Guys! It’s almost time for one of the best award shows of the year, The Emmys! Yes, I am talking about the award show where you can literally see the cast of Game of Thrones, American Horror Story, Jessica Lange, Viola Davis, and John Oliver… all in the same place! It’s basically like television Disneyland! Now of course, I can go on and on about the red carpet because it has and always will be flawless… but I’ll save that talk for AFTER the show.
Right now, I want to talk about this years nominations. We have a fantastic lineup of shows, actors, and actresses on the nomination list. No, Game of Thrones is not nominated this year because it did not make the May 2017 deadline, so that completely changes who I am rooting for. Now I get some of you might be frustrated because you might not be able to actually vote for your favorites, but here at WERRRK.com you always get to vote! So at the end of the article, we will give you the chance to vote in the WERRRK.com system, so make sure you vote for your favorite nominees!
Drama Series
“Better Call Saul” (AMC)
“The Crown” (Netflix)
“The Handmaid’s Tale” (Hulu)
“House of Cards” (Netflix)
“Stranger Things” (Netflix)
“This Is Us” (NBC)
“Westworld” (HBO)
Ugh this is a difficult one. I believe Stranger Things is one of the coolest shows ever… But Westworld and The Handmaid’s Tale were two of the most interesting shows I have ever seen… Lets do it this way. Since all three of these shows just wrapped their first season, which show do I crave a second season for at this moment… Stranger Things.
Comedy Series
“Atlanta” (FX)
“Black-ish” (ABC)
“Master of None” (Netflix)
“Modern Family” (ABC)
“Silicon Valley” (HBO)
“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” (Netflix)
“Veep” (HBO)
Both Veep and Modern Family have 22 Emmy wins…. I am sure this year’s award will go to one of the two.
Drama Actress
Viola Davis (“How to Get Away with Murder”)
Claire Foy (“The Crown”)
Elisabeth Moss (“The Handmaid’s Tale”)
Keri Russell (“The Americans”)
Evan Rachel Wood (“Westworld”)
Robin Wright (“House of Cards”)
Woah, okay this award could go any where. My first thought would be to give it to Viola Davis, because her performance as Annalise is phenomenal. But it would also be nice to see someone a little more new get an award. Elisabeth Moss did amazing in The Handmaid’s Tale. I also loved Evan Rachel Wood in Westworld..but I am not sure if she was THE BEST compared to the other actresses… like Thandie Newton.
Drama Actor
Sterling K. Brown (“This Is Us”)
Anthony Hopkins (“Westworld”)
Bob Odenkirk (“Better Call Saul”)
Matthew Rhys (“The Americans”)
Liev Schreiber (“Ray Donovan”)
Kevin Spacey (“House of Cards”)
Milo Ventimiglia (“This Is Us”)
If I were to guess… I would say this is probably going to one of the This Is Us actors. I would like Anthony Hopkins to win but I doubt that would happen.
Comedy Actor
Anthony Anderson (“Black-ish”)
Aziz Ansari (“Master of None”)
Zach Galifianakis (“Baskets”)
Donald Glover (“Atlanta”)
William H. Macy (“Shameless”)
Jeffrey Tambor (“Transparent”)
Eh, I don’t really care. It could go either way. I am going to guess Donald Glover.
Comedy Actress
Pamela Adlon (“Better Things”)
Tracee Ellis-Ross (“black-ish”)
Jane Fonda (“Grace and Frankie”)
Lily Tomlin (“Grace and Frankie”)
Allison Janney (“Mom”)
Ellie Kemper (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus (“Veep”)
Oooooh, give it to either Jane Fonda or Lily Tomlin!
Limited Series
“Big Little Lies” (HBO)
“Fargo” (FX)
“Feud: Bette and Joan” (FX)
“The Night Of” (HBO)
“Genius” (National Geographic)
Okay this has to go to Feud: Bette and Joan. I LOVED Feud. Ryan Murphy really outdid himself with this show and I doubt he could create another Feud show that would ever match this masterpiece.
Limited Series Actor
Riz Ahmed (“The Night Of”)
Benedict Cumberbatch (“Sherlock: The Lying Detective”)
Robert De Niro (“The Wizard of Lies”)
Ewan McGregor (“Fargo”)
Geoffrey Rush (“Genius”)
John Turturro (“The Night Of”)
Hmmmmm, I can’t call it. Actually, I am going to say Ewan McGregor for Fargo.
