Beyond the Lights,” “Belle”
Denis O’Hare – “Milk,” “Michael Clayton”
Michael O’Neill – “Dallas Buyers Club,” “Transformers”
David Oyelowo – “Selma,” “A Most Violent Year”
Dev Patel – “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” “Slumdog Millionaire”
Rosamund Pike – “Gone Girl,” “Pride & Prejudice”
Chris Pine – “Into the Woods,” “Star Trek”
Daniel Radcliffe – “Kill Your Darlings,” “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2”
Eddie Redmayne – “The Theory of Everything,” “Les Misérables”
Jason Segel – “The Five-Year Engagement,” “The Muppets”
J.K. Simmons – “Whiplash,” “Juno”
Sonny Skyhawk – “Geronimo: An American Legend,” “Young Guns II”
Song Kang-ho – “Snowpiercer,” “The Host”
Emma Stone – “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance),” “The Help”

Casting Directors
Lucy Bevan – “Cinderella,” “The Hundred-Foot Journey”
Victoria Burrows – “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” “King Kong”
Aisha Coley – “Selma,” “Beyond the Lights”
Patricia DiCerto – “Blue Jasmine,” “Vicky Cristina Barcelona”
Mary Hidalgo – “The Lego Movie,” “The Incredibles”
Roger Mussenden – “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” “Get Smart”
Lucie Robitaille – “Incendies,” “The Barbarian Invasions”
Luis San Narciso – “The Skin I Live In,” “The Sea Inside”
April Webster – “Tomorrowland,” “Star Trek”
Tricia Wood – “Woman in Gold,” “The Lincoln Lawyer”

Cinematographers
Christopher Blauvelt – “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby,” “The Bling Ring”
Adriano Goldman – “August: Osage County,” “Jane Eyre”
Ben Kasulke – “Laggies,” “Safety Not Guaranteed”
Ryszard Lenczewski – “Ida,” “Margaret”
Jody Lee Lipes – “Ballet 422,” “Martha Marcy May Marlene”
Sharone Meir – “Whiplash,” “Mean Creek”
Rachel Morrison – “Cake,” “Fruitvale Station”
Tristan Oliver – “ParaNorman,” “Fantastic Mr. Fox”
Hoyte Van Hoytema – “Interstellar,” “Her”
Roman Vasyanov – “Fury,” “End of Watch”
Łukasz Żal – “Ida,” “Joanna”

Costume Designers
Kasia Walicka Maimone – “Foxcatcher,” “Moonrise Kingdom”
Francesca Livia Sartori – “Piazza Fontana: The Italian Conspiracy,” “When the Night”
Jany Temime – “Gravity,” “Skyfall”

Designers
Ramsey Avery – “Tomorrowland,” “Star Trek Into Darkness”
Gae Buckley – “The Book of Eli,” “He’s Just Not That into You”
Keith Brian Burns – “The Best Man Holiday,” “2 Fast 2 Furious”
Lester W. Cohen – “Fading Gigolo,” “Cop Land”
Suzie Davies – “Mr. Turner,” “The Children”
John F. Fenner – “The Phantom of the Opera,” “The Talented Mr. Ripley”
Darren Gilford – “Oblivion,” “Tron: Legacy”
Derek R. Hill – “Southpaw,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl”
Bryn Imagire – “Cars 2,” “Up”
Dina Lipton – “Baggage Claim,” “Love Hurts”
Tatiana Macdonald – “The Imitation Game,” “The Invisible Woman”
Dominic Masters – “Woman in Gold,” “Casino Royale”
Doug Meerdink – “Jurassic World,” “Ocean’s Thirteen”
Chris Spellman – “Paper Towns,” “This Is the End”
Patrick Tatopoulos – “300: Rise of an Empire,” “Total Recall”
Charlotte Watts – “Mr. Holmes,” “Mr. Turner”

Directors
Michael Binder – “Black or White,” “Reign over Me”
Bong Joon-ho – “Snowpiercer,” “Mother”
Niki Caro – “North Country,” “Whale Rider”
Damien Chazelle* – “Whiplash,” “Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench”
Simon Curtis – “Woman in Gold,” “My Week with Marilyn”
François Girard – “Silk,” “The Red Violin”
F. Gary Gray – “The Italian Job,” “Friday”
James Gunn – “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Super”
Im Kwon-taek – “Chi-Hwa-Seon (Painted Fire),” “Chunhyang”
Stan Lathan – “Beat Street,” “Amazing Grace”
Malcolm D. Lee* – “The Best Man Holiday,” “The Best Man”
Justin Lin – “Fast & Furious 6,” “Better Luck Tomorrow”
François Ozon – “Young & Beautiful,” “Swimming Pool”
Paweł Pawlikowski* – “Ida,” “My Summer of Love”
Kelly Reichardt – “Meek’s Cutoff,” “Wendy and Lucy”
Ira Sachs – “Love Is Strange,” “Keep the Lights On”
Lynn Shelton – “Laggies,” “Your Sister’s Sister”
Abderrahmane Sissako* – “Timbuktu,” “Bamako”
Damián Szifron* – “Wild Tales,” “On Probation”
Fernando Trueba – “Chico & Rita,” “Belle Epoque”
Morten Tyldum – “The Imitation Game,” “Headhunters”
Zaza Urushadze – “Tangerines,” “The Guardian”
Wayne Wang – “Anywhere but Here,” “The Joy Luck Club”
Edgar Wright – “The World’s End,” “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World”
Joe Wright – “Anna Karenina,” “Atonement”
Andrey Zvyagintsev* – “Leviathan,” “Elena”

DocumentaryRichard Berge – “The Island President,” “The Rape of Europa”
Mathilde Bonnefoy* – “CitizenFour,” “The Invisibles”
Emad Burnat – “5 Broken Cameras”
Guy Davidi – “5 Broken Cameras,” “Interrupted Streams”
Geralyn Dreyfous – “The Square,” “The Invisible War”
Lewis Erskine – “Free Angela: And All Political Prisoners,” “Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple”
Shana Hagan – “Misconception,” “This Film Is Not Yet Rated”
Tony Hardmon – “Detropia,” “Semper Fi: Always Faithful”
Leonard Retel Helmrich – “Position among the Stars,” “Shape of the Moon”
Pirjo Honkasalo – “The 3 Rooms of Melancholia,” “Atman”
Judy Irving – “Pelican Dreams,” “The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill”
Robert Kenner – “Merchants of Doubt,” “Food, Inc.”
Marc Levin – “Mr. Untouchable,” “The Last Party”
Jesse Moss – “The Overnighters,” “Full Battle Rattle”
Pratibha Parmar – “Alice Walker: Beauty in Truth,” “A Place of Rage”
Paula DuPre’ Pesmen – “Keep On Keepin’ On,” “The Cove”
Gordon Quinn – “Life Itself,” “Hoop Dreams”
Kim Roberts – “Waiting for ‘Superman’,” “Lost Boys of Sudan”
Richard Rowley – “Dirty Wars,” “The Fourth World War”
João Moreira Salles – “Santiago,” “Entreatos (Intermissions)”
Ondi Timoner – “We Live in Public,” “Dig!”

