Emmy Winner Predictions: Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

As I’ve done the past few years, I’m excited to present a detailed look at the Emmy race in each category with a spotlight on every sample episode submitted for consideration to voters. Click on episode titles to read reviews and offer your thoughts in the comments!

Louie Anderson (Baskets) – Easter in Bakersfield
Andre Braugher (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) – The Oolong Slayer
Tituss Burgess (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) – Kimmy Gives Up
Ty Burrell (Modern Family) – The Party
Tony Hale (Veep) – Inauguration
Keegan-Michael Key (Key and Peele) – Y’all Ready for This
Matt Walsh (Veep) – Kissing Your Sister

This is an interesting category since it includes a few actors whose shows aren’t nominated elsewhere. I’m a big fan of Braugher, who has been nominated for numerous different projects, and though he’s funny in an installment that allows him to work with Andy Samberg’s goofy detective again, I don’t see why he’d win now for season three when he didn’t win the past two years. The same is true for Key, whose show is over and who, to be honest, isn’t terribly funny on the sketch series. Burgess, who I expected to win last year, got the chance to sing so many hilariously terrible fake musical numbers in his episode, but if Pinot Noir and Caviar couldn’t win it for him, I don’t think this will either. Burrell, who won this award twice and is now the only member of his cast left standing when it comes to being nominate for an Emmy, is obviously beloved by Emmy voters, but accidentally doing drugs in a mediocre episode isn’t likely to earn him much love. Hale won his second Emmy for his portrayal of Gary last year, and I wrote in my review of his submitted episode that it would probably win him his third Emmy since he gets to go nuts and start cursing everyone out. I hadn’t expected Walsh to be nominated too, though, so he could pose a threat, though I didn’t find his submitted episode to be enough about him as compared with other installments this season. And then there’s Anderson, whose performance as Chip Baskets’ mother is more intriguing than anything, and it’s very possible he’ll win just based on the nature of his role.

Who should win (based on entire season): Burgess
Who should win (based on individual episodes): Burgess or Braugher
Who will win: It might be Hale again, but I’m betting on Anderson.