Emmy Predictions: Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

The 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards nominations will be announced on Thursday, July 14th. Please refer to my Emmy musings for this category for a detailed analysis of the contenders, and, as always, chime in below in the comments with any thoughts of your own.

Last year’s nominees: Christine Baranski, Rose Byrne, Sharon Gless, Christina Hendricks, Elisabeth Moss, Archie Panjabi

The competition: Say goodbye to two of last year’s nominees, Byrne, whose show didn’t air during the eligibility period this past year, and Moss, who will probably show up in the lead actress category. Last year’s surprise winner Archie Panjabi (The Good Wife) is the clear frontrunner this year, and Christina Hendricks (Mad Men) also had a strong season. Golden Globe nominee Kelly Macdonald (Boardwalk Empire) will almost certainly show them, as should another nominee from last year, Christine Baranski (The Good Wife), who had considerably less screen time this year. I’m pulling for season standout Margo Martindale (Justified), though I’m somewhat worried that the show will be ignored by voters. Debra Winger (In Treatment) stands a good chance of earning a nomination if voters haven’t completely forgotten about her show. Michelle Forbes (The Killing) could earn her first Emmy nomination for her role as a distraught mother, as could Khandi Alexander (Treme) for her difficult part on the show’s second season. I think that the inclusion of Sharon Gless (Burn Notice) was a fluke last year, and she’ll likely not make the cut again. Other potential vote siphoners are two costars of a formerly-nominated show, Chandra Wilson (Grey’s Anatomy), a four-time nominee, and Sara Ramirez, who earned raves this past year for the show’s musical episode. In an ideal world, Mae Whitman (Parenthood) would also be in the running, but it seems that voters might be intent on ignoring the show.

The predicted nominees: Baranski, Hendricks, Macdonald, Martindale, Panjabi, Winger

The predicted winner: Martindale

Next up: Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series