Executives
Carolyn Blackwood
Robbie Brenner
Lia Buman
Steve Burke
David Fenkel
Mellody Hobson
Brian Keane
Steven Paul O’Dell
Jim Orr
Mark Rachesky
Ted Sarandos
Jeff Shell

Film Editors
Craig Alpert – “Pitch Perfect 2,” “Pineapple Express”
Mick Audsley – “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus,” “Dirty Pretty Things”
Pablo Barbieri – “Wild Tales,” “La Antena (The Aerial)”
Nadia Ben Rachid – “Timbuktu,” “Bamako”
Kristina Boden – “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby,” “Cake”
Mathilde Bonnefoy* – “CitizenFour,” “Run Lola Run”
Julian Clarke – “Chappie,” “District 9”
Douglas Crise – “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance),” “Babel”
Tom Cross – “Whiplash,” “Any Day Now”
Jinx Godfrey – “The Theory of Everything,” “Man on Wire”
Robert Grahamjones – “Brave,” “Ratatouille”
Masahiro Hirakubo – “Virunga,” “The Duchess”
Jarosław Kamiński – “Ida,” “Aftermath (Pokłosie)”
William Kerr – “Bridesmaids,” “I Love You, Man”
Nico Leunen – “Lost River,” “The Broken Circle Breakdown”
Mike McCusker – “Get On Up,” “3:10 to Yuma”
Tim Mertens – “Big Hero 6,” “Wreck-It Ralph”
Barney Pilling – “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “An Education”
David Rennie – “22 Jump Street,” “Office Space”
Gary D. Roach – “American Sniper,” “Prisoners”
Michael L. Sale – “We’re the Millers,” “Bridesmaids”
Stephen Schaffer – “Cars 2,” “WALL-E”
Job ter Burg – “Borgman,” “Winter in Wartime”
Peter Teschner – “St. Vincent,” “Horrible Bosses”
Tara Timpone – “Friends with Kids,” “Bad Teacher”

Makeup Artists and Hairstylists
Frida S. Aradottir – “August: Osage County,” “A Serious Man”
Victoria Down – “Big Eyes,” “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”
Frances Hannon – “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “The King’s Speech”
Todd Kleitsch – “Run All Night,” “Black Swan”
Dennis Liddiard – “Foxcatcher,” “Jobs”
Jerry Popolis – “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance),” “Noah”
Janine Rath-Thompson – “Star Trek Into Darkness,” “Bridesmaids”
Johnny Villanueva – “The Gambler,” “The Fighter”
David White – “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “La Vie en Rose”
Elizabeth Yianni-Georgiou – “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “An Education”

Members-at-Large
Andy Armstrong
Wayne Billheimer
Kevin Brownlow
Simon Crane
Debbie Denise
Jeff Habberstad
Andy Hendrickson
Elissa M. Rashkin Loparco
Guido Quaroni
Nicole Scalise
Steven J. Scott
Leon D. Silverman
Gregg Smrz
Lynda Ellenshaw Thompson
Steve Venezia

Music
Tyler Bates – “John Wick,” “Guardians of the Galaxy”
Alex Gibson – “Interstellar,” “The Dark Knight”
Jonny Greenwood – “Inherent Vice,” “The Master”
Dave Grusin – “Skating to New York,” “The Firm”
Alex Heffes – “Love and Honor,” “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom”
Lisa Jaime – “Annie,” “Rock of Ages”
Jóhann Jóhannsson – “The Theory of Everything,” “Prisoners”
Laura Karpman – “States of Grace,” “Black Nativity”
Christopher Lennertz – “The Wedding Ringer,” “Horrible Bosses”
Lonnie Lynn – “Selma,” “Freedom Writers”
Chris McGeary – “Jersey Boys,” “RoboCop”
Sergio Mendes – “Rio 2,” “Rio”
Daniel Pinder – “Big Hero 6,” “Captain Phillips”
Trent Reznor – “Gone Girl,” “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”
Atticus Ross – “Love & Mercy,” “The Social Network”
John Stephens – “Selma,” “Django Unchained”
Marc Streitenfeld – “Poltergeist,” “Prometheus”
Erica Weis – “Spy,” “The Heat”
Gary Yershon – “Mr. Turner,” “Another Year”

Producers
Caroline Baron – “Capote,” “Monsoon Wedding”
Effie T. Brown – “Dear White People,” “Real Women Have Curves”
Terence Chang – “Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale,” “Face/Off”
Wyck Godfrey – “The Fault in Our Stars,” “Twilight”
Jeremy Kleiner – “Selma,” “12 Years a Slave”
Pamela Koffler – “Still Alice,” “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”
Gina Kwon – “Camp X-Ray,” “Me and You and Everyone We Know”
Dan Lin – “The Lego Movie,” “Sherlock Holmes”
Eric Newman – “RoboCop,” “Children of Men”
Bruna Papandrea – “Wild,” “All Good Things”
Lydia Dean Pilcher – “Cutie and the Boxer,” “The Darjeeling Limited”
Rebecca Yeldham – “On the Road,” “The Kite Runner”

Public Relations
Jennifer Allen
Asad Ayaz
Dawn Baillie
Andrew Bernstein
Liz Biber
Mara Buxbaum
Lee Ginsberg
R. Jeff Hill
Michelle Hooper
Chris Libby
Susan Norget
Lewis Oberlander
Gordon Paddison
Elias Plishner
David Pollick
Weiman Seid
LeeAnne Stables
Ryan Stankevich
Bonnie Voland

Short Films and Feature Animation
Alan Barillaro – “Brave,” “WALL-E”
Kristine Belson – “The Croods,” “How to Train Your Dragon”
Darlie Brewster – “Curious George,” “The Prince of Egypt”
Roy Conli – “Big Hero 6,” “Tangled”
Ronnie Del Carmen – “Up,” “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron”
Paul A. Felix – “Big Hero 6,” “Lilo & Stitch”
Michael Fukushima – “Me and My Moulton,” “Dimanche/Sunday”
Don Hall – “Big Hero 6,” “Winnie the Pooh”
Talkhon Hamzavi – “Parvaneh,” “Taub”
Hu Wei – “Butter Lamp (La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak),” “Le Propriétaire”
Jin Kim – “Big Hero 6,” “Bolt”
Mat Kirkby – “The Phone Call,” “Hard to Swallow”
David Kneupper – “Alex and Sylvia,” “The Civil War in 4 Minutes”
Michael Lennox – “Boogaloo and Graham,” “The Back of Beyond”
Fabio Lignini – “How to Train Your Dragon 2,” “Puss in Boots”
James Lucas – “The Phone Call”
Patrick Osborne – “Feast,” “Paperman”
Jerome Ranft – “Toy Story 3,” “Ratatouille”
Jim Reardon – “Wreck-It Ralph,” “WALL-E”
Kristina Reed – “Feast,” “Paperman”
Jason Reisig – “Home,” “Shrek Forever After”
Nicolas Schmerkin – “Habana,” “Logorama”
Anthony Stacchi – “The Boxtrolls,” “Open Season”
Isao Takahata – “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya,” “Grave of the Fireflies”
Michael Thurmeier – “Ice Age: Continental Drift,” “No Time for Nuts”
Marlon West – “Frozen,” “The Princess and the Frog”

Sound
Ray Beckett – “Zero Dark Thirty,” “The Hurt Locker”
Odin Benitez – “Frozen,” “Silver Linings Playbook”
Ron Bochar – “Mortdecai,” “Moneyball”
Jason Canovas – “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies,” “World War Z”
Thomas Curley – “Whiplash,” “The Spectacular Now”
Michael Dressel – “American Sniper,” “Interstellar”
Mary H. Ellis – “Vacation,” “Prisoners”
Stephanie Flack – “Jupiter Ascending,” “Ender’s Game”
Martín Hernández – “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance),” “Biutiful”
Dean Humphreys – “Taken 3,” “The Pianist”
William Johnston – Vice President of Engineering, Formosa Group
Shawn Jones – “Iron Man 3,” “Drive”
Daniel Laurie – “Inside Out,” “Big Hero 6”
David Lee – “Unbroken,” “The Matrix”
Craig Mann – “Dope,” “Whiplash”
Kyrsten Mate – “Tomorrowland,” “Guardians of the Galaxy”
Shannon J. Mills – “Inside Out,” “Big Hero 6”
Bryan K. Pennington – “Transformers: Age of Extinction,” “Promised Land”
Juan P. Peralta – “Tomorrowland,” “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”
John Ross – “Danny Collins,” “American Hustle”
Peter Staubli – “San Andreas,” “Skyfall”
Mark Taylor – “Edge of Tomorrow,” “Captain Phillips”
Addison Teague – “Big Hero 6,” “The Amazing Spider-Man”
Jon Title – “San Andreas,” “The Divergent Series: Insurgent”
Thomas Varga – “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance),” “The Immigrant”
Ben Wilkins – “Whiplash,” “Star Trek”

