We will update this article throughout the season, along with all our predictions, so make sure to keep checking IndieWire for the latest news from the 2025 Emmys race. The nomination round of voting takes place from June 12 to June 23, with the official Emmy nominations announced Tuesday, July 15. Afterwards, final voting commences on August 18 and ends the night of August 27. The 77th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards are set to take place on Sunday, September 14, and air live on CBS at 8:00 p.m. ET/ 5:00 p.m. PT.
The State of the Race
FX has the option to do the funniest thing.
The reigning network in the Outstanding Drama Series race does not boast a major contender this time around, as it has already canceled “The Old Man” (which did earn star Jeff Bridges an Emmy nomination for Season 1), and has not received the greatest ratings and reviews for new Ryan Murphy show “Grotesquerie.” Maybe it is time for FX to call the naysayers’ bluff and submit “The Bear” as a drama.
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Looking at the more realistic possibilities, HBO is having a big comeback year. Two Emmys ago, it tied the record for most nominees in one series category with “House of the Dragon,” “The Last of Us,” “The White Lotus,” and “Succession” filling up four out of the eight nomination slots. Though the latter series, which won, is over, HBO is still in strong standing now that “The Pitt,” from its sister network Max, has become one of the breakthrough shows of this current TV season. One could argue “House of the Dragon” is most vulnerable, but it had one of the first FYC events of the season at Television Academy headquarters, and the theater was fully packed with eager attendees.
That HBO/Max dominance is all great for Warner Bros. Discovery, which could use a win, but makes the Drama awards landscape not super-ideal for other companies. Going back under the Disney umbrella, which includes FX, ABC, Hulu, etc., the latter streaming service is the only one boasting a previous Outstanding Drama Series winner. In fact, “The Handmaid’s Tale” is the first streaming series ever to win the category, and did so for its premiere season. The question becomes, would Television Academy members want to bookend their love for the show by nominating its final season? Or are they already more partial toward “Paradise,” the latest Hulu hit that already had its FYC event where its Emmy-winning stars Sterling K. Brown and Julianne Nicholson really charmed attendees in the massive room?
Next, looking at the usual suspects, Netflix has “Squid Game” and “Bridgerton,” which have both been nominated in the category before, but is still figuring out which drama to put its full weight behind. For example, “The Diplomat” Season 2 went over even better with the crowd that votes on Emmys (the addition of seven-time winner Allison Janney certainly helps), but is still getting ready to premiere “Forever” and “Department Q,” from veteran showrunners Mara Brock Akil and Scott Frank, respectively, so it will be interesting to see how Netflix’s awards strategy evolves. If it got “3 Body Problem” nominated, which did not have as passionate a reaction as some of the other shows listed above, it is safe to count on Netflix to secure at least one nomination slot.
Finally, the drama most permeating the culture right now is “Severance” on Apple TV+, which was nominated for Outstanding Drama Series its first season, and has only become exponentially more popular. It is the strongest of the remaining previous nominees back in the race that have not been mentioned so far, like “Andor” (Disney+), “Slow Horses” (Apple TV+), and “Yellowjackets” (Showtime), and could even win this time.
As for more buzzy new shows, Peacock’s “The Day of the Jackal” popped up in quite a few winter awards races, but it is two shows under the Paramount umbrella, “Matlock” (CBS) and “Landman” (Paramount+), that seem to have a little more momentum going into Emmys season.
Current Contenders (In Alphabetical Order):
“Andor” (Disney+)
“The Day of the Jackal” (Peacock)
“The Diplomat” (Netflix)
“The Handmaid’s Tale” (Hulu)
“House of the Dragon” (HBO)
“The Last of Us” (HBO)
“Landman” (Paramount+)
“Matlock” (CBS)
“Paradise” (Hulu)
“The Pitt” (Max)
“Slow Horses” (Apple TV+)
“Severance” (Apple TV+)
“Squid Game” (Netflix)
“The White Lotus” (HBO)
“Yellowjackets” (Showtime)
More Drama Category Predictions:
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Outstanding Lead Actress 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 77th Emmy Awards, click here.
Last Year’s Winner: “Shōgun”
Still Eligible: No.
Hot Streak: With “Shōgun” off the table, and FX not having any big dramas in the race yet, the 2025 Emmys will more likely start a new hot streak for a show and/or network rather than build off any previous successes.
Notable Ineligible Series: “The Crown” (ended); “The Morning Show” (Season 4 is not eligible); “The Gilded Age” (Season 3 is not eligible); “Shōgun” (Season 2 is not eligible); “3 Body Problem” (Season 2 is not eligible); “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” (Season 2 is not eligible); “Fallout” (Season 2 is not eligible).
