Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official awards predictions for the upcoming Oscars and Emmys ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis; Awards Circuit Column, a weekly analysis dissecting the trends and contenders by television editor Michael Schneider (for Emmys) and Davis (for Oscars); Awards Circuit Podcast, a weekly interview series with talent and an expert roundtable discussion; and Awards Circuit Video analyzes various categories and contenders by Variety's leading awards pundits. Variety's unmatched coverage gives its readership unbeatable exposure in print and online, as well as provide inside reports on all the contenders in this year's awards season races.
To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit THE EMMYS COLLECTIVEVisit each category, per the individual awards show from THE EMMYS HUBTo see old predictions and commentary, click the EMMY PREDICTIONS ARCHIVESFor film awards predictions go toTHE OSCARS HUB
UPDATED: May 26, 2022
2022 EMMYS PREDICTIONS:
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR TV MOVIE
AWARDS PREDICTION COMMENTARY:
One of the multiple examples of talented performers in our midst that should be a more prominent name in the biz, Himesh Patel, has exhibited great skill and passion with his choices in roles. There’s no better recent example than his work as Jeevan Chaudhary in HBO’s “Station Eleven,” which, if enough voters give their time, could surprise in many major categories, including Patel.
An undervalued actor with over three decades of impressive performances in film and television, Joshua Jackson assembles one of his more complex acting turns in Peacock’s “Dr. Death.” While more of a longshot in this competitive field, his creation of Dr. Christopher Duntsch may produce a late-breaking swing that lands him in the lineup
DR. DEATH — Episode 104 — Pictured: Joshua Jackson as Christopher Duntsch — (Photo by:Scott McDermott/Peacock)
Scott McDermott/Peacock
Fresh off his second Oscar nomination for playing Jonathan Larson in “Tick, Tick … Boom!” (2021), Andrew Garfield takes on a religious and spiritual portrayal as Detective Jeb Pyre in the mystery-thriller “Under the Banner of Heaven” from FX. After dominating the box office, and his star reaching astronomical levels, he could pull a sweep a la Kate Winslet in “Mare of Easttown,” a similar feeling limited series.
What’s better than one Oscar Isaac project? Multiple Oscar Isaac projects, as the Latino star took over the Disney+ platform with the superhero hit “Moon Knight,” which will keep him in the conversation for his incredible portrayal of a husband battling to save his marriage in the English remake, “Scenes from a Marriage.” After his snub for “Show Me a Hero” in 2016, he’s owed his time in the spotlight by the TV Academy.
A chameleon for taking on characters, Jared Leto makes his long-awaited return to television after more than 25 years in the classic series “My So-Called Life,” playing WeWork founder Adam Newmann in the Apple limited series. With Emmy winner Anne Hathaway by his side, his transformation has been touted as one of his finest and could be memorable enough to stand out.
Read more: Variety’s Awards Circuit Emmys Predictions Hub
The nomination round of voting runs from June 16 to June 27. The official nominations for the 74th Emmy Awards will be announced Tuesday, July 12.
The list of programs and potential nominees listed below is incomplete and is subject to change. The full television awards season calendar is linked here.
2021 category winner: Ewan McGregor, “Halston” (Netflix)
ALL AWARDS CONTENDERS AND RANKINGS:
Apple TV Plus
| AND THE PREDICTED NOMINEES ARE: | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| RANK | CONTENDER | SERIES | NETWORK |
| 1 | Michael Keaton | “Dopesick” | Hulu |
| 2 | Colin Firth | “The Staircase” | HBO/HBO Max |
| 3 | Andrew Garfield | “Under the Banner of Heaven” | FX |
| 4 | Ben Foster | “The Survivor” | HBO/HBO Max |
| 5 | Oscar Isaac | “Scenes from a Marriage” | HBO/HBO Max |
| 6 | Sebastian Stan | “Pam and Tommy” | Hulu |
| NEXT IN LINE | |||
| 7 | Samuel L. Jackson | “The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey” | Apple TV+ |
| 8 | Jared Leto | “WeCrashed” | Apple TV+ |
| 9 | Himesh Patel | “Station Eleven” | HBO/HBO Max |
| 10 | Joshua Jackson | “Dr. Death” | Peacock |
| OTHER TOP-TIER CONTENDERS | |||
| 11 | Oscar Isaac | “Moon Knight” | Disney+ |
| 12 | Paul Bettany | “A Very British Scandal” | Amazon Prime Video |
| 13 | Sean Penn | “Gaslit” | Starz |
| 14 | Tom Hiddleston | “The Essex Serpent” | Apple TV+ |
| 15 | Sam Elliott | “1883” | Paramount+ |
| 16 | Liev Schreiber | “Ray Donovan: The Movie” | Showtime |
| 17 | Jon Bernthal | “We Own This City” | HBO/HBO Max |
| 18 | Joseph Gordon-Levitt | “Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber” | Showtime |
| 19 | Will Ferrell | “The Shrink Next Door” | Apple TV+ |
| 20 | Clive Owen | “Impeachment: American Crime Story” | FX |
| ALSO IN CONTENTION | |||
| 21 | Tony Goldwyn | “The Hot Zone: Anthrax” | National Geographic |
| 22 | Paul Rudd | “The Shrink Next Door” | Apple TV+ |
| 23 | Ben Whishaw | “This is Going to Hurt” | BBC One |
| 24 | Jaden Michael | “Colin in Black and White” | Netflix |
| 25 | David Thewlis | “Landscapers” | HBO/HBO Max |
| 26 | Hamish Linklater | “Midnight Mass” | Netflix |