Visual Effects
Nicolas Aithadi – “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “X-Men: First Class”
Daniel Barrett – “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”
Stephane Ceretti – “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Cloud Atlas”
Paul Corbould – “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Guardians of the Galaxy”
Tim Crosbie – “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” “The Wolverine”
Dan DeLeeuw – “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” “Iron Man 3”
Sean Faden – “Fast & Furious 6,” “Let Me In”
Joe Farrell – “The Wolf of Wall Street,” “Hereafter”
Scott R. Fisher – “Interstellar,” “The Dark Knight Rises”
Chris Harvey – “Chappie,” “Fast & Furious 6”
Alex Jaeger – “Tomorrowland,” “Marvel’s The Avengers”
Matt Kutcher – “Focus,” “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”
Andrew Lockley – “Interstellar,” “Inception”
Gray Marshall – “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Captain America: The First Avenger”
Carl Miller – “Jurassic World,” “Elysium”
David Nakabayashi – “Tomorrowland,” “Avatar”
Rocco Passionino – “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Spider-Man 2”
Lou Pecora – “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”
Cary Phillips – “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” “Transformers: Dark of the Moon”
Ellen Poon – “Frozen,” “Inception”
Edwin Rivera – “22 Jump Street,” “Moneyball”
Cameron Waldbauer – “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” “Elysium”
Erik Winquist – “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” “Avatar”

Writers
Armando Bo – “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance),” “Biutiful”
Damien Chazelle* – “Whiplash,” “Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench”
Álex de la Iglesia – “El Crimen Perfecto,” “The Day of the Beast”
Rick Famuyiwa – “Dope,” “The Wood”
Maya Forbes – “Infinitely Polar Bear,” “Monsters vs Aliens”
E. Max Frye – “Foxcatcher,” “Something Wild”
Nicolás Giacobone – “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance),” “Biutiful”
Dan Gilroy – “Nightcrawler,” “The Bourne Legacy”
Jorge Guerricaechevarría – “Cell 211,” “The Day of the Beast”
Rita Hsiao – “Toy Story 2,” “Mulan”
Simon Kinberg – “X-Men: Days of Future Past,” “Sherlock Holmes”
Malcolm D. Lee* – “The Best Man Holiday,” “The Best Man”
Christopher Markus – “Thor: The Dark World,” “Captain America: The First Avenger”
Stephen McFeely – “Thor: The Dark World,” “Captain America: The First Avenger”
Graham Moore – “The Imitation Game”
Paweł Pawlikowski* – “Ida,” “My Summer of Love”
Abderrahmane Sissako* – “Timbuktu,” “Bamako”
Damián Szifron* – “Wild Tales,” “On Probation”
Kessen Tall – “Timbuktu”
Tyger Williams – “The Perfect Guy,” “Menace II Society”
Andrey Zvyagintsev* – “Leviathan,” “Elena”

Associates
Victoria Belfrage
Josh Braun
Wayne Fitterman
Sharon Jackson
Patricia Keighley
Cliff Roberts
Elyse Scherz
James Toth
Bart Walker

The 41st Annual Saturn Award Winners

Best Comic Book-to-Film Release
Guardians of the Galaxy

Best Science Fiction Film Release
Interstellar

Best Fantasy Film Release
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

Best Horror Film Release
Dracula Untold

Best Thriller Film Release
Gone Girl

Best Action/Adventure Film Release
Unbroken

Best Actor in a Film
Chris Pratt "Guardians of the Galaxy"

Best Actress in a Film
Rosamund Pike "Gone Girl"

Best Supporting Actor in a Film
Richard Armitage "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies"

Best Supporting Actress in a Film
Rene Russo "Nightcrawler"

Best Performer by a Younger Actor in a Film
MacKenzie Foy "Interstellar"

Best Film Director
James Gunn "Guardians of the Galaxy"

Best Film Writing
Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan "Interstellar"

Best Film Editing
Edge of Tomorrow

Best Film Production Design
Interstellar

Best Film Music
Hans Zimmer "Interstellar"

Best Film Costume
Dracula Untold

Best Film Make-Up
Guardians of the Galaxy

Best Film Special/Visual Effects
Interstellar

Best Independent Film Release
Whiplash

Best International Film Release
The Theory of Everything

Best Animated Film Release
The LEGO Movie

Best Network Television Series
Hannibal

Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series
The Walking Dead

Best Limited Run Television Series
Game of Thrones

Best Superhero Adaptation Television Series
The Flash

Best Youth-Oriented Television Series
The 100

Best Actor in a Television Series
(TIE) Hugh Dancy "Hannibal" and Andrew Lincoln "The Walking Dead"

Best Actress in a Television Series
Caitronia Balfe "Outlander"

Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series
Laurence Fishburne "Hannibal"

Best Supporting Actress in a Television Series
Melissa McBride "The Walking Dead"

Best Performance by a Younger Actor in a Television Series
Maisie Williams "Game of Thrones"

Best DVD/BD Release
Odd Thomas

Best DVD/BD Television Release
Twin Peaks: The Entire Mystery

Best DVD/BD Special Edition Release
Nightbreed: The Director's Cut

Best DVD/BD Collection Release
Halloween: The Complete Collection

2015 Emmy Nomination Predictions: Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series

2016 Nomination Predictions
Christine Baranski "The Big Bang Theory"
Kathy Bates "Mike & Molly"
Joan Cusack "Shameless"
Tyne Daly "Modern Family"
Tina Fey "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt"
Kyra Sedgwick "Brooklyn Nine-Nine"

Other Contenders - Rita Moreno "Jane the Virgin", Laurie Metcalf "The Big Bang Theory", Octavia Spencer "Mom", Elizabeth Banks "Modern Family", Christine Ebersole "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt", Mary Steenburgen "Togetherness", Mary Steenburgen "The Last Man On Earth", Laverne Cox "The Mindy Project", Susie Essman "Broad City", Rhea Perlman "The Mindy Project", Carol Burnett "Glee", Naya Rivera "Glee", Jenifer Lewis "black-ish", Jaime Pressly "Mom", Kristen Johnston "Modern Family", Pamela Adlon "Louie", Jennifer Coolidge "Inside Amy Schumer", Megan Mulally "Parks & Recreation", Eva Longoria "Brooklyn Nine-Nine", Gaby Hoffman "Girls", Dana Delaney "The Comedians", Patricia Clarkson "Broad City", Ellen Barkin "HAPPYish", Rachel Dratch "Parks & Recreation",  Lennon Parham "Veep", June Squibb "Getting On", Jenny Slate "House of Lies"

Commentary - The Guest categories are always the hardest to predict because every year, they seem to throw you a curve ball. This is also the first year in a while that will feature a lineup that truly embodies the spirit of a guest performance, by weeding out all of the supporting actors that drop down to guest to get a better chance of a nomination. Of the bunch, I think two are pretty safe. Joan Cusack continues to get nominated for Shameless, and I would be shocked if she didn't get in again. The other is Tina Fey, a winner is this category, and a nominee last year for SNL. She is a scene-stealer in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and is an Emmy fave. But beyond those two it looks like there are about eight or nine actresses for only four slots. Christine Baranski has gotten two nominations for The Big Bang Theory, and her episode this year, sparring with the great Laurie Metcalf, could earn her a third, but what about Metcalf? She, for some weird reason, has never gotten a nod for her Mary Cooper, despite being a scene-stealer. Maybe this year, her sparring with Baranski, two titans of the small screen can get her in. For now though, she is right on the outside, so its the great Rita Moreno, simply because the ratings for Jane the Virgin were low, and I'm not sure how my exposure the show has gotten. Octavia Spencer could well join Jaime Pressly and Mimi Kennedy as guest stars that became supporting characters, and she definitely had an impact on Mom this season. Elizabeth Banks is always a hoot as Sal, Mary Steenburgen has two great characters, Christine Ebersole is great on Kimmy Schmidt, and folks like Laverne Cox, Susie Essman, Rhea Perlman, Carol Burnett, Jenifer Lewis, the aforementioned Jaime Pressly (will become full-time next season), Megan Mulally, Lennon Parham, and Kristen Johnston are all possibilities. But for those last three slots, I am filling them with three Emmy-winning veterans who are clearly well liked among voters: Kathy Bates, Kyra Sedgwick, and Tyne Daly. There will probably be a curve ball pick among the bunch, and until the nominations are announced none us will have any idea who that will be.

