2016 Emmy Nomination Predictions: The Sure Things, the Wildcards and Our Dream Picks

Nominations will be revealed on Thursday, July 14 at 8:30 a.m. PT/11:30 a.m. ET, and will be read by Anthony Anderson and Lauren Graham

By Tierney Bricker Jul 13, 2016 3:00 PMTags
Emmy Prediction DramaPBS; Netflix; HBO

Are you ready for the most frustrating yet exhilarating day of the summer, TV fans?

The 2016 Emmy nominations are set to be announced tomorrow, Thursday, July 14, by Anthony Anderson and Lauren Graham, and you'll be able to watch it right here on E! Online at 8:30 a.m. PT/11:30 a.m. ET. Of course, that means you'll either be doing a happy dance or scaring those around you after hearing which of your small screen favorites scored nods and which were brutally snubbed.

Ahead of the big reveal, we're predicting the sure-things and the wildcards in each of the major categories, with The People v. O.J. Simpson, Game of Thrones and Downton Abbey all looking like safe-bets. And we also added in our dream picks, the underdogs we're rooting for to surprise us all tomorrow morning...

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DRAMA

Outstanding Drama Series
Orange Is the New Black
Game of Thrones
Homeland
The Good Wife
Mr. Robot
House of Cards
Downton Abbey

Wildcards: Better Call Saul and The Americans
Dream pick: Jessica Jones and Outlander, both are sure to be overlooked genre fan-favorites, with strong female lead, which has us praying to the TV gods for a miracle.

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Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Paul Giammati, Billions
Kevin Spacey, House of Cards
Rami Malek, Mr. Robot
Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul
Kyle Chandler, Bloodline
Bobby Cannavale, Vinyl

Wildcards: Damian Lewis in Billions and Downton Abbey's Hugh Bonneville
Dream pick: Grant Gustin, whose performance as Barry Allen can make you laugh and cry in the blink of an eye. (Get it, because he's fast?) You can't help but root and feel for the guy.

Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Viola Davis, How to Get Away With Murder
Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey
Taraji P. Henson, Empire
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Robin Wright, House of Cards
Claire Danes, Homeland

Wildcards: Scandal's Kerry Washington, Outlander's Caitriona Balfe and Keri Russell for The Americans
Dream pick: Shiri Appleby for her fierce, fearless, frenzied-yet-focused portrayal of TV's new feminist icon, unREAL's uber-producer Rachel.

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Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Jon Voight, Ray Donovan
Jussie Smollett, Empire
Jonathan Banks, Better Call Saul
Alan Cumming, The Good Wife
Christian Slater, Mr. Robot

Wildcard: Jim Carter for Downton Abbey, Bloodline's Ben Mendelsohn, and Michael McKean for Better Call Saul
Dream pick: Tobias Menzies for Outlander. We dreamed it last year, and we're dreaming it again.

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

Wildcards: Bloodline's Sissy Spacek, unREAL's Constance Zimmer and take your pick from OITNB's stacked line-up.
Dream pick: Maura Tierney ‘cause all hail The Affair's Helen.

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COMEDY 

Outstanding Comedy Series
Veep
Modern Family
The Big Bang Theory
black-ish
Transparent
Silicon Valley
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Wildcard: Master of None, The Carmichael Show and Broad City
Dream pick: She might me crazy, but we don't want to break up with Crazy Ex-Girlfriend anytime soon. Oh, and You're the Worst. Because it's one of the best.

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Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Aziz Ansari, Master of None
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
Don Cheadle, House of Lies
Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent
Gael Garcia Bernal, Mozart in the Jungle
Anthony Anderson, black-ish

Wildcard: Will Forte for The Last Man on Earth and William H. Macy for Shameless
Dream pick: Fred Savage or Rob Lowe for The Grinder. No, we're STILL  not over that cancellation. RIP!

Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Tracee Ellis Ross, black-ish
Amy Schumer, Inside Amy Schumer
Rachel Bloom, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Ellie Kemper, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Constance Wu, Fresh Off the Boat

Wildcards: Melissa McCarthy for Mike and Molly, Love's Gillian Jacobs and Jane the Virgin's Gina Rodriguez
Dream pick:
Can we just have Broad City's Ilana and Abbi fill one slot together? Pretty please?

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Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Tony Hale, Veep
Tituss Burgess, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family
Laurence Fishburne, Black-ish
Keegan-Michael Key, Key and Peele

Wildcards: Andre Braugher for Brooklyn Nine-Nine and BasketsLouie Anderson
Dream pick: Jaime Camil for Jane the Virgin, for bringing the heart and the humor in equal measure. 

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, MoFam's Sofia Vergara and Carol Kane for Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Dream pick: For better or worse, this category tends to be lather, rinse, repeat, but we would down a cupcake or two if Girls' Allison Williams' name was read on Thursday morning.

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FX

Best Limited Series
The People v. O.J. Simpson
Fargo
American Crime
Roots
Show Me a Hero

Wildcards: London Spy, American Horror Story: Hotel and The Night Manager
Dream pick: Sorry not sorry that our dream pick is already a lock: The People v. O.J.!

Best TV Movie
Confirmation
All the Way
Luther
Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors
Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill
Sherlock: The Abominable Bride

Wildcards: The Dresser, Special Correspondents
Dream Pick: Come on, we have to go with A Very Murray Christmas.

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Best Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie
Courtney B. Vance, The People v. O.J. Simpson
Oscar Isaac, Show Me a Hero
Tom Hiddleston, The Night Manager
Bryan Cranston, All the Way
Idris Elba, Luther
Cuba Gooding Kr., The People v. O.J. Simpson

Wildcards: Sherlock's Benedict Cumberbatch and Patrick Wilson for Fargo
Dream pick: Bill Murray for A Very Murray Christmas. Do we really need to explain why?

Best Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie
Sarah Paulson, The People v. O.J. Simpson
Kerry Washington, Confirmation
Lili Taylor, American Crime
Kirsten Dunst, Fargo
Lady Gaga, American Horror Story: Hotel
Felicity Huffman, American Crime

Wildcards: Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill's Audra McDonald and The Girlfriend Experience's Riley Keough
Dream pick: Shanice Williams for making sure EVERYONE knew who she was after her star-making turn in The Wiz Live!.

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FX

Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie
Sterling K. Brown, The People v. O.J. Simpson
John Travolta, The People v. O.J. Simpson
Wendell Pierce, Confirmation
Connor Jessup, American Crime
Jesse Plemons, Fargo
Forest Whitaker, Roots

Wildcards: Hugh Laurie for The Night Manager, Fargo's Ted Danson and People v. O.J. Simpson's Nathan Lane and David Schwimmer.
Dream pick: While even including Jessup was a long shot, we can't help but to root for American Crime's Joey Pollari, too. (That being said: Sterling K. Brown FTW!)

Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or TV Movie
Sarah Paulson, American Horror Story: Hotel
Jean Smart, Fargo
Regina King, American Crime
Anika Noni Rose, Roots
Olivia Colman, The Night Manager
Melissa Leo, All the Way

Wildcards: Kathy Bates for AHS: Hotel, Confirmation's Jennifer Hudson and Elizabeth Debicki from The Night Manager
Dream pick: Any of Roots' other supporting stars, including Emayatzy Corinealdi, Anna Paquin and Erica Tazel.

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