Here’s Who Will (And Should!) Win at This Year‘s Emmy Awards

Apple TV/HBO Max/HBO This piece first ran on the Obsessed by Kevin Fallon Substack .

Subscribe here to read more like it! It’s just around the corner: the annual therapy session where TV lovers get to cathartically release their rage by screaming into a pillow because their favorite shows and actors didn’t win an Emmy Award .

The Emmy Awards ceremony is one of my favorite nights of the year, not just because I have my finest down throw pillow prepped and ready for Monday night’s telecast—and plenty of pent-up anger to let out—but because I’ve spent my entire life thinking award shows are a suitable hobby to obsess over.

Being upset about the nominees and winners when they don’t align with your own taste? That’s part of the fun.

As someone who spent his rare childhood late-night TV passes staying up to watch the Emmys—everyone has an origin story—I’ve also become attuned to voters’ behavior and gotten quite good at anticipating how the night shakes out.

And when they throw a wrench and surprise us (Jeff Hiller for Somebody Somewhere ! Tatiana Maslany for Orphan Black !), it’s a total thrill.

In those situations, I’m never happier to be wrong.

I’m a broken record on still not understanding why the Television Academy doesn’t just ask me to choose the nominees and winners for them.

So in the absence of that, ahead of Monday’s ceremony, here are my predictions for who will win (should you need a cheat sheet to fill out your own ballots), who should win (if you want to sound intelligent talking to your friends), and the snubs I’m still salty about (because I’m nothing if not a grudge-holder).

Drama Series The Diplomat The Gilded Age A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Paradise The Pitt Pluribus Slow Horses Your Friends & Neighbors Will Win: The Pitt …Emmy voters are such normies.

Of course they’re gonna vote The Pitt .

Should Win: Pluribus …Why couldn’t the hive mind have infected Emmy voters? If I Were in Charge Snub: Industry …Though if I were really in charge, then Heated Rivalry would be eligible and nominated here.

Comedy Series Abbott Elementary The Bear Hacks Margo’s Got Money Troubles Nobody Wants This Only Murders in the Building Shrinking Widow’s Bay Will Win: Widow’s Bay …The “cool new kid in town” vibes are powerful.

Should Win: Hacks …But the final season of Hacks was a masterful feat.