2015 Emmy Nomination Predictions: Best Reality Host

2015 Nomination Predictions
Tom Bergeron "Dancing With the Stars"
Anthony Bourdain "The Taste"
Carson Daly "The Voice"
Cat Deeley "So You Think You Can Dance?"
Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn "Project Runway"
Jane Lynch "Hollywood Game Night"

Other Contenders - Phil Keoghan "The Amazing Race", Jeff Probst "Survivor", Ryan Seacrest "American Idol", Padma Lakshmi and Tom Colicchio "Top Chef", RuPaul "RuPaul's Drag Race", Guy Fieri "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives", Nick Cannon "America's Got Talent", Julie Chen "Big Brother", Allison Sweeney "The Biggest Loser", Gordon Ramsey "MasterChef Junior", Ted Allen "Chopped", John Barrowman "Sing Your Face Off", McKenzie Westmore "Face Off", Ty Pennington "On the Menu", Wendi McLendon-Covey "Repeat After Me", Alton Brown "Cutthroat Kitchen", Ted Allen "Chopped"

Commentary - Like all of the Reality/Variety categories, this one doesn't change often. Betty White is not eligible this year, so, in my opinion that leaves one slot open. I fully expect last year's winner Lynch, Klum and Gunn, Deeley (who won this year's CCTA), Bourdain, and Bergeron to all get in again. There is simply not a good reason to bet against them. That leaves one slot for a lot of contenders. Phil Keoghan, Jeff Probst, Lakshmi and Colicchio, and Ryan Seacrest have all been previous nominees, and voters could easily go right back to them. But I think it is time for some new blood, and the Emmy voters rarely go back to contenders once they have left them off. I would love to see RuPaul get an Emmy nod that is way overdue, or maybe the Chen-bot, or maybe even one of the Food Network guys who bring food and entertainment together. But, I think that after winning one year, and getting back to back nominations, that The Voice is definitely a favorite among reality voters. I think this is the year that Carson Daly finally makes the cut. He is not particularly the most exciting host, but he is a solid leader of a beloved show, and the trajectory suggests that it is his time for some recognition.

2015 Emmy Nomination Predictions: Best Reality-Competition Series

2015 Nomination Predictions
The Amazing Race
Dancing With the Stars
Project Runway
So You Think You Can Dance?
Top Chef
The Voice

Other Contenders - Hollywood Game Night, American Idol, Survivor, RuPaul's Drag Race, Hell's Kitchen, America's Got Talent, Hell's Kitchen, MasterChef Junior, Chopped, Face Off, Ellen's Design Challenge, Beat Bobby Flay, Food Network Star, Guys Grocery Games, American Ninja Warrior, Big Brother, The Biggest Loser, Cutthroat Kitchen, The Taste

Commentary - So Hollywood Game Night's Jane Lynch won the Reality Host Emmy last year, The Taste's Anthony Bourdain was nominated, American Idol is about to go off the air so nostalgia will play in its favor, RuPaul's Drag Race is quickly becoming a favorite, Face Off won the CCTA, Ellen's Design Challenge featured Ellen DeGeneres, and the Food Network has a litany of great competition shows including my personal favorite, Chopped. But I really don't think any of that matters. The same six have been on the rotation for years now, with The Voice replacing American Idol a few years ago (it also replaced it in the ratings). They all have had good seasons, all remain popular, and the voters in this category, like their Variety counterparts rarely add new contenders. It would be nice to see some new names in the mix, just to bring some new blood and competition, but until they signal a change, continuity makes sense in predictions.

2015 Emmy Nomination Predictions: Best Variety Series - Talk

2015 Nomination Predictions
The Colbert Report
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Real Time with Bill Maher
The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon

Other Contenders - Late Show with David Letterman,  The Late Late Show with James Corden, Conan, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, Last Call with Carson Daly, Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Nightly Show with Larry Willmore, Watch What Happens Live, @midnight with Chris Hardwick, The Eric Andre Show

Commentary - So with SNL gone into its new category, it feels like there is a sixth slot available in a category that has become stagnant over the last couple of years. Switch out SNL with the wildly popular newcomer Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. There ya go! I guess there's not much more to say right? Well not quite. After decades on the air, David Letterman signed off, and sometimes, not all the time, but sometimes voters get sentimental. I'm not predicting, because it has not been an Emmy favorite in a while. And even if he does get in, I don't think he can win, but he is definitely one to watch for. I also think that there is now some room for movement with programs like Conan, Late Late Show, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and maybe even Jerry Seinfeld's Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. But I think that this lineup is set and ready to go. Who knows, maybe this is the year that the voters in this category surprise us? Probably not.

2015 Emmy Nomination Predictions: Best Variety Series - Sketch

We have done a countdown of the contenders in major categories, I have given you my personal favorites of the year, and now it is time to start prediction the nominations for the 2015 Emmys. Stay tuned over the next three weeks or so, and then of course for the final list the night before to see who I think will make the cut this year!!

2015 Nomination Predictions
Drunk History
Inside Amy Schumer
Key and Peele
Portlandia
Saturday Night Live
The Soup

Other Contenders - Comedy Bang Bang, Tosh.0, Kroll Show, Grace Helbig Show, Adam Devine's House Party, Friends of People, The Half Hour, Nathan For You, Tim and Eric's Bedtime Stories, This is Not Happening

Commentary - In its inaugural year, this category has a lot of question marks. First of all, I am glad to see the Emmy voters embracing sketch comedy as a serious format, and I am glad to see the Variety section reflect the trends of variety programs on television. Sketch comedy shows only got in Saturday Night Live year in and year out, while being dominated by the talk programs, so now some really awesome and worthy variety programs will finally get some Emmy recognition. Speaking of, Saturday Night Live is a sure thing for a nomination, and while its 40th year might have had its share of issues, it probably enters the race as the front runner simply because of its overall popularity and its nostalgia factor (and the aforementioned fact that it was the only one of these shows to breakthrough in the previously combined variety category). But there are two shows in particular that I think are its biggest competitors. The first is Portlandia, whose Emmy profile has risen in the last season or two. It got Fred Armisen in, and some writing nominations proving that it was on the brink of getting into the combined category. That makes it a lock for a nomination here, and if its profile continues to rise, it could be a strong contender for the win. The other lock, and the other show I think can challenge SNL is Inside Amy Schumer. There is a good chance that she snags a Best Actress in a Comedy Series nod, and the show, and Schumer herself are really on the rise. She has a new movie coming out right in the thick of voting, and as we know, voters pay attention to not just the show or the episodes, but the outside factors as well. Key and Peele feels like the final lock, as it, like Portlandia, made it into the writing category last year, showing that voters are starting to take a closer look at it. That leaves two slots that I honestly don't know where they are going to go. The Soup has been around for years, in different formats,  and with different hosts, so it might finally make the cut. But the last slot is a toss up. I am going with Drunk History. It has great guest stars, is funny as hell, and seems to have a strong following. If not it, then proBably Comedy Bang Bang or Tosh.0. But at this point who knows?