Limited Series Actress
Carrie Coon (“Fargo”)
Felicity Huffman (“American Crime”)
Nicole Kidman (“Big Little Lies”)
Jessica Lange (“Feud”)
Susan Sarandon (“Feud”)
Reese Witherspoon (“Big Little Lies”)
Now this is the moment I have been waiting for. Jessica Lange and Susan Surandon nominated for a show where two rival actresses battle it out on a awards stage. This is iconic. I honestly don’t know who to pick. I think Jessica played more of a emotional character and probably had more of a challenge. Watching Jessica play Joan, playing Blanche in that opening scene of “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane” was iconic. Okay I pick Jessica. But honestly how can we pick one over the other. For that reason, I think they will give the award to Reese Witherspoon... I’ll be pissed.
Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
John Lithgow (“The Crown”)
Jonathan Banks (“Better Call Saul”)
Mandy Patinkin (“Homeland”)
Michael Kelly (“House of Cards”)
David Harbour (“Stranger Things”)
Ron Cephas Jones (“This Is Us”)
Jeffrey Wright (“Westworld”)
Hmmm, I would pick Jeffrey Wright. Though I didn’t like his character… his acting as a synthetic human discovering he is actually a robot was pretty fascinating to watch.
Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Ann Dowd (“The Handmaid’s Tale”)
Samira Wiley (“The Handmaid’s Tale”)
Uzo Aduba (“Orange Is the New Black”)
Millie Bobby Brown (“Stranger Things”)
Chrissy Metz (“This Is Us”)
Thandie Newton (“Westworld”)
Damn this is a good category. This is why I am mad about the way they broke up Westworld nominations. Thandie should have been given a lead actress title. Because of this, I have to pick Millie Bobby Brown because she is phenomenal. But damn, Thandie is being done dirty in this category.
Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin (“Saturday Night Live”)
Louie Anderson (“Baskets”)
Ty Burrell (“Modern Family”)
Tituss Burgess (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”)
Tony Hale (“Veep”)
Matt Walsh (“Veep”)
Alec Baldwin, hands down. Not even a question. Alec Baldwin’s impersonation is probably the only way I got through the election season.
Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Kate McKinnon (“Saturday Night Live”)
Vanessa Bayer (“Saturday Night Live”)
Leslie Jones (“Saturday Night Live”)
Anna Chlumsky (“Veep”)
Judith Light (“Transparent”)
Kathryn Hahn (“Transparent”)
Another easy one, Kate McKinnon by far deserves this award for her dedication to her Clinton character. I see no competition. I would be be happy with Leslie Jones, but still….
Variety Talk Series
“Full Frontal With Samantha Bee” (TBS)
“Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (ABC)
“Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” (HBO)
“The Late Late Show With James Corden” (CBS)
“Real Time With Bill Maher” (HBO)
“The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” (CBS)
Oh I love this one! Okay, I basically watch all of these constantly. I LOVE Full Frontal with Samantha Bee… but I tend to look forward to Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. Both shows are amazing and I think Samantha Bee would stand a fair chance if she didn’t have commercial breaks. John Oliver has HBO on his side so he gets 30ish minutes of nonstop laughs.
Reality Competition
“The Amazing Race” (CBS)
“American Ninja Warrior” (NBC)
“Project Runway” (Lifetime)
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” (vh1)
“Top Chef” (Bravo)
“The Voice” (NBC)
Guys this is so exciting! RuPaul’s Drag Race is finally going to get the mainstream attention it deserves. We are getting an award baby! It’s amazing looking back to season 1, then looking at where we are now. So proud of this little, big show!
Host for a Reality/Reality-Competition Program
Alec Baldwin (“Match Game”)
W. Kamau Bell (“United Shades Of America With W. Kamau Bell)
RuPaul Charles (“RuPaul’s Drag Race)
Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn (“Project Runway)
Gordon Ramsay (“MasterChef Junior)
Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg (“Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party”)
This award is as good as RuPaul’s. If you are not convinced, please watch this video.
Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Bill Camp (“The Night Of”)
Alfred Molina (“Feud: Bette and Joan”)
Alexander Skarsgård (“Big Little Lies”)
David Thewlis (“Fargo”)
Stanley Tucci (“Feud: Bette and Joan”)
Michael K. Williams (“The Night Of”)
I would love to see Stanley Tucci, but he really didn’t have that much screen time so…
Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Judy Davis (“Feud: Bette and Joan”)
Laura Dern (“Big Little Lies”)
Jackie Hoffman (“Feud: Bette and Joan”)
Regina King (“American Crime”)
Michelle Pfeiffer (“The Wizard of Lies”)
Shailene Woodley (“Big Little Lies”)
This award should go to Judy Davis. She played Hedda Hopper and was AMAZING.
Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Riz Ahmed (“Girls” — “All I Ever Wanted”)
Matthew Rhys (“Girls” — “American Bitch”)
Dave Chappelle (“Saturday Night Live” — “Host: Dave Chappelle”)
Lin-Manuel Miranda (“Satuday Night Live” — “Host: Lin-Manuel Miranda”)
Tom Hanks (“Saturday Night Live” — “Host: Tom Hanks”)
Hugh Laurie (“Veep” — “Blurb”)
Dave Chappelle hosted SNL the weekend after the election and was actually able to make me smile. Dave, you deserve this award. The Walking Dead sketch killed me.
Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Ben Mendelsohn (“Bloodline” — “Part 32”)
BD Wong (“Mr. Robot” — “eps2.3_logic-b0mb.hc”)
Hank Azaria (“Ray Donovan” — “Norman Saves the World”)
Denis O’Hare (“This Is Us” — “Last Christmas”)
Brian Tyree Henry (“This Is Us” — “Memphis”)
Gerald McRaney (“This Is Us” — “The Big Day”)
This is definitely going to a This Is Us actor…. Preferably Denis O’Hare.
Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Wanda Sykes (“Black-ish” — “Lemons”)
Carrie Fisher (“Catastrophe” — “Episode 6”)
Becky Ann Baker (“Girls” — “Gummies”)
Angela Bassett (“Master of None” — “Thanksgiving”)
Kristen Wiig (“Saturday Night Live” — “Host: Kristen Wiig”)
Melissa McCarthy (“Saturday Night Live” — “Host: Melissa McCarthy”)
Okay wait a minute, how am I supposed to pick between Melissa McCarthy playing Sean Spicer, versus Carrie Fisher. That is not fair at all…. I am not even going to pick.
Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Alison Wright (“The Americans” — “The Soviet Division”)
Alexis Bledel (“The Handmaid’s Tale” — “Late”)
Cicely Tyson (“How to Get Away with Murder” — “Go Cry Somewhere Else”)
Ann Dowd (“The Leftovers” — “The Most Powerful Man In The World (And His Identical Twin Brother)”)
Laverne Cox (“Orange is the New Black” — “Doctor Psycho”)
Shannon Purser (“Stranger Things” — “Chapter Three: Jolly, Holly”)
Oh my gosh, give this award to Shannon Purser! Justice for Barb!!! If not Barb, Alexis Bledel did amazing in The Handmaid’s Tale.
Animated Program
“Archer” (FX Networks)
“Bob’s Burgers” (FOX)
“Elena and the Secret of Avalor (Sofia the First)” (Disney Channel)
“The Simpsons” (FOX)
“South Park” (Comedy Central)
So I am stuck between Bob’s Burgers and South Park. But honestly, both of the past years seasons were kind of boring. I was really disappointed with South Parks illustration of the 2016 election. Either way, Archer is probably going to win anyways.
Period/ Fantasy Costumes for a Series, Limited Series, or Movie
Michele Clapton, Alex Fordham, Emma O’Loughlin & Kate O’Farrell (“The Crown”)
Lou Eyrich, Hannah Jacobs & Katie Saunders (“Feud: Bette and Joan”)
Sonu Mishra, Martina Hejlová & Petia Krckova (“Genius”)
Ane Crabtree & Sheena Wichary (“The Handmaid’s Tale”)
Trish Summerville, Lynda Foote & Jo Kissack Folsom (“Westworld”)
Okay I am so excited about this one. I am a huge costume design nerd and have worked with several of these amazing designers. Honestly I think Lou Eyrich is taking this one home. She is amazing. Lou is famous for doing Feud, American Horror Story, and Scream Queens…. But I would LOVE to see Trish Summerville win this award. Trish is a friend of mine and she is sooooo talented. Gosh I don’t know.
Contemporary Costumes for a Series, Limited Series or Movie
Alix Friedberg, Risa Garcia & Patricia McLaughlin (“Big Little Lies”)
Paolo Nieddu, Jennifer Salim & Mary Lane (“Empire”)
Allyson B. Fanger, Heather Pain & Lori DeLapp (“Grace and Frankie”)
Hala Bahmet, Marina Ray & Elinor Bardach (“This Is Us”)
Marie Schley, Hannah Schneider & Leslie Herman (“Transparent”)
I LOVE the Grace and Frankie costumes! They are so cute and I love the attention to detail between Lily and Jane. But this award could go anywhere.
