The Nominees:
- Louie Anderson for FX's Baskets - "Denver"
- Alec Baldwin for NBC's Saturday Night Live - "Host: Melissa McCarthy"
- Tituss Burgess for Netflix's Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt - "Kimmy's Roommate Lemonades!"
- Ty Burrell for ABC's Modern Family - "Grab It"
- Tony Hale for HBO's Veep - "Judge"
- Matt Walsh for HBO's Veep - "Chicklet"
Louie Anderson continues to be delivering a career-defining performance on Baskets. A year ago, it was miraculous that he got nominated in this stacked category. Every prediction said that if he could just get nominated then he would probably win. And then, that's exactly what happened. He was one of the show's only nominations but he still emerged victorious in this race. It was such a delightful moment that proved that the Emmy voters were at least aware of some of the great performances out there. This year there wasn't any trepidation about him getting nominated again. In fact, his co-star Zach Galifianakis joined him with a nomination. So, it would seem easy to predict him as the frontrunner in this race because the second season of the show only continued giving him tremendous material to work with.
However, this was the year of Saturday Night Live. It had a huge resurgence in the ratings because it was an election year and the first few months of a new presidency. The long-running show became more relevant this year than it has in a long time. It showed in its total nominations at the Emmys as well. It got more nods than it has in awhile. So, it needs to be taken seriously as a competitor in each category it's in. Of course, that was always true because it's a well-produced show. But it's even more true this year. In this category specifically, Alec Baldwin is the man currently playing the President of the United States. It was a big stunt casting gambit at the start of the season that became more recurring after the election. There's no question if he is going to win. He will. Of course, there is a little doubt considering he didn't submit the episode where he actually hosted. His episode is still fine. He'll win because of the buzz around the performance instead of one specific episode.
But when looking at the episodes, some of the other nominees represent some solid chances of a potential upset. Veep is perhaps a little more vulnerable this year than it has been in awhile. It's still getting a ton of nominations. But the race for Comedy Series and Lead Actress is no longer a lock for the show. Of course, Tony Hale and Matt Walsh both chose wisely in their episode submissions. They both have highlight moments that could easily be rewarded. Plus, Walsh gets to play drunk which has been a winning tape for actors in the past. Furthermore, Tituss Burgess chose the episode where he parodies Beyoncé's "Lemonade." That was a highlight for him in this past season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. He's always been a deserving contender in this category as well. And finally, Ty Burrell is still getting nominated. It seems odd given the steep fall in nominations for Modern Family. But he's a past winner. So, he should always be taken seriously as a dark horse to win.
Should Win: Louie Anderson
Will Win: Alec Baldwin
Dark Horse: Tony Hale
However, this was the year of Saturday Night Live. It had a huge resurgence in the ratings because it was an election year and the first few months of a new presidency. The long-running show became more relevant this year than it has in a long time. It showed in its total nominations at the Emmys as well. It got more nods than it has in awhile. So, it needs to be taken seriously as a competitor in each category it's in. Of course, that was always true because it's a well-produced show. But it's even more true this year. In this category specifically, Alec Baldwin is the man currently playing the President of the United States. It was a big stunt casting gambit at the start of the season that became more recurring after the election. There's no question if he is going to win. He will. Of course, there is a little doubt considering he didn't submit the episode where he actually hosted. His episode is still fine. He'll win because of the buzz around the performance instead of one specific episode.
But when looking at the episodes, some of the other nominees represent some solid chances of a potential upset. Veep is perhaps a little more vulnerable this year than it has been in awhile. It's still getting a ton of nominations. But the race for Comedy Series and Lead Actress is no longer a lock for the show. Of course, Tony Hale and Matt Walsh both chose wisely in their episode submissions. They both have highlight moments that could easily be rewarded. Plus, Walsh gets to play drunk which has been a winning tape for actors in the past. Furthermore, Tituss Burgess chose the episode where he parodies Beyoncé's "Lemonade." That was a highlight for him in this past season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. He's always been a deserving contender in this category as well. And finally, Ty Burrell is still getting nominated. It seems odd given the steep fall in nominations for Modern Family. But he's a past winner. So, he should always be taken seriously as a dark horse to win.
Should Win: Louie Anderson
Will Win: Alec Baldwin
Dark Horse: Tony Hale