Boulevard Trailer: Robin William's Final Role

The world still doesn't seem right now that Robin Williams is not in it. Most of us remember him for his laughter, but Williams was also one of the best dramatic actors of his generation, and when he wanted to, he could knock you to your knees with his emotional depth. No matter how Boulevard turns out, I will take this role in with sadness and for all its worth, because it will be the last time that I, or any of us, will be able to. Check out the emotional trailer below:

The 5th Annual Awards Psychic Television Awards: By the Numbers

Here are the nomination totals!:

American Horror Story: Freak Show - 10
The Good Wife - 8
Masters of Sex - 8
Brooklyn Nine-Nine - 7
The Americans - 6
Olive Kitteridge - 6
Saturday Night Live - 6
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt - 6
Veep - 6
black-ish - 5
House of Cards - 5
Justified - 5
Orange is the New Black - 5
Parenthood - 5
Scandal - 5
Bessie - 5
American Crime - 4
The Big Bang Theory - 4
The Blacklist - 4
Game of Thrones - 4
The Honourable Woman - 4
The Mindy Project - 4
Mom - 4
Parks & Recreation - 4
Transparent - 4
Better Call Saul - 3
Bloodline - 3
Empire - 3
The Game - 3
Homeland - 3
Louie - 3
Mad Men -3
Please Like Me - 3
Silicon Valley - 3
Vicious - 3
Wolf Hall -3
Bate's Motel - 2
The Book of Negroes - 2
Derek: The Final Chapter - 2
Getting On - 2
Inside Amy Schumer - 2
Nightingale - 2
A Poet in New York - 2
Red Band Society - 2
Sons of Anarchy - 2
You're The Worst - 2
Vikings -2
The Affair - 1
Archer - 1
Bob's Burgers - 1
The Casual Vacancy - 1
The Comeback - 1
Cougar Town - 1
Family Guy - 1
Glee - 1
Grace and Frankie - 1
How to Get Away With Murder - 1
Jane the Virgin - 1
The Simpsons - 1
South Park - 1
Togetherness - 1
Worricker: Salting the Battlefield - 1
Younger - 1

The 5th Annual Awards Psychic Television Award Nominees

Next week, Emmy predictions start for the main categories, and it won't be long before the nominations are announced! Before the Television Academy throws its hat into the ring, I figured I would give you my favorites of the year. This is the fifth year in a row, and I am still surprised and humbled everyday that I have the will and support to keep doing what I love here at The Awards Psychic. Enjoy the nominations below, winners announced sometime in July!

Best Drama Series
The Americans
Better Call Saul
The Blacklist
Empire
Game of Thrones
The Good Wife
House of Cards
Justified
Mad Men
Masters of Sex
Orange is the New Black
Parenthood

Best Comedy Series
black-ish
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Getting On
The Mindy Project
Mom
Parks & Recreation
Please Like Me
Silicon Valley
Transparent
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Veep
You're The Worst

Best Actor in a Drama Series
Kyle Chandler "Bloodline"
Travis Fimmel "Vikings"
Jon Hamm "Mad Men"
Freddie Highmore "Bate's Motel"
Terrence Howard "Empire"
Bob Odenkirk "Better Call Saul"
Timothy Olyphant "Justified"
Matthew Rhys "The Americans"
Michael Sheen "Masters of Sex"
Kevin Spacey "House of Cards"
James Spader "The Blacklist"

Best Actress in a Drama Series
Lizzy Caplan "Masters of Sex"
Viola Davis "How to Get Away With Murder"
Vera Farmiga "Bate's Motel"
Taraji P. Henson "Empire"
Julianna Margulies "The Good Wife"
Keri Russell "The Americans"
Taylor Schilling "Orange is the New Black"
Kerry Washington "Scandal"
Ruth Wilson "The Affair"
Robin Wright "House of Cards"

Best Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Anderson "black-ish"
Louis C.K. "Louie"
Chris Geere "You're The Worst"
Derek Jacobi "Vicious"
Ian McKellen "Vicious"
Chris Messina "The Mindy Project"
Thomas Middleditch "Silicon Valley"
Jim Parsons "The Big Bang Theory"
Andy Samberg "Brooklyn Nine-Nine"
Adam Scott "Parks & Recreation"
Jeffrey Tambor "Transparent"
Josh Thomas "Please Like Me"

Best Actress in a Comedy Series 
Alex Borstein "Getting On"
Anna Faris "Mom"
Sutton Foster "Younger"
Mindy Kaling "The Mindy Project"
Ellie Kemper "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt"
Lisa Kudrow "The Comeback"
Julia Louis-Dreyfus "Veep"
Amy Poehler "Parks & Recreation"
Gina Rodriguez "Jane the Virgin"
Tracee Ellis Ross "black-ish"
Amy Schumer "Inside Amy Schumer"

Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Jonathan Banks "Better Call Saul"
Alan Cumming "The Good Wife"
Matt Czuchry "The Good Wife"
Peter Dinklage "Game of Thrones"
Noah Emmerich "The Americans"
Walton Goggins "Justified"
Peter Krause "Parenthood"
Joe Morton "Scandal"
Craig T. Nelson "Parenthood"
Mandy Patinkin "Homeland"
Jeff Perry "Scandal"

Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Christine Baranski "The Good Wife"
Joelle Carter "Justified"
Gwendoline Christie "Game of Thrones"
Lauren Graham "Parenthood"
Lena Headey "Game of Thrones"
Christina Hendricks "Mad Men"
Kate Mulgrew "Orange is the New Black"
Molly Parker "House of Cards"
Sissy Spacek "Bloodline"
Lorraine Touissant "Orange is the New Black"
Mae Whitman "Parenthood"
Katheryn Winnick "Vikings"

Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Tituss Burgess "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt"
Andre Braugher "Brooklyn Nine-Nine"
Gary Cole "Veep"
Terry Crews "Brooklyn Nine-Nine"
Pete Davidson "Saturday Night Live"
Tony Hale "Veep"
Hugh Laurie "Veep"
Joe Lo Truglio "Brooklyn Nine-Nine"
T.J. Miller "Silicon Valley"
Nick Offerman "Parks and Recreation"
Martin Sheen "Grace and Frankie"

Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Anna Chlumsky "Veep"
Frances de la Tour "Vicious"
Melissa Fumero "Brooklyn Nine-Nine"
Allison Janney "Mom"
Jane Krakowski "The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt"
Debra Lawrance "Please Like Me"
Judith Light "Transparent"
Jane Lynch "Glee"
Melanie Lynskey "Togetherness"
Christa Miller "Cougar Town"
Chelsea Peretti "Brooklyn Nine-Nine"

Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Alan Alda "The Blacklist"
F. Murray Abraham "Homeland"
Dylan Baker "The Good Wife"
Reed Birney "The Blacklist"
Beau Bridges "Masters of Sex"
Reg E. Cathey "House of Cards"
Sam Elliott "Justified"
Walton Goggins "Sons of Anarchy"
Sam Shepard "Bloodline"
Corey Stoll "Homeland"
Courtney B. Vance "Scandal"

Best Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Annaleigh Ashford "Masters of Sex"
Kate Burton "Scandal"
Stockard Channing "The Good Wife"
Allison Janney "Masters of Sex"
Margo Martindale "The Americans"
Julianne Nicholson "Masters of Sex"
CCH Pounder "Sons of Anarchy"
Laura Prepon "Orange is the New Black"
Carrie Preston "The Good Wife"
Sarah Silverman "Masters of Sex"
Lois Smith "The Americans"

Best Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Josh Charles "Inside Amy Schumer"
Laurence Fishburne "black-ish"
Martin Freeman "Saturday Night Live"
Bill Hader "Saturday Night Live"
Jon Hamm "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt"
Woody Harrelson "Saturday Night Live"
Michael Keaton "Saturday Night Live"
Nathan Lane "Modern Family"
Michael Rapaport "Louie"
Billy Bob Thornton "The Big Bang Theory"
Bradley Whitford "Transparent"

Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Pamela Adlon "Louie"
Becky Ann Baker "Girls"
Christine Baranksi "The Big Bang Theory"
Susie Essman "Broad City"
Tina Fey "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt"
Gaby Hoffman "Girls"
Jenifer Lewis "black-ish"
Laurie Metcalf "The Big Bang Theory"
Rhea Perlman "The Mindy Project"
Sarah Silverman "Saturday Night Live"
Octavia Spencer "Mom"

Best Made-for-Television Movie 
Bessie
Derek: The Final Chapter
Nightingale
A Poet in New York
Worricker: Salting the Battlefield

Best Limited Series
American Crime
American Horror Story: Freak Show
The Book of Negroes
The Casual Vacancy
The Game
The Honorable Woman
Olive Kitteridge
Red Band Society
Wolf Hall

Best Actor in a TV Movie/Limited Series
Ricky Gervais "Derek: The Final Chapter"
Tom Hollander "A Poet in New York"
Tom Hughes "The Game"
Timothy Hutton "American Crime"
Richard Jenkins "Olive Kitteridge"
David Oyelowo "Nightingale"
Evan Peters "American Horror Story: Freak Show"
Mark Rylance "Wolf Hall"

