2015 Emmy Nomination Predictions: Locks, Wildcards and Dream Picks

Will there be an infusion of new blood at the Emmys? Sort of? Maybe?

By Chris Harnick Jul 15, 2015 5:30 PMTags
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Taraji P. Henson, Peter Dinklage, Jeffrey TamborFOX/HBO/AMAZON/

The most frustrating and exciting day for anybody who loves TV—be they involved with the making of it or just really enjoy watching it—the Emmy nominations! Uzo Aduba and Cat Deeley will announce names that will either delight you or make you toss your viewing device in anger on Thursday, July 16 right here on E! Online at 8:30 a.m. PT/11:30 a.m. ET.

There was a lot of great TV this year with some very splashy shows both entering and exiting the arena—Bye Breaking Bad and True Detective! Welcome Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and hello again The Comeback!—so there could be some really pleasant surprises. Who will enter the Emmy race? Your predictions are here!

CBS/NETFLIX/FX/ABC

COMEDY

Outstanding Comedy Series
Veep
Modern Family
The Big Bang Theory
Louie
Transparent
Silicon Valley

Wildcard: The Comeback. Lisa Kudrow's HBO comedy made its triumphant return and it was so amazing. But 10 years after its first season, will the TV Academy find some love for the show as a whole?
Dream pick: Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. The Netflix comedy was so gosh darned cute and dark at the same time!

Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Louis C.K., Louie
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
Don Cheadle, House of Lies
Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent
William H. Macy, Shameless
Anthony Anderson, black-ish

Wildcard: Will Forte for Last Man on Earth. What a wild ride and surprising performance. He could be nominated for that beard alone.
Dream pick: Chris Messina for The Mindy Project. He deserves it. We'd even give an award to his scruff.

Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Lisa Kudrow, The Comeback
Gina Rodriguez, Jane the Virgin
Ellie Kemper, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation

Wildcards: Melissa McCarthy for Mike and Molly. The TV Academy loves her and buoyed by Spy and the upcoming Ghostbusters, don't count her out. Ditto goes for Amy Schumer for Inside Amy Schumer, there is no hotter actress at the moment.
Dream pick: Mindy Kaling for The Mindy Project. Let's end this crime.

Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Tony Hale, Veep
Tituss Burgess, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family
Fred Armisen, Portlandia
Hugh Laurie, Veep

Wildcards: Jamie Camil of Jane the Virgin, one of this season's breakout stars, and Emmy favorite Martin Sheen for Grace and Frankie.
Dream pick: Robert Michael Morris for The Comeback. As Mickey, he was hilarious and heartbreaking all at once.

Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Jane Krakowski, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Allison Janney, Mom
Julie Bowen, Modern Family
Anna Chlumsky, Veep
Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live
Judith Light, Transparent

Wildcard: The Big Bang Theory's Mayim Bialik.
Dream pick: Aidy Bryant for Saturday Night Live. Lil' Baby Aidy 4 lyfe.

DRAMA

Outstanding Drama Series
Orange Is the New Black
Game of Thrones
The Affair
Empire
Mad Men
House of Cards
Downton Abbey

Wildcards: The Good Wife and The Americans.
Dream pick: Outlander. Sci-fi and fantasy shows traditionally have a very hard time getting recognition, but voters seem to have loosened up in recent years and this Starz hit is definitely deserving.

Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Kevin Spacey, House of Cards
Terrence Howard, Empire
Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul
Clive Owen, The Knick
Jeff Daniels, The Newsroom

Wildcards: Kyle Chandler in Bloodline—everybody loves Coach Taylor—and The Affair's Dominic West.
Dream pick: Sam Heughan. You guys have seen Outlander, right? His performance in the gut-wrenching season one finale alone deserves all the awards.

Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Viola Davis, How to Get Away With Murder
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men
Taraji P. Henson, Empire
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Robin Wright, House of Cards
Ruth Wilson, The Affair

Wildcards: Claire Danes for Homeland—there's still some good will there and last season was so much better—and Scandal's Kerry Washington.
Dream pick: Outlander's Caitriona Balfe. Fierce, vulnerable and stunning, she is breakout female performance of the year.

Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Jon Voight, Ray Donovan
John Slattery, Mad Men
Jonathan Banks, Better Call Saul
Alan Cumming, The Good Wife
Mandy Patinkin, Homeland

Wildcard: Jim Carter for Downton Abbey.
Dream pick: Tobias Menzies for Outlander. C'mon. We love you. We hate you. We want to beat you over he head with a thousand Emmys.

Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Christine Baranski, The Good Wife
Joanne Froggatt, Downton Abbey
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Lena Headey, Game of Thrones
Christina Hendricks, Mad Men
Uzo Aduba, Orange Is the New Black

Wildcards: Kate Mulgrew and Laverne Cox for Orange Is the New Black, Bloodline's Sissy Spacek.
Dream pick: Carrie Coon for The Leftovers. If you watched, you know she earned a nomination with one scene.

Find out if we're right on Thursday, July 16 when the 2015 Emmy nominations are announced.