Close calls: The state of the 2025 Emmy drama race
One year after the FX drama Shōgun left the drama field in the dust with a record-setting 18 Emmy Award victories, the category is more competitive than it has been in years.
At least four shows can make a serious case for being chosen as the eventual winner, starting with the odds-on frontrunner, Severance. The Apple TV+ drama series returned to the streamer three years after its acclaimed debut season landed 14 overall Emmy bids, including Best Drama Series, Best Drama Actor for Adam Scott, Best Drama Supporting Actor for John Turturro and Christopher Walken, and Best Drama Supporting Actress for Patricia Arquette. Thanks to a second season that consistently surprised and delighted its fans, the expectation is that Severance will significantly expand that nominations tally, potentially adding nominations for Britt Lower (Best Drama Actress), Trammell Tillman (Best Drama Supporting Actor), Zach Cherry (Best Drama Supporting Actor), and Dichen Lachman (Best Drama Supporting Actress) in addition to its many Creative Arts Emmys nominations.
"I have a 19-year-old son who is a very smart kid with extremely amazing taste. This is his show, and when an episode comes out, we talk about it,” Conan O’Brien said in May during one of the many Severance FYC panels hosted by celebrities this season. O’Brien is among several celebrities who have stumped for Severance, alongside Emmy winners Quinta Brunson and Stephen Colbert. “Keep in mind, he does not love me. To give you some idea of how powerful this show is, he actively dislikes me because I’m a narcissist. But anyway, this show is doing such great work, and it’s an honor to be up here."
SEE The ultimate oral history of Severance Season 2
However, before Apple clears space on Tim Cook’s mantle for the Severance drama victory, consider the other top contenders in the field, including The Last of Us. The HBO series received 24 nominations for its breakout first season and won eight awards, including guest acting wins for Nick Offerman and Bella Ramsey. Season 2 upped the stakes significantly — spoiler alert — killing off Pedro Pascal’s Joel in what anecdotally felt like the most widely talked about television episode since Succession killed off Logan Roy in the early stages of its final season. Pascal and star Bella Ramsey are predicted to receive lead nominations once again. At the same time, series newcomers Isabela Merced, Catherine O’Hara, Jeffrey Wright, and Kaitlyn Dever are poised to compete for Emmy recognition as well.
HBO also has the third season of The White Lotus, a previous winner in the Best Limited Series field for Season 1 and one of the most widely embraced shows in the last five years. Season 3 boasted a typically stellar ensemble, including returning stars Natasha Rothwell (a nominee for Season 1) and Jon Gries, as well as newcomers like Parker Posey, Carrie Coon, Aimee Lou Wood, Walton Goggins, Sam Rockwell, and Jason Isaacs. According to the odds, Coon and Goggins, long beloved figures in the industry and online circles, are the frontrunners to win in the supporting categories, carrying on the tradition of The White Lotus star Jennifer Coolidge, who won twice in the supporting categories for her role in Season 1 and Season 2.
Not to be outdone, HBO's streaming sibling Max is also a top contender this year in the drama field, one year after winning Best Comedy Series with Hacks. The streamer's breakout freshman series The Pitt became an organic hit after its premiere in January, vaulting star, writer, and co-executive producer Noah Wyle to the top of the Best Drama Actor race. The medical drama, which puts the former ER Emmy Award nominee back in the emergency room across 15 high-stakes episodes that unfold in real time, is one of the most acclaimed new series of the year and threads the needle between prestige television and classic network-style storytelling with aplomb.
However, even if The Pitt doesn’t go all the way, network television may score an unexpected Emmy victory this fall. At the top of the Best Drama Actress race is Kathy Bates, whose delightful turn as the titular attorney on the CBS series Matlock could break recent history. The last time an actress from a network series won in the category was 10 years ago, when Viola Davis pulled off the victory for How to Get Away with Murder. Even if Bates doesn’t go all the way, the Best Drama Actress field has room for another historical first: Ramsey, currently in second place, would be the youngest winner in the category ever, beating two-time winner Zendaya.