Best Actress in a TV Movie/Limited Series
Aunjanue Ellis "The Book of Negroes"
Maggie Gyllenhaal "The Honourable Woman"
Felicity Huffman "American Crime"
Jessica Lange "American Horror Story: Freak Show"
Queen Latifah "Bessie"
Frances McDormand "Olive Kitteridge"
Octavia Spencer "Red Band Society"

Best Supporting Actor in a TV Movie/Limited Series
Michael Chiklis "American Horror Story: Freak Show"
Brian Cox "The Game"
John Gallagher Jr. "Olive Kitteridge"
John Carroll Lynch "American Horror Story: Freak Show"
Bill Murray "Olive Kitteridge"
Elvis Nolasco "American Crime"
Jonathan Pryce "Wolf Hall"
Stephen Rea "The Honorable Woman"
Michael Kenneth Williams "Bessie"
Finn Wittrock "American Horror Story: Freak Show"

Best Supporting Actress in a TV Movie/Limited Series
Khandi Alexander "Bessie"
Angela Bassett "American Horror Story: Freak Show"
Kathy Bates "American Horror Story: Freak Show"
Victoria Hamilton "The Game"
Zoe Kazan "Olive Kitteridge"
Janet McTeer "The Honorable Woman"
Monique "Bessie"
Sarah Paulson "American Horror Story: Freak Show"
Emma Roberts "American Horror Story: Freak Show"

Best Animated Series
Archer
Bob's Burgers
Family Guy
The Simpsons
South Park

2015 Emmy Contenders: Best Drama Series

2015 Contenders
12 Monkeys
The Affair
The Americans
Bates Motel
Better Call Saul
The Blacklist
Black Sails
Bloodline
Boardwalk Empire
Bosch
Broadchurch
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Cyber
Daredevil
Da Vinci's Demons
Downton Abbey
Empire
The Fall
The Flash
Game of Thrones
The Good Wife
Grey's Anatomy
Halt and Catch Fire
Homeland
House of Cards
How to Get Away With Murder
Justified
The Knick
The Leftovers
Mad Men
Madam Secretary
Manhattan
Marco Polo
Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Masters of Sex
Mr. Selfridge
NCIS
NCIS: Los Angeles
NCIS: New Orleans
The Newsroom
Orange is the New Black
Orphan Black
Outlander
Penny Dreadful
Power
Ray Donovan
Rectify
The Returned
The Royals
Scandal
Scorpion
Sons of Anarchy
Vikings
The Walking Dead

Commentary - Like the Best Actor category, this one has a vacuum left by absence of Breaking Bad. Can Better Call Saul fit right in and fill its shoes? Do House of Cards, Game of Thrones, or Downton Abbey finally rise to the winners circle? Does Mad Men come back with the nostalgia factor? Does Orange is the New Black, which was clearly popular last year wit the Academy fare better on the Drama side? Do critical favorites The Americans, The Good Wife, Masters of Sex, The Walking Dead, and Bate's Motel have a shot? Does Homeland make a comeback? Does Bloodline join House of Cards under the Netflix umbrella? Does The Affair register with the Television Academy the way it did with the HFPA? Then there is the juggernaut that is Empire. Yes its soapy, which has never been the favorite of these voters, but it is so massive that it might be impossible to ignore. The Shonda Rhimes TGIT (Thank God It's Thursday) lineup is another popular set that might be hard to ignore: Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, and How to Get Away With Murder. Ray Donovan, Sons of Anarchy, Vikings, and Justified are dark critical favorites that could get a lot of nods across the categories, but might not have enough push to cross the seven-slot threshold. Several political/crime/historical series are on the outside but are hoping to gain traction including: Madam Secretary, The Blacklist, The Royals, Mr. Selfridge, Boardwalk Empire, Broadchurch, The Newsroom, Manhattan, and Halt and Catch Fire. Finally, I am hoping that maybe some of the entertaining genre pieces can make a dent in the top categories including: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Gotham, Orphan Black, Penny Dreadful, Scorpion, Black Sails, The Flash, Da Vinci's Demons, The Leftovers, Outlander, 12 Monkeys, and Daredevil.

2015 Emmy Contenders: Best Comedy Series

2015 Contenders
2 Broke GirlsThe
Alpha House
Baby Daddy
Bad Judge
The Big Bang Theory
Billy and Billie
black-ish
Broad City
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
The Comeback
The Comedians
Cougar Town
Cristela
Episodes
Galavant
Getting On
Girls
Glee
The Goldbergs
Grace and Frankie
Happyish
House of Lies
Jane the Virgin
The Last Man on Earth
Looking
Louie
Man Seeking Woman
Marry Me
The McCarthys
Mike & Molly
The Mindy Project
Modern Family
Mom
Mozart in the Jungle
New Girl
Nurse Jackie
The Odd Couple
Parks & Recreation
Please Like Me
Shameless
Silicon Valley
Sirens
Survivor's Remorse
The Soul Man
Togetherness
Transparent
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Veep
Vicious
Younger
You're the Worst

Commentary - Can Modern Family really win again? Of course it can, and it will be interesting to see if any contenders can rise to the occasion and beat it. Veep has been waiting in the wings for a while, but this season has not been its best. Silicon Valley just won the Critics Choice Awards, and is bolstered by a stellar second season. The Big Bang Theory is still hoping to pull off a late-season victory like Friends did in its eighth season. And Louie, well Louie will probably enjoy another nomination, but probably won't win despite a funnier season. That leaves two slots (if all of those shows make it in again, which I think they will). Girls, Glee, and Nurse Jackie, Parks & Recreation are all hoping to get back in, after missing out despite previous nods. Veteran shows like The Mindy Project, New Girl, House of Lies, Episodes, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Mike & Molly, The Goldbergs, Shameless, Broad City, Getting On, Please Like Me, The Comeback, Sirens, and Mom are looking for their first nominations despite love in other categories. But there are a bunch of new series that I think could make it in instead. black-ish was a the hit of broadcast this fall, and is the perfect pairing for Modern Family. The Last Man On Earth fizzled a bit at the end, but is still an interesting concept with a great cast. Without Orange is the New Black, Netflix has two new series to push. Grace and Frankie has the pedigree, but not the reviews. The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt got great reviews, but may not connect with older Emmy voters. Togetherness was a breakout for HBO, and Happyish managed to overcome its many obstacles to be a solid hit for Showtime. Vicious could continue the British/PBS streak at the Emmys, and Jane the Virgin, the critical favorite of the fall, could land in the mix as well. But can anyone beat Modern Family? We'll just have to wait and see...

2015 Emmy Contenders: Best Actor in a Drama Series

2015 Contenders
Luke Arnold "Black Sails"
Kevin Bacon "The Following"
Scott Bakula "NCIS: New Orleans"
Jamie Bell "Turn"
Hugh Bonneville "Downton Abbey"
Steve Buscemi "Boardwalk Empire"
Kyle Chandler "Bloodline"
Charlie Cox "Daredevil"
Timothy Dalton "Penny Dreadful"
Jeff Daniels "The Newsroom"
Patrick Dempsey "Grey's Anatomy"
Taye Diggs "Murder in the First"
Jamie Dornan "The Fall"
Travis Fimmel "Vikings"
Clark Gregg "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."
Grant Gustin "The Flash"
Jon Hamm "Mad Men"
Josh Hartnett "Penny Dreadful"
Sam Heughan "Outlander"
John Benjamin Hickey "Manhattan"
Freddie Highmore "Bate's Motel"
Terrence Howard "Empire"
Charlie Hunnam "Sons of Anarchy"
Joel Kinnaman "The Killing"
Andrew Lincoln "The Walking Dead"
Ben McKenzie "Gotham"
Bob Odenkirk "Better Call Saul"
Timothy Olyphant "Justified"
Clive Owen "The Knick"
Lee Pace "Halt and Catch Fire"
Jeremy Piven "Mr. Selfridge"
Tom Riley "Da Vinci's Demons"
Matthew Rhys "The Americans"
Liev Schreiber "Ray Donovan"
Michael Sheen "Masters of Sex"
Kevin Spacey "House of Cards"
James Spader "The Blacklist"
Aaron Stanford "12 Monkeys"
David Tennant "Broadchurch"
Justin Theroux "The Leftovers"
Titus Welliver "Bosch"
Dominic West "The Affair"
Aden Young "Rectify"

