We’ll be updating this article throughout the season, along with all of our predictions, so be sure to keep checking IndieWire for the latest news from the 2023 Emmy race. Nomination voting will run June 15-26, with nominees official at the Emmys announced Wednesday, July 12. The Creative Arts Emmy Awards will be presented on two consecutive nights on Saturday, September 9 and Sunday, September 10, with a curated presentation of the ceremonies airing on FXX at a later date. Finally, the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards will take place on Monday, September 18 and will air live on FOX at 8pm ET / 5pm PT.
See our previous thoughts on what to expect at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards here.
The state of the breed
All the actresses who have portrayed Queen Elizabeth II on “The Crown” thus far have won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, but the wins went to Claire Foy and Olivia Colman for season two in the role. While one might assume that the monarch’s recent death and his son’s coronation have a chance to give Imelda Staunton’s Emmy campaign a boost, the jury is still out on how much the disappointing fifth season of the first Netflix show to win resonated. the outstanding drama series with voters.
Sure, they could go for the familiar, but looking at Netflix’s two other contenders, one from a ‘Bridgerton’ project and the other a three-time Emmy nominee, both shows whose first few seasons were successful, the ‘Queen Charlotte’ star India Amarteifio or “The Diplomat” star Keri Russell may have an even better shot than “The Crown” newcomer Staunton has for a nomination.
But the biggest new contender in the lead actress in a drama series race is “Succession” star Sarah Snook, who chose to elevate herself out of the supporting category (where she’d been nominated twice before) for her final run in the cloths calculator Shiv Roy.
Although Snook is a star of the reigning winner of the Outstanding Drama Series, he still doesn’t have the same name recognition as “Yellowjackets” stars Juliette Lewis or Melanie Lynskey, the latter of whom is widely accepted to have finished second in the category the last year (though we’ll never know the truth since the TV Academy doesn’t release the numbers to the public).
In fact, with “Killing Eve” and “Ozark” ending last season, and “Euphoria” and “The Morning Show” both in hiatus that deems them ineligible for Emmys this year, Lynskey is the only candidate from the last year which could make a comeback appearance in this category. And yet, with those showing the picture and new schedules that are nowhere near as sizzling as the first season of “Yellowjackets,” there’s also a good chance that co-stars Tawny Cypress and Sophie Nélisse, who plays the teen version of Lynskey’s character on the Showtime series, join her next nominations in late June.
Current contenders (in alphabetical order):
India Amarteifio, “Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story” (Netflix)
Christine Baranski, “The Good Fight” (Paramount+)
Tawny Cypress, “Yellow Jackets” (Showtime)
Emma D’Arcy, “House of the Dragon” (HBO)
Brandee Evans, “P-Valley” (Starz)
Sharon Horgan, “Bad Sisters” (Apple TV+)
Juliette Lewis, “Yellow Jackets” (Showtime)
Melanie Lynskey, “Yellow Jackets” (Showtime)
Helen Mirren, “1923” (Paramount+)
Elisabeth Moss, “The Handmaid’s Tale” (Hulu)
Sophie Nélisse, “Yellow Jackets” (Showtime)
Bella Ramsey, “The Last of Us” (HBO)
Keri Russell, “The Diplomat” (Netflix)
Sarah Snook, “Succession” (HBO)
Imelda Staunton, “The Crown” (Netflix)
More forecasts for the Drama category:
Outstanding Drama Series
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
To see IndieWire’s full set of predictions for the 75th Emmy Awards click here.
Last year’s winner: Zendaya, “Euphoria”
Still eligible: NO.
Hot Series: There are no stripes possible here in the traditional sense. It’s been a decade since an actress has won this award in consecutive years, and with “Euphoria” not returning anytime soon, that isn’t going to change this year. That said, Imelda Staunton has a shot at becoming the third actress to win an Emmy for playing Queen Elizabeth II in ‘The Crown.’ Her predecessors won for their second season playing her, not their first season.
Notable ineligible series: Britt Lower, “Severance” (Season 2 was ineligible); Zendaya, “Euphoria” (Season 3 was ineligible); Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, “The Morning Show” (season 3 was ineligible); Millie Bobby Brown, “Stranger Things” (season 5 was ineligible); Jodie Comer and Sandra Oh, “Killing Eve” (finished); Laura Linney, “Ozark” (terminated); Mandy Moore, “This is Us” (finished)
