AFT Awards: Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series

This is the first category of the 11th Annual AFT Television Awards, my personal choices for the best in television during the 2016-2017 season. Finalists and semi-finalists are included to recognize more of the impressive work done on television today. Nominees are pictured in the order I’ve ranked them.

Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Last year’s nominees: Rami Malek, Jake McDorman, Wagner Moura, Bob Odenkirk, Liev Schreiber, Justin Theroux

Emmy nominees: Sterling K. Brown, Anthony Hopkins, Bob Odenkirk, Matthew Rhys, Liev Schreiber, Kevin Spacey, Milo Ventimiglia

Semi-finalists: Aaron Stanford (12 Monkeys), Aden Young (Rectify), Anthony Hopkins (Westworld), Clark Gregg (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Grant Gustin (The Flash), Justin Theroux (The Leftovers), Kevin Spacey (House of Cards), Mike Colter (Luke Cage), Paul Giammati (Billions), Pedro Pescal (Narcos), Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us)

Finalists: Robbie Coltrane (National Treasure) grasped such depth of his disgraced, aging celebrity that even he wasn’t sure of his innocence. Wagner Moura (Narcos) was a shell of his former self, on the run but just as mesmerizingly commanding. Damian Lewis (Billions) didn’t let up on his quest for dominance of every domain, letting the fire of furious ambition guide him to victory after victory. Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul) was electric to watch as he dove right into a new career without ever stopping to acknowledge what was really going on around him. Liev Schreiber (Ray Donovan) pivoted his stone-cold fixer towards a more centered, compassionate person unsure of how much he could continue to invest in his work.

The nominees:

Rami Malek (Mr. Robot) remained marvelously trapped within his own fractured perception of the world, tunneling further into his tech-centered self. Billy Bob Thornton (Goliath) charged headfirst into every fight he could find with a fearless and incomparably calm arrogance. Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things) was a great hero for his show, always committed to doing the right thing and sticking by his friends above all. Giovanni Ribisi (Sneaky Pete) was a true chameleon, assuming new identities with ease and embedding himself deep in the con.

The winner:

Dan Stevens (Legion) has come a long way from being dressed by a butler on “Downton Abbey,” now completely captivating as a schizophrenic whose own amazement at new revelations about his true mental state was one of his most fascinating traits.

Next up: Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series