Commentary - Without Bryan Cranston in the race, this really opens it up for several newcomers and veterans to take the crown. Jon Hamm could finally win for Mad Men, Kevin Spacey for House of Cards, Hugh Bonneville, Timothy Olyphant, Jeff Daniels, and Steve Buscemi all previous nominees/winners with potential. A crop of new contenders hope to breakthrough as well, and could steal an Emmy from deserving veterans (not that they won't be deserving as well). Terrence Howard could get an Emmy nod for the wildly successful Empire. Bob Odenkirk, especially after winning the Critics Choice Award, is a serious threat for Better Call Saul. Kyle Chandler, a previous winner, could return to the lineup for Netflix's latest hit Bloodline. Clive Owen, Josh Hartnett, John Benjamin Hickey, Ben McKenzie, Aaron Stanford, David Tennant, Jamie Bell, Timothy Dalton, Charlie Cox, Justin Theroux, and Grant Gustin are all hot newcomers with popular shows that could make a splash at the Emmys this year. I'd also like to make a plea for veteran actors from veteran shows who have somehow missed the Emmy mark. Matthew Rhys is stunning in The Americans, Charlie Hunnam has been Sons of Anarchy's fearless leader for seven seasons, James Spader is phenomenal, Andrew Lincoln, Patrick Dempsey, Michael Sheen, Freddie Highmore, Travis Fimmel, and Clark Gregg have turned out great work for years now, and an Emmy nod would be deserving. The question is, of all these contenders who wins? Cranston's void is felt, and there is no clear front runner. This one will really come down to which six get in, and which ones submit the best episodes. It will likely be a fight to the finish.

The 69th Annual Tony Award Winners

Enjoy the show!:

Best Musical - Fun Home
Best Play - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Best Revival of a Musical - The King and I
Best Revival of a Play - Skylight
Best Actor in a Musical - Michael Cerveris "Fun Home"
Best Actress in a Musical - Kelli O'Hara "The King and I"
Best Actor in a Play - Alex Sharp "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time"
Best Actress in a Play- Helen Mirren "The Audience"
Best Featured Actor in a Musical - Christian Borle "Something Rotten!"
Best Featured Actress in a Musical - Ruthie Ann Miles "The King and I"
Best Featured Actor in a Play - Richard McCabe "The Audience"
Best Featured Actress in a Play - Annaleigh Ashford "You Can't Take it With You"
Best Original Score - Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron "Fun Home"
Best Book of A Musical - Lisa Kron "Fun Home"
Best Director of a Musical - Sam Gold "Fun Home"
Best Director of a Play - Marianne Elliot "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time"
Best Choreography - Christopher Wheeldon "An American in Paris"
Best Orchestrations - Christopher Austin, Don Sebesky, and Bill Elliott "An American in Paris"
Best Costume Design of a Play - Christopher Oram "Wolf Hall Parts 1 and 2"
Best Costume Design of a Musical - Catherine Zuber "The King and I"
Best Lighting Design of a Musical - Natasha Katz "An American in Paris"
Best Lighting Design of a Play - Paule Constable "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time"
Best Scenic Design of a Musical - Bob Crowley "An American in Paris"
Best Scenic Design of a Play - Bunny Christine and Finn Ross "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time"
Lifetime Achievement in the Theater - Tommy Tune
Isabelle Stevenson Award - Stephen Schwartz
Special Tony Award - John Cameron Mitchell
Regional Theater Tony Award - Cleveland Play House - Cleveland, Ohio
Tony Honors for Excellence in Theater - Arnold Abramson, Adrian Bryan-Brown, Gene O'Donovan
Tony Honors for Excellence in Theater Education - Corey Mitchell - Northwest School of the Arts in Charlotte, NC (My hometown!!!)

2015 Emmy Contenders: Best Actress in a Drama Series

2015 Contenders
Gillian Anderson "The Fall"
Patricia Arquette "CSI: Cyber"
Hayley Atwell "Agent Carter"
Caitriona Balfe "Outlander"
Chloe Bennet "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."
Megan Boone "The Blacklist"
Connie Britton "Nashville"
Lizzy Caplan "Masters of Sex"
Joelle Carter "Justified"
Olivia Colman "Broadchurch"
Claire Danes "Homeland"
Viola Davis "How to Get Away With Murder"
Nina Dobrev "The Vampire Diaries"
Michelle Dockery "Downton Abbey"
Mireille Enos "The Killing"
Vera Farmiga "Bate's Motel"
Eva Green "Penny Dreadful"
Mariska Hargitay "Law & Order: SVU"
Katherine Heigl "State of Affairs"
Taraji P. Henson "Empire"
Elizabeth Hurley "The Royals"
Tea Leoni "Madam Secretary"
Julianna Margulies "The Good Wife"
Tatiana Maslany "Orphan Black"
Elizabeth McGovern "Downton Abbey"
Elisabeth Moss "Mad Men"
Ellen Pompeo "Grey's Anatomy"
Keri Russell "The Americans"
Katey Sagal "Sons of Anarchy"
Taylor Schilling "Orange is the New Black"
Amanda Schull "12 Monkeys"
Kerry Washington "Scandal"
Ming-Na Wen "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."
Olivia Williams "Manhattan"
Ruth Wilson "The Affair"
Robin Wright "House of Cards"

Commentary - Both Best Actress races this year are simply brutal. There is a huge crop of new contenders to this category that could wipe out the past and create a clean slate, but there are some strong returning favorites who have made good cases for their return. Claire Danes, Kerry Washington, Elisabeth Moss, Michelle Dockery, Lizzy Caplan, Vera Farmiga, Julianna Margulies, and Robin Wright, all recent nominees in this category for these same characters, had work this season that was awards worthy. And that is eight names, for only six, maybe seven slots. That doesn't include the additions. Taylor Schilling got in on the Comedy side, and had a great season that is definitely worthy on the Drama side. Ruth Wilson won the Golden Globe, and The Affair has great Emmy buzz. Then there is Taraji P. Henson and Viola Davis, both of whom will most likely make the cut, and could, each having awesome episode potentials, easily win the big prize. Throw in Gillian Anderson, Olivia Colman, Olivia Willians, Eva Green, Oscar-winner (and past Emmy winner) Patricia Arquette and Tea Leoni, and you could have yet another category full of great performances. Then there is the third, yes third, category: performances from veteran shows that have been overlooked. I'm talking about Katey Segal, Tatiana Maslany, Keri Russell, Nina Dobrev, Megan Boone, and Joelle Carter. Even ten nominees this year wouldn't probably be sufficient for this crop of actresses. How the cards will fall no one knows at this point. Although with only six weeks till the nominations, we need to start trying to make heads and tails of all these contenders. But with so many in the running, where do you start?

2015 Tony Predictions: Final List

I have switched to Fun Home, and have added predictions for Original  Score and Book of a Musical!

