Emmy 2016 Predictions: Who Will Win the Biggest Categories?

by: Philiana Ng

Get out your Emmy ballots, it’s time to make your picks!

With the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards just days away, frontrunners for several of the major categories have bubbled up to the surface. ET is predicting who we think are the surest bets to take home the coveted Emmy statuette and who could be potential spoilers on Sunday night.

After taking home nine Emmys (that’s not a typo!) last weekend at the Creative Arts Emmys, we’re betting big on HBO’s Game of Thrones to continue the momentum and add to its already impressive haul. Last year’s Drama Series winner, it’s difficult to see the others spoiling GoT’s potentially big night. Critical darlings The Americans and Mr. Robot, both first-timers, may have the best shot.

Jon Snow himself, first-time nominee Kit Harington, is a very strong contender to take home the crown for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, thanks to his top-notch performance in the episode, “Battle of the Bastards.” Harington’s co-star Lena Headey is our pick in the corresponding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series category.

The same could be said for HBO’s Veep, our pick to repeat as this year’s Comedy Series winner, which continues to ride the awards wave. It wouldn’t be a shock to see Julia-Louis Dreyfus pick up her fifth straight Emmy for playing Selina Meyer, but it sure would be nice to see others get some love too (we’re lookin’ at you Ellie Kemper)!

Perhaps the biggest lock of the night, though, is FX’s spell-binding crime drama, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, up for more than a dozen awards. Sarah Paulson’s near-perfect portrayal of prosecutor Marcia Clark should finally snag the actress the first Emmy of her career.

Though many of the People v. O.J. Simpson stars up for acting Emmys will be competing against each other, we’re picking Sterling K. Brown, who played prosecutor Christopher Darden, and Courtney B. Vance, who portrayed defense attorney Johnnie Cochran, to dominate their respective categories.

For a list of ET’s Emmy predictions, see the list below.

OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES 
Black-ish — DARK HORSE
Master of None 
Modern Family 
Silicon Valley 
Transparent 
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt 
Veep — PREDICTED WINNER

OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
The Americans — DARK HORSE
Better Call Saul 
Downton Abbey
 Game of Thrones — PREDICTED WINNER
Homeland 
House of Cards 
Mr. Robot

OUTSTANDING LIMITED SERIES
American Crime 
Fargo — DARK HORSE
Roots 
The Night Manager 
The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story — PREDICTED WINNER

OUTSTANDING TV MOVIE
All the Way — PREDICTED WINNER
Confirmation 
Luther 
Sherlock: The Abominable Bride — DARK HORSE
A Very Murray Christmas

OUTSTANDING VARIETY TALK SERIES
Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee 
Jimmy Kimmel Live 
Last Week With John Oliver — PREDICTED WINNER
Real Time With Bill Maher 
The Late Late Show With James Corden — DARK HORSE
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

OUTSTANDING VARIETY SKETCH SERIES
Documentary Now! 
Drunk History 
Inside Amy Schumer — PREDICTED WINNER
Key & Peele — DARK HORSE 
Portlandia
Saturday Night Live

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Kyle Chandler, Bloodline 
Rami Malek, Mr. Robot — PREDICTED WINNER 
Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul — DARK HORSE
Matthew Rhys, The Americans 
LievSchreiber, Ray Donovan 
Kevin Spacey, House of Cards

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES 
Claire Danes, Homeland 
Viola Davis, How to Get Away With Murder 
Taraji P. Henson, Empire 
Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black 
Keri Russell, The Americans — DARK HORSE 
Robin Wright, House of Cards — PREDICTED WINNER

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES 
Jonathan Banks, Better Call Saul — DARK HORSE
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones 
Kit Harington, Game of Thrones — PREDICTED WINNER
Michael Kelly, House of Cards 
Ben Mendelsohn, Bloodline 
Jon Voight, Ray Donovan

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES 
Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones 
Lena Headey, Game of Thrones — PREDICTED WINNER 
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey — DARK HORSE
Maura Tierney, The Affair 
Maisie Williams, Game of Thrones 
Constance Zimmer, UnREAL

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES 
Anthony Anderson, Black-ish — DARK HORSE
Aziz Ansari, Master of None 
Will Forte, The Last Man on Earth 
William H. Macy, Shameless 
Thomas Middleditch, Silicon Valley 
Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent — PREDICTED WINNER

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES 
Ellie Kemper, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt — DARK HORSE 
Julia-Louis Dreyfus, Veep — PREDICTED WINNER
Laurie Metcalf, Getting On 
Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish 
Amy Schumer, Inside Amy Schumer 
Lily Tomlin, Grace and Frankie

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES 
Louie Anderson, Baskets 
Andre Braugher, Brooklyn Nine-Nine 
Tituss Burgess, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt 
Ty Burrell, Modern Family 
Tony Hale, Veep — PREDICTED WINNER
Keegan-Michael Key, Key & Peele 
Matt Walsh, Veep — DARK HORSE

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE 
Bryan Cranston, All the Way — DARK HORSE
Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock: The Abominable Bride 
Idris Elba, Luther 
Cuba Gooding Jr., The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story 
Tom Hiddleston, The Night Manager 
Courtney B. Vance, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story — PREDICTED WINNER

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE 
Kirsten Dunst, Fargo 
Felicity Huffman, American Crime 
Audra McDonald, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grille 
Sarah Paulson, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story — PREDICTED WINNER
Lili Taylor, American Crime 
Kerry Washington, Confirmation

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE 
Sterling K. Brown, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story — PREDICTED WINNER
Hugh Laurie, The Night Manager — DARK HORSE
Jesse Plemmons, Fargo 
 David Schwimmer, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story 
John Travolta, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story 
Bokeem Woodbine, Fargo

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE 
Kathy Bates, American Horror Story: Hotel 
Olivia Colman, The Night Manager — DARK HORSE
Regina King, American Crime 
Melissa Leo, All the Way 
Sarah Paulson, American Horror Story: Hotel 
Jean Smart, Fargo — PREDICTED WINNER

Jimmy Kimmel hosts the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards, which will air live coast-to-coast at 5 p.m. ET/8 p.m. ET on ABC.