Emmy Predictions: Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

The 69th Primetime Emmy Awards nominations will be announced on Thursday, July 13th. As always, chime in below in the comments with any thoughts of your own.

Last year’s nominees: Emilia Clarke, Lena Headey, Maggie Smith, Maura Tierney, Maisie Williams, Constance Zimmer

The competition: Given that three of last year’s nominees are from the same show, one that doesn’t return for its latest season until this coming Sunday, and another’s showed ended last year, we’re going to be looking at a very different lineup this year. Maura Tierney (The Affair) isn’t likely to return for a weak third season in which she wasn’t all that featured, while Constance Zimmer (UnREAL) is a more probable bet for a repeat nod. It could be anyone to fill in the rest of the category, and the first people to start with are red-hot new contenders Thandie Newton (Westworld), Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things), Winona Ryder (Stranger Things), and Chrissy Metz (This Is Us), who could feasibly all get in without a problem. Other newbies with a shot include Susan Kelechi Watson (This Is Us), Ann Dowd (The Handmaid’s Tale), Yvonne Strahovski (The Handmaid’s Tale), Samira Wiley (The Handmaid’s Tale), Cush Jumbo (The Good Fight), and Rose Leslie (The Good Fight). Fighting with them are past winner Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black) and her featured costars Danielle Brooks (Orange is the New Black), Samira Wiley (Orange is the New Black), and Kate Mulgrew (Orange is the New Black). Otherwise, watch out for Neve Campbell (House of Cards) or Carly Chaikin (Mr. Robot) to steal some votes. And it’s a good idea not to underestimate Vera Farmiga (Bates Motel), a past nominee in the lead category, and Margo Martindale (The Americans), who won the guest award for this role the past two years and was a champion in this category previously for “Justified.”

The predicted nominees: Brown, Martindale, Metz, Newton, Ryder, Zimmer

The predicted winner: Martindale

Next up: Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series