Costumes for Variety, Nonfiction or Reality Programming
Daniela Gschwendtner, Steven Norman Lee, Polina Roytman, Karina Torrico & Howard Sussman (“Dancing with the Stars”)
Mary Vogt & Carolyn Dessert-Lauterio (“Hairspray Live!”)
Amanda Needham, Jayme Hansen & Jordan Hamilton (“Portlandia”)
Zaldy Goco & Perry Meek (“RuPaul’s Drag Race”)
Tom Broecker & Eric Justian (“Saturday Night Live”)
Once again, RuPaul’s Drag Race, no contest. Zaldy Goco and Perry Meek has this in the bag.
Hairstyling for a Multi-Camera Series or Special
Mary Guerrero, Kimi Messina, Gail Ryan, Derrick Spruill, Rene Vaca & Patricia Pineda (“Dancing with the Stars”)
Miia Kovero, Terry Baliel, Roxane Griffin, Lawrence Davis, Jill Crosby & Joy Zapata (“Hairspray Live!”)
Gabriel Villarreal & Hector Pocasangre (“RuPaul’s Drag Race”)
Jodi Mancuso, Jennifer Serio, Inga Thrasher, Joe Whitmeyer, Cara Hannah Sullivan & Christen Edwards (“Saturday Night Live”)
Jerilynn Stephens, Meagan Herrera-Schaff, Cory Rotenberg, Anna Maria Orzano, Stacey Morris & Darbie Wieczorek (“The Voice”)
Oh my gosh Delta Work! Heather… you are taking this home.
Main Title Design
Patrick Clair, Raoul Marks, Devin Maurer, Jeff Han (“American Gods”)
Patrick Clair, Raoul Marks, Javier Leon Carrillo, Jeff Han (“The Crown”)
Ryan Murphy, Alexis Martin Woodall, Kyle Cooper, Nadia Tzuo, Margherita Premuroso (“FEUD: Bette and Joan”)
Michelle Dougherty, Peter Frankfurt, Arisu Kashiwagi, Eric Demeusy (“Stranger Things”)
Patrick Clair, Raoul Marks, Yongsub Song, Felix Soletic, Jessica Hurst, Jose Limon (“Westworld”)
The Westworld theme design is actual art and it makes me tear up. They deserve this award hands down. Watch it below.
Makeup for a Multi-Camera Series or Special (Non-Prosthetic)
Zena Shteysel, Angela Moos, Julie Socash, Patti-Ramsey Bortoli, Sara Woolf, Donna Bard (“Dancing with the Stars” — “Halloween Night”)
Melanie Hughes, Judy Yonemoto, Jill Cady, Julie Socash, Shutchai Tym Buacharern, Angela Moos (“Hairspray Live!”)
Jennifer Aspinall, Scott G. Wheeler, David Williams, James Rohland, Ned Niedhardt (“MADtv” — “Episode #1.4”)
David Petruschin (“RuPaul’s Drag Race” — “Oh. My Gaga!”)
Louie Zakarian, Amy Tagliamonti, Jason Milani, Daniela Zivcovic, Rachel Pagani, Andrew Sotomeyer (“Saturday Night Live” — “Host: Alec Baldwin”)
Darcy Gilmore, Kristene Bernard, Thea Samuels, Gina Ghiglieri, Diane Mayo, Jackie Dobbie (“The Voice” — “Live Playoffs, Night 1”)
What about me…. what about RAVEN? Another win for RuPaul’s Drag Race coming right up!
Original Main Title Theme Music
Mac Quayle (“FEUD: Bette and Joan”)
Hans Zimmer, Lorne Balfe (“Genius”)
John David Buckley (“The Good Fight”)
Michael Stein, Kyle Dixon (“Stranger Things”)
Martin Phipps (“Victoria (Masterpiece)”)
Ramin Djawadi (“Westworld”)
If you watched the Westworld video above like I told you, then you already agree with me that Ramin Djawadi is taking this award home. The Westworld soundtrack is beautiful. Ramin is also responsible for the Game of Thrones soundtrack… I love you Ramin Djawadi.
Wow, this years show is going to be incredible. Did I mention Stephen Colbert will be hosting! Watch the Emmys on Sunday, September 17th. Do not miss it. I will also be live tweeting the red-carpet, with a “Haute Second with Spencer” Red Carpet edition coming the following day so stay tuned. Now, it is time for you to vote! Vote for your favorite below and we will announce the WERRRK.com picks on Friday, September 15th. See you all on the red carpet!
