A Handy Guide to the 2022 Emmy Nominees

Remember this spring, when every weekend brought at least two or three buzzy new shows, each with a cast full of big names and often adapting a familiar ripped-from-the-headlines story? There was The Staircase, The Dropout, Inventing Anna, Under the Banner of Heaven, Pam & Tommy, The Girl from Plainville, Gaslit, The Thing About Pam, WeCrashed, Candy, and probably more—who could keep track?

Since then, it feels like the release of Big Shows has slowed, and it’s all thanks to one factor: The Emmys. Eligibility for this year’s awards had a cut-off date of May 31st, hence a spring so full of glossy, starry releases that it was pretty much impossible to keep up with them all.

On Tuesday, we finally found out whether or not it all paid off, as the Television Academy announced the 2022 Emmy nominees. So how did it all work out for the numerous but largely forgettable members of the true-crime adaptation crowd? What about the smaller, more surprising hits like Yellowjackets and Severance? Take a gander at our guide to the nominees.

Outstanding Drama Series

• Better Call Saul (AMC)
• Euphoria (HBO)
• Ozark (Netflix)
• Severance (Apple TV+)
• Squid Game (Netflix)
• Stranger Things (Netflix)
• Succession (HBO)
• Yellowjackets (Showtime)

Bet On: Succession, obviously.

Would Love to See It: Severance and Yellowjackets were two of the most exciting shows of last year, and I’d be psyched to see either one snatch the top prize.

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Outstanding Comedy Series

• Abbott Elementary (ABC)
• Barry (HBO)
• Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
• Hacks (HBO Max)
• The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)
• Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
• Ted Lasso (Apple)
• What We Do in the Shadows (FX)

Bet On: Ted Lasso may have swept the competition last time around, but this feels like Abbott Elementary’s year.

Would Love to See It: Abbott Elementary, but also What We Do in the Shadows!

Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series

• Dopesick (Hulu)
• The Dropout (Hulu)
• Inventing Anna (Netflix)
• Pam & Tommy (Hulu)
• The White Lotus (HBO)

Bet On: The Dropout. (Though why no nod for The Staircase?)

Would Love to See It: I’m not the world’s biggest White Lotus fan, but it had an element of refreshing unpredictability compared to the rest of the true crime recaps it’s up against.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

• Donald Glover (Atlanta)
• Bill Hader (Barry)
• Nicholas Hoult (The Great)
• Steve Martin (Only Murders in the Building)
• Martin Short (Only Murders in the Building)
• Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso)

Bet On: Jason Sudeikis

Would Love to See It: Martin Short is absolutely perfection in Only Murders in the Building.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

• Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)
• Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary)
• Kaley Cuoco (The Flight Attendant)
• Elle Fanning (The Great)
• Issa Rae (Insecure)
• Jean Smart (Hacks)

Bet On: Quinta Brunson

Would Love to See It: Quinta Brunson! Though there’s no such thing as too many Emmys for Jean Smart.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

• Jason Bateman (Ozark)
• Brian Cox (Succession)
• Lee Jung-jae (Squid Game)
• Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul)
• Adam Scott (Severance)
• Jeremy Strong (Succession)

Bet On: Jeremy Strong

Would Love to See It: Adam Scott. Honestly, I’d be just fine with Severance winning in every category it’s nominated.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

• Jodie Comer (Killing Eve)
• Laura Linney (Ozark)
• Melanie Lynskey (Yellowjackets)
• Sandra Oh (Killing Eve)
• Reese Witherspoon (The Morning Show)
• Zendaya (Euphoria)

Bet On: Zendaya

Would Love to See It: Melanie Lynskey would be a massively deserving pick, but then there’s also the nearly unbelievable fact that 13-time nominee Sandra Oh still doesn’t have an Emmy to her name.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

• Colin Firth (The Staircase)
• Andrew Garfield (Under the Banner of Heaven)
• Oscar Isaac (Scenes from a Marriage)
• Michael Keaton (Dopesick)
• Himesh Patel (Station Eleven)
• Sebastian Stan (Pam & Tommy)

Bet On: Michael Keaton won the Golden Globe, if that still counts for something.

