FX; NBC; HBOThe biggest night for your favorite TV-loving friends (both real and fake, TV characters are friends too) is almost here. The 2017 Emmys—the 69th annual award show—are upon us.
This year, there's a nice mix of newcomers and old favorites in the mix, with some really deserving nominees in the mix. And some really "huh?!" nominees in the mix. It wouldn't be the Emmys without them.
Gone are Game of Thrones—didn't air within the eligibility time period—and Downton Abbey—ended—and in their places are first-season wonders The Handmaid's Tale, The Crown, Stranger Things, This Is Us and Westworld. Better Call Saul and House of Cards are nominated again.
Below, we're telling you who will (probably) win and who we think should (definitely) win.
Nominees: Better Call Saul, House of Cards, Stranger Things, The Handmaid's Tale, This Is Us, Westworld, The Crown
Last Year's Winner: Game of Thrones
Who Should Win: The Handmaid's Tale
Hulu's drama hit at just the right moment in our country, making it must-watch TV. Not only was it must-watch, it was beautifully done and featured actors giving the performances of their careers. Alexis Bledel already took home an Emmy for her work in the series in the Guest Actress category and that is absolutely the right win.
Who Will Win: The Handmaid's Tale
Sure, This Is Us is the first broadcast drama to breakthrough in the Emmys race in years and Netflix's Stranger Things and The Crown both wowed critics, but this is The Handmaid's Tale's award to lose.
Nominees: Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul), Kevin Spacey (House of Cards), Liev Schreiber (Ray Donovan), Matthew Rhys (The Americans), Milo Ventimiglia (This Is Us), Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us), Anthony Hopkins (Westworld)
Last Year's Winner: Rami Malek (Mr. Robot)
Who Should Win: Milo Ventimiglia (This Is Us)
You know Ventimiglia has the ability to make you feel all sorts of things thanks to his turn as Jess on Gilmore Girls (and his return in Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life), but this is the best work of Ventimiglia's career. As the kids say, we have all the feels when watching This Is Us and it's all thanks to Papa Pearson.
Who Will Win: Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us)
Sure, Hopkins is an acting legend and Ventimiglia is turning in the best performance of his career, but Brown, who won an Emmy last year for his work in The People v. O.J. Simpson, is one of the most soulful actors on TV right now.
Nominees: Robin Wright (House of Cards), Viola Davis (How to Get Away With Murder), Keri Russell (The Americans), Claire Foy (The Crown), Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid's Tale), Evan Rachel Wood (Westworld)
Last Year's Winner: Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black)
Who Should Win: Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid's Tale)
You better sit down for this: Moss has never won an Emmy. The Mad Men favorite carried the first season of The Handmaid's Tale on her shoulders and turned in some heartbreaking and inspiring performances with ease. Foy is her stiffest competition for playing Queen Elizabeth II in The Crown.
Who Will Win: Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid's Tale)
This is her year.
Nominees: Jonathan Banks (Better Call Saul), Mandy Patinkin (Homeland), Michael Kelly (House of Cards), David Harbour (Stranger Things), John Lithgow (The Crown), Ron Cephas Jones (This Is Us), Jeffrey Wright (Westworld)
Last Year's Winner: Ben Mendelsohn (Bloodline)
Who Should Win: John Lithgow (The Crown)
Lithgow is an actor of all trades, seamlessly transitioning between drama and comedy. His performance as Winston Churchill was powerful and sad as the leader desperately tried to remain in power. Lithgow's biggest competition would've been Michael McKean for Better Call Saul, but somehow he wasn't even nominated!
Who Will Win: John Lithgow (The Crown)
The Emmys love a good period drama and with The Handmaid's Tale probably shutting The Crown out of other key categories, he'll get this one.
Nominees: Uzo Aduba (Orange Is the New Black), Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things), Ann Dowd (The Handmaid's Tale), Samira Wiley (The Handmaid's Tale), Chrissy Metz (This Is Us), Thandie Newton (Westworld)
Last Year's Winner: Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey)
Who Should Win: Thandie Newton (Westworld)
The TV Academy came around to fantasy for Game of Thrones, they would be right to take notice of Newton's great performance in HBO's latest fantasy offering.
