Emmy Predictions 2020 - Who Will and Should Win for Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series?

The nominations have been announced for The 72nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. So now, it's time to speculate on who will and should win in each major category. Next up for analysis is Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.

The Nominees Ranked By Which Should Win:

1. William Jackson Harper for NBC's The Good Place - "Whenever You're Ready"
2. Dan Levy for Pop's Schitt's Creek - "Happy Ending"
3. Andre Braugher for NBC's Brooklyn Nine-Nine - "Ransom"
4. Kenan Thompson for NBC's Saturday Night Live - "At Home #2"
5. Tony Shalhoub for Amazon's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel - "Marvelous Radio"
6. Sterling K. Brown for Amazon's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel - "Panty Pose"
7. Mahershala Ali for Hulu's Ramy - "Little Omar"
8. Alan Arkin for Netflix's The Kominsky Method - "Chapter 14: A Secret Leaks, a Teacher Speaks"

The thought that Kenan Thompson could finally win an Emmy for the "What Up With That" sketch delights me immensely. That premise came from a different era of Saturday Night Live. One where Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, Fred Armisen and Jason Sudeikis were the central focus of the veteran series. It was before Thompson was being recognized by the Emmys for always being a solid performer in every sketch. That eventually happened. And this year, the at home episodes saw a revival of this beloved sketch. That alone makes him a standout in this race. Of course, he's also going up against William Jackson Harper and Dan Levy whose first nominations are for their tremendous performances in the series finales of their respective shows. Both Schitt's Creek and The Good Place had the daunting tasks of figuring out their perfect endings. Both did a wonderful job. Levy crafted the story but he was also phenomenal acting it out. His character found peace building a home in a town he never would have envisioned for himself. Meanwhile, Harper spent years playing a man riddled with anxieties and doubts. That never stopped him from being a romantic lead or comedic foil. And in the end, he found clarity and peace while still finding the perfect way of being there for his friends. Those two endings were phenomenal and the actors sold everything brilliantly.

The Nominees Ranked by Which Will Win:

1. Dan Levy for Pop's Schitt's Creek - "Happy Ending"
2. Tony Shalhoub for Amazon's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel - "Marvelous Radio"
3. Kenan Thompson for NBC's Saturday Night Live - "At Home #2"
4. William Jackson Harper for NBC's The Good Place - "Whenever You're Ready"
5. Alan Arkin for Netflix's The Kominsky Method - "Chapter 14: A Secret Leaks, a Teacher Speaks"
6. Mahershala Ali for Hulu's Ramy - "Little Omar"
7. Sterling K. Brown for Amazon's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel - "Panty Pose"
8. Andre Braugher for NBC's Brooklyn Nine-Nine - "Ransom"

Both The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Ramy added some acclaimed and beloved actors to their recurring ranks for their most recent seasons. Sterling K. Brown and Mahershala Ali also appeared in so many episodes that they qualified for the supporting fields. Brown has been recognized more by these voters having won twice already. Meanwhile, Ali is a two-time Academy Award winner returning to television. However, I don't think that either of them have the necessary episode to topple some of the incredibly strong stars also nominated. The other nominees happen to be some of the stars of their respective shows. Dan Levy has several opportunities to win an Emmy for the final season of Schitt's Creek. It could very well happen here. Any win would likely be a recognition for all that he did throughout the six season run of the show. Meanwhile, Tony Shalhoub is the reigning champion of the category. He is continually given such manic and joyous material. He makes a meal out of everything he is asked to embody on Mrs. Maisel. It's a performance that still works despite how broad it is. Elsewhere, Kenan Thompson and Andre Braugher certainly deserve to win one of these years for their current performances. It would likely be a surprise if either of them pulled off an upset though. No one could probably predict that. The same mentality applies to William Jackson Harper. It was about time the ensemble on The Good Place was recognized for its talents. This is the last opportunity to reward them. That gives some urgency to Harper. Is it enough to win? Maybe. A lot of things are up in the air in this category. No singular nominee has taken ahold of the momentum to lock down the victory.

What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with my predictions? Let me know in the comments below!