Emmys: Lead Actress (Comedy) — Will the TV Academy Snub Selena Gomez Again for ‘Only Murders in the Building?’

Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.

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2023 Emmy Predictions:

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Commentary (April 11, 2024): After facing two years of oversight from the Television Academy, superstar Selena Gomez stands her strongest chance yet of securing her first acting nomination for her role as the sharp-witted Mabel in Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building.”

Remarkably, Gomez has already earned nods as an executive producer for the first two seasons of the mystery series, making her the third Latina to achieve such a feat. The trail was blazed by Salma Hayek for “Ugly Betty” in 2007 and followed by Cuban producer Marlis Pujol for “The Kominsky Method” in 2020 and 2021. Additionally, only one Latina, Celia D. Costas, has ever clinched a producer win in the top series categories, for “Angels in America” in 2004.

Will the TV Academy overlook Mabel again? It helps that all her co-stars seem like shoo-ins for noms including Steve Martin, Martin Short, Paul Rudd and Meryl Streep. Will they really leave her out of the party? She does face stiff competition.

As reported by Variety in November that “The Bear” sensation Ayo Edebiri is transitioning her Emmy campaign to the lead category for the show’s second season, following her supporting comedy actress win. Her campaign shift has already garnered Golden Globe and SAG awards, setting the stage for a showdown with last year’s Emmy winner, Quinta Brunson from “Abbott Elementary,” and the seasoned Jean Smart from “Hacks.”

Other comedy stalwarts in the mix include Kristen Wiig for “Palm Royale,” potentially joining her “Saturday Night Live” alumna, and Apple TV+ counterpart Maya Rudolph, who is in the running for “Loot.”

Keep watching the skies.

Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Primetime Emmy predictions in the major categories.