Best Musical - Fun Home 

Best Play - The Curious Case of the Dog in the Night-Time 

Best Revival of a Play - The Elephant Man

Best Revival of a Musical - The King and I 

Best Actor in a Musical - Robert Fairchild "An American in Paris"

Best Actress in a Musical - Kristin Chenoweth "On the Twentieth Century" 

Best Actor in a Play - Alex Sharp "The Curious Case of the Dog in the Night-Time" 

Best Actress in a Play - Helen Mirren "The Audience"

Best Featured Actor in a Musical - Andy Karl "On the Twentieth Century" 

Best Featured Actress in a Musical - Judy Kuhn "Fun Home" 

Best Featured Actor in a Play - Nathaniel Parker "Wolf Hall Parts 1 and 2" 

Best Featured Actress in a Play - Annaleigh Ashford "You Can't Take it With You" 

Best Director of a Play - Marianne Eliott "The Curious Case of the Dog in the Night-Time" 

Best Director of a Musical - Sam Gold "Fun Home"

Best Book of a Musical - Lisa Kron "Fun Home"

Best Original Score - Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron "Fun Home"

Best Choreography - Christopher Wheeldon "An American in Paris" 

Best Orchestrations - Christopher Austin, Don Sebesky, and Bill Elliott "An American in Paris" 

Best Costume Design of a Play - Christopher Oram "Wolf Hall Parts 1 and 2"

Best Costume Design of a Musical - Catherine Zuber "The King and I"

Best Lighting Design of a Play - Paule Constable "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" 

Best Lighting Design of a Musical - Natasha Katz "An American In Paris"

Best Scenic Design of a Play - Bunny Christie and Finn Ross "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" 

Best Scenic Design of a Musical - Bob Crowley and 59 Productions "An American in Paris" 

2015 Tony Predictions: Best Play and Best Musical

Best Musical
Will Win - An American in Paris
Could Win - Fun Home
Commentary - This reminds me of that Kinky Boots vs. Matilda year where no really knew what was going to happen. Fun Home has had a great run from a graphic novel, to Off-Broadway, to Broadway, and has received rave reviews. Of course so has An American in Paris, the musical adaptation of a Best Picture Oscar winner. In a close race, I favor the one that has racked up the most precursors, and will probably win the most awards out of the two, An American in Paris. But, make no mistake, this race is no over until the envelope is opened.

Best Play
Will Win - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Could Win - Wolf Hall Parts 1 and 2
Commentary -  Unlike the Musical category, this one seems like a pretty easy pick. With the PBS series, and a lot of Emmy buzz following it, Wolf Hall is the potential spoiler. But The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time has the best reviews, the most precursors, and looks like at this point it is unbeatable.

Bridge of Spies and Suffragette Trailers

Two major trailers have premiered recently, and both films have a ton of Oscar potential. First check out the Bridge of Spies trailer. Tom Hanks + Steven Spielberg + Cold War Thriller = Oscar Glory? Always a safe bet to place:

Then there is Suffragette, which boasts a great cast (Carey Mulligan, Meryl Streep), and is yet another historical epic about the brave struggle for voting rights for women. Both look right up the Academy's alley, and both play well on a trailer. Will they get to Oscar gold? As always, we'll have to wait and see...

2015 Television Critics Association (TCA) Award Nominees

Program of the Year
The Americans
Empire
Game of Thrones
Mad Men
Transparent

Outstanding Achievement in Drama
The Americans
Empire
Game of Thrones
Justified
Mad Men

Outstanding Achievement in Comedy
The Big Bang Theory
Inside Amy Schumer
Jane the Virgin
Transparent
The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Outstanding New Program
Better Call Saul
Empire
The Flash
Jane the Virgin
Transparent

Individual Achievement in Drama
Viola Davis "How to Get Away With Murder"
Jon Hamm "Mad Men"
Taraji P. Henson "Empire"
Matthew Rhys "The Americans"
Bob Odenkirk "Better Call Saul"

Individual Achievement in Comedy
Julia Louis-Dreyfus "Veep"
Gina Rodriguez "Jane the Virgin"
Amy Schumer "Inside Amy Schumer"
Jeffrey Tambor "Transparent"
Constance Wu "Fresh Off the Boat"

Outstanding Achievement in Movie, Miniseries, or Specials
Bessie
The Honorable Woman
The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst
Olive Kitteridge
Wolf Hall

Outstanding Achievement in News and Information
CBS Sunday Morning
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Frontline
Last Week with John Oliver
60 Minutes

Outstanding Achievement in Reality Programming
The Amazing Race
The Chair
Dancing With the Stars
RuPaul's Drag Race
Shark Tank

Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming
Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood
The Fosters
The Legend of Korra
Sesame Street
Switched at Birth

Heritage Award
Friends
Late Show/Late Night with David Letterman
The Shield
Star Trek
Twin Peaks

2015 Tony Predictions: Best Revival of a Play and Revival of a Musical

Best Revival of a Musical
Will Win - The King and I
Could Win - On the Twentieth Century
Commentary - On the Twentieth has some great reviews, and could win a few Tonys, but none of these three nominees are as well-represented across the board as The King and I. It has and incredible amount of representation across the categories, is clearly beloved by the Broadway industry, and by the critics and fans. I think it wins relatively easily.

Best Revival of a Play
Will Win - The Elephant Man
Could Win - You Can't Take it With You or Skylight
Commentary - The Drama League went with You Can't Take it With You, the Outer Critics with Skylight, and the Drama Desk Awards with The Elephant Man. So this is a race where literally anything can happen. All have great reviews, top-notch casts, and precursor awards under her belt. But I think that The Elephant Man overall has the most buzz, the biggest star in Bradley Cooper (who will probably lose his award, but maybe a consolation prize), and won the most recent precursor suggesting that maybe it is peaking at the right time? I put a question mark there because it is a guessing game at best.

2015 Tony Predictions: Best Lead Actor and Actress in a Musical

Best Lead Actor in a Musical
Will Win - Robert Fairchild "An American In Paris"
Could Win - Michael Cerveris "Fun Home" or Brian d'Arcy James "Something Rotten!"
Commentary - In a close race, I am favoring the guy that keeps racking up precursor awards. Brian d'Arcy James could finally win a Tony on this third try for Something Rotten! The battle for Best Musical is between Fun Home and An American in Paris, which seems to also pi Michael Cerveris vs. Robert Fairchild in a close race. But Fairchild has won the Drama Desk and the Outer Critics Circle, and is clearly a well-liked new talent on the stage. I think he wins in a close race.

Best Lead Actress in a Musical
Will Win - Kristin Chenoweth "On the Twentieth Century"
Could Win - Kelli O'Hara "The King and I" or Chita Rivera "The Visit"
Commentary - I am going with same theory here that I am going with in the Actor category. This is a really tight race. Chita Rivera won the coveted Drama League Distinguished Performance Award, and another Tony is not out of the question. But I think this year's race is between two beloved stage veterans, both of whom I admire a great deal. I would love to see Kelli O'Hara finally win a Tony after six nominations and zero wins. But the precursors suggest that host, and previous winner Kristin Chenoweth is going to win this for her well-received role in the revival of On the Twentieth Century. Chenoweth is one of my favorite artists working today who has managed to cross all mediums with ease and success, and another Tony would be well-deserved.

The 60th Annual Drama Desk Award Winners

Best Play - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Best Musical - Hamilton
Best Revival of a Play - The Elephant Man
Best Revival of a Musical - The King and I
Best Actor in a Play - Alex Sharp "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time"
Best Actress in a Play - Helen Mirren "The Audience"
Best Actor in a Musical - Robert Fairchild "An American in Paris"
Best Actress in a Musical - Kristin Chenoweth "On the Twentieth Century"
Best Featured Actor in a Play - K. Todd Freeman "Airline Highway"
Best Featured Actress in a Play - Annaleigh Ashford "You Can't Take it With You"
Best Featured Actor in a Musical - Christian Borle "Something Rotten!"
Best Featured Actress in a Musical - Renee Elise Goldsberry "Hamilton"
Best Director of a Play - Marianne Elliott "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time"
Best Director of a Musical - Thomas Kail "Hamilton"
Best Choreography - Christopher Wheeldon "An American in Paris"
Best Music - Lin-Manuel Miranda "Hamilton"
Best Lyrics - Lin-Manuel Miranda "Hamilton"
Best Book of a Musical - Lin-Manuel Miranda "Hamilton"
Best Orchestrations - Christopher Austin "An American in Paris"
Best Music in a Play - Arthur Solari and Jane Shaw "Tamburlaine the Great"
Best Set Design - Bob Crowley "An American in Paris"
Best Lighting Design - Paule Constable "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time"
Best Projection Design - Finn Ross "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time"
Best Sound Design in a Musical - Nevin Steinberg "Hamilton"
Best Sound Design in a Play - Ian Dickinson "The Curious Case of the Dog in the Night-Time"
Best Solo Performance - Benjamin Scheuer "The Lion"
Best Revue - Just Jim Dale
Best Unique Theatrical Experience - Queen of the Night