| 27 | John Lithgow | “Live in Front of a Studio Audience: ‘The Facts of Life’ and ‘Diff’rent Strokes’” | ABC |
| 28 | Kevin Hart | “Live in Front of a Studio Audience: ‘The Facts of Life’ and ‘Diff’rent Strokes’” | ABC |
| 29 | Jeremy Renner | “Hawkeye” | Disney+ |
| 30 | David Oyelowo | “The Girl Before” | HBO/HBO Max |
| UNRANKED CONTENDERS | |||
| — | Bruce Davison | “The Manor” | Amazon Prime Video |
| — | Charlie Day | “I Want You Back” | Amazon Prime Video |
| — | Clive Owen | “Lisey’s Story” | Apple TV+ |
| — | Eugenio Derbez | “The Valet” | Hulu |
| — | Finn Wittrock | “American Horror Story: Double Feature” | FX |
| — | Harry Connick Jr. | “Annie Live!” | NBC |
| — | John Cameron Mitchell | “Joe vs. Carole” | Peacock |
| — | Jon Stewart | “Live in Front of a Studio Audience: ‘The Facts of Life’ and ‘Diff’rent Strokes’” | ABC |
| — | Kevin Hart | “True Story” | Netflix |
| — | Louis Patridge | “Pistol” | FX |
| — | Martin Freeman | “Angelyne” | Peacock |
| — | Miles Teller | “The Offer” | Paramount+ |
| — | Sean Bean | “Time” | BritBox |
| — | Stephen Graham | “Help” | Channel 4 |
| — | Tom Riley | “The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window” | Netflix |
| — | Will Poulter | “Why Didn’t The Ask Evans?” | BritBox |
| — | William Jackson Harper | “Love Life” | HBO/HBO Max |
| — | Zach Braff | “Moonshot” | HBO/HBO Max |
| — | Zach Braff | “Cheaper by the Dozen” | Disney+ |
AWARDS CATEGORY HISTORY (Lead Actor Limited)
The Primetime Emmy Awards, better known simply as the Emmys, is television’s most prestigious artistic award. There are many records held for both wins and nominations in the near eight decades.
For wins: This category has had many rule changes and inceptions in its history, but it’s worth noting that Laurence Olivier has the most wins in this category, with four with Peter Ustinov behind him with three.
For nominations: Hal Holbrook has the most nominations in this category of any actor with seven, while Benedict Cumberbatch and Laurence Olivier follow close behind with six apiece.
2022 Primetime Emmy Awards Predictions
- Outstanding Drama Series
- Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
- Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
- Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
- Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
- Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series
- Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series
- Outstanding Comedy Series
- Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
- Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
- Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
- Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
- Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
- Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
- Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series
- Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
- Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
- Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
- Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
- Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series or Anthology Series or Movie
- Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special
- Outstanding Competition Program
- Outstanding Variety Talk Series
- Outstanding Variety Sketch Series
- Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded)
- Outstanding Variety Special (Live)
2022 Creative Arts Emmys Predictions
- Outstanding Television Movie
- Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
- Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
- Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
- Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
- Outstanding Reality Host
- Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series
- Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series
- Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special
- Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special
- Outstanding Animated Program
- Outstanding Short Form Animated Program
- Outstanding Voice-Over Performance
- Outstanding Narrator
- Outstanding Structured Program
- Outstanding Unstructured Program
- Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series
- Outstanding Documentary Special
- Outstanding Documentary Filmmaking
- Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special
- Outstanding Main Title Design
- Outstanding Main Title Theme Music
- Outstanding Music for Series
- Outstanding Music for Limited Series
- Outstanding Music and Lyrics
- Outstanding Music Supervision
About the Primetime Emmy Awards (Emmys)
The Primetime Emmy Awards, better known as the Emmys, are given out by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). Since 1949, the awards have recognized excellence in American primetime television programming. They are divided into three classes – Primetime Emmy Awards, the Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards (honors artisan achievements), and the Primetime Engineering Emmy Awards (recognizes significant engineering and technological contributions). The typical eligibility period is between June 1 and May 31 of any given year. The Television Academy comprises over 25,000 members, representing 30 professional peer groups, including performers, directors, producers, art directors and various artisans and executives.
- The 74th Emmy Awards will take place on Monday, Sept. 12, and air on NBC.