Would Love to See It: Colin Firth—he really nailed Staircase guy’s incredibly creepy way.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

• Toni Collette (The Staircase)
• Julia Garner (Inventing Anna)
• Lily James (Pam & Tommy)
• Sarah Paulson (Impeachment: American Crime Story)
• Margaret Qualley (Maid)
• Amanda Seyfried (The Dropout)

Bet On It: Amanda Seyfried

Would Love to See It: If Toni Collette doesn’t get an Emmy and/or Golden Globe for those death scenes, I’ll riot.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

• Anthony Carrigan (Barry)
• Brett Goldstein (Ted Lasso)
• Toheeb Jimoh (Ted Lasso)
• Nick Mohammed (Ted Lasso)
• Tony Shalhoub (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)
• Tyler James Williams (Abbott Elementary)
• Henry Winkler (Barry)
• Bowen Yang (Saturday Night Live)

Bet On It: This category is filled with older shows that audiences seem a little less excited about than they once did, so I’m finding it tough to make a pick. Tyler James Williams could win as part of an Abbott sweep, or maybe it could go to veteran winners Henry Winkler, Tony Shalhoub, or Brett Goldstein.

Would Love to See It: Let’s make it an Abbott sweep, baby!

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

• Alex Borstein (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)
• Hannah Einbinder (Hacks)
• Janelle James (Abbott Elementary)
• Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live)
• Sarah Niles (Ted Lasso)
• Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary)
• Juno Temple (Ted Lasso)
• Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso)

Bet On It: Departing SNL cast member Kate McKinnon could absolutely snag another Emmy for the road.

Would Love to See It: Either Janelle James or Sheryl Lee Ralph would be just fine by me.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

• Nicholas Braun (Succession)
• Billy Crudup (The Morning Show)
• Kieran Culkin (Succession)
• Park Hae-soo (Squid Game)
• Matthew Macfadyen (Succession)
• John Turturro (Severance)
• Christopher Walken (Severance)
• Oh Yeong-su (Squid Game)

Bet On It: It’s probably going to be one of the Succession boys, and if so, it should be Matthew Macfadyen.

Would Love to See It: Is it possible for John Turturro and Christopher Walken to both win somehow?

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

• Patricia Arquette (Severance)
• Julia Garner (Ozark)
• Jung Ho-yeon (Squid Game)
• Christina Ricci (Yellowjackets)
• Rhea Seehorn (Better Call Saul)
• J. Smith-Cameron (Succession)
• Sarah Snook (Succession)
• Sydney Sweeney (Euphoria)

 Bet On It: Sarah Snook, though J. Smith Cameron also feels like a strong and deserving pick.

Would Love to See It: Misty Quigley should absolutely be recognized by the Television Academy, but then again so should Patricia Arquette.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

• Murray Bartlett (The White Lotus)
• Jake Lacy (The White Lotus)
• Will Poulter (Dopesick)
• Seth Rogen (Pam & Tommy)
• Peter Sarsgarrd (Dopesick)
• Michael Stuhlbarg (Dopesick)
• Steve Zahn (The White Lotus)

Bet On It: Murray Bartlett or Steve Zahn.

Would Love to See It: Murray Bartlett or Steve Zahn!!

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

• Connie Britton (The White Lotus)
• Jennifer Coolidge (The White Lotus)
• Alexandra Daddario (The White Lotus)
• Kaitlyn Dever (Dopesick)
• Natasha Rothwell (The White Lotus)
• Sydney Sweeney (The White Lotus)
• Mare Winningham (Dopesick)

Bet On It: So many White Lotus ladies, so little time. It’s got to be Jennifer Coolidge, though.

Would Love to See It: Again, this award absolutely must go to Jennifer Coolidge.