Who Will Win: Chrissy Metz (This Is Us)
Metz is great in This Is Us, she has a touching story about the show being her big break and that will garner her votes. Never forget her drumming scene.
Nominees: Atlanta, black-ish, Master of None, Modern Family, Silicon Valley, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Veep
Last Year's Winner: Veep
Who Should Win: black-ish
ABC's comedy is the best broadcast sitcom—scratch that, one of TV's best sitcoms (not limited to broadcast) and it's time it was recognized. The series keeps getting better and better and will go down as a true TV classic when its days are finally done—but that won't be any time soon.
Who Will Win: Veep
The TV Academy will stay on the Veep train again, even though this season was uneven and certainly not its best.
Nominees: Donald Glover (Atlanta), Zach Galifianakis (Baskets), Anthony Anderson (black-ish), Aziz Ansari (Master of None), William H. Macy (Shameless), Jeffrey Tambor (Transparent)
Last Year's Winner: Jeffrey Tambor (Transparent)
Who Should Win: Donald Glover (Atlanta)
Glover's Atlanta is up for a number of awards and he'll likely be honored in the Lead Actor in a Comedy category as a way of recognizing the show itself and everything he does behind the scenes.
Who Will Win: Donald Glover (Atlanta)
See above!
Nominees: Pamela Adlon (Better Things), Tracee Ellis Ross (black-ish), Jane Fonda (Grace & Frankie), Lily Tomlin (Grace & Frankie), Allison Janney (Mom), Ellie Kemper (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep)
Last Year's Winner: Julia Louis Dreyfus (Veep)
Who Should Win: Pamela Adlon (Better Things)
Better Things is unlike any show on TV right now thanks to Adlon, who also serves as co-creator and writer on the series. Like Glover, this would be the way to honor Adlon for all she does on Better Things. And if you're not watching Better Things, consider this your moment to rectify that.
Who Will Win: Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep)
The Veep star will remain undefeated. Even though this wasn't Veep's strongest season, Louis-Dreyfus is still wildly entertaining and delivering a performance for the ages.
Nominees: Louie Anderson (Baskets), Ty Burrell (Modern Family), Alec Baldwin (Saturday Night Live), Tituss Burgess (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), Tony Hale (Veep), Matt Walsh (Veep)
Last Year's Winner: Louie Anderson (Baskets)
Who Should Win: Tituss Burgess (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt)
The Emmys have largely ignored Kimmy Schmidt for some reason, just handing out nominations and never any wins. Burgess steals every single scene he's in and even gave Beyoncé a run for her money with his very own Lemonade. He deserves the statue.
Who Will Win: Alec Baldwin (Saturday Night Live)
Yes, even though he's not a main cast member, Baldwin is eligible for a Supporting Actor Emmy based on how many times he appeared on SNL as Donald Trump. His impression is spot-on and generated endless viral moments.
Nominees: Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live), Leslie Jones (Saturday Night Live), Vanessa Bayer (Saturday Night Live), Judith Light (Transparent), Kathryn Hahn (Transparent), Anna Chlumsky (Veep)
Last Year's Winner: Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live)
Who Should Win: Vanessa Bayer (Saturday Night Live)
This was Bayer's last season and she delivered a number of memorable characters, including Dawn Lazarus, the Totino's wife and Rachel from Friends. For seven years she was SNL's true MVP, always delivering with whatever scene she was in. She went out on top.
Who Will Win: Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live)
Last year's winner will repeat and for good reason—McKinnon is beyond great and SNL is still riding high on the 2016 presidential election and Trump presidency and McKinnon created a number of viral performances out of the news.
You may have noticed we didn't include the Outstanding Limited Series or TV Movie categories in here because Big Little Lies is going to sweep those. Everybody loves Monterey and Nicole Kidman.
The 2017 Emmys air Sunday, Sept. 17 at 8 p.m. on CBS.