2022 Emmy Nomination Predictions - Best Variety Talk Series and Variety Talk Series

Best Competition Series

The Amazing Race

The Masked Singer

Nailed It!

RuPaul's Drag Race

Top Chef

The Voice

Other Contenders - America Ninja Warrior, Lizzo's Watch Out for the Big Grrrls, Survivor, Making the Cut, American Song Contest, Making It

Commentary - This year, it looks like there will be six slots (after two years of five slots). These categories usually are incredibly consistent year to year. The Amazing Race, Top Chef, The Voice, Nailed It and RuPaul's Drag Race seem like locks. The other slot could go to one of the previous nominees, I am sticking with The Masked Singer, which was nominated more recently than America Ninja Warrior, although those two could easily switch spots. Survivor is always a possibility, Making It and Making the Cut have popular hosts, and I would be thrilled to see Lizzo crash the party. 

Best Reality Host

Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman "Making It"

Nicole Byer "Nailed It!"

Bobby Berk, Karamo Brown, Tan France, Antoni Porowski, and Jonathan Van Ness "Queer Eye"

RuPaul Charles "RuPaul's Drag Race"

Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John, Kevin O'Leary "Shark Tank"

Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons "Top Chef"

Other Contenders - Lizzo "Lizzo's Watch Out for Big Grrrls", Maya Rudolph and Andy Samberg "Baking It", Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn "Making the Cut", Tyra Banks "Dancing With the Stars", Phil Keoghan "The Amazing Race", Jane Lynch "Weakest Link", Carson Daly "The Voice", Kelly Clarkson and Snoop Dogg "American Song Contest", Jeff Probst "Survivor", Leslie Jones "Supermarket Sweep"

Commentary - Consistency is key in these categories. Every once in a while, they'll add a new member to the club, or drop a perennial favorite. Would I love to see Lizzo breakthrough? Hell yes. Can she? who knows? I am sticking with six recent favorites: Poehler and Offerman, Byer, Queer Eye guys, Shark Tank and Top Chef crew. There are a lot of previous winners and nominees amongst the potential upsets. Maybe this is the year that these set of voters mix it up a bit? We'll have to wait and see...