The Emmy season is in high gear as the best of the small screen competes for ratings and gold. This year, we’ve seen some unprecedented rule changes that’ll make this year one to remember. So, check out our 2015 Emmy Predictions!
Best Actress in a Drama Series
Best Supporting Actor in Drama Series
Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Best Actor in a Comedy Series
Best Actress in a Comedy Series
Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
It seems that every year it’s becoming harder and harder to figure out who will win Supporting Actor in a Drama Series at the Emmys. However, this year we’re even having the problem or predicting who will be nominated. With 4-time winner Aaron Paul and The Good Wife favorite Josh Charles out of the race, we automatically have to open slots. However, you have to factor in surefire new nominee Jonathan Banks (Better Call Saul), who contends again after being nominated for Breaking Bad, to take up another spot.
After Jonathan Banks, the rest of the category gets a little cloudy. It’s going to be hard to count out perennial nominee Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) who won for the first episode of the epic series. However, with a less prominent role this season, he could be pushed out for Kit Harrington whose performance and story arc was highly lauded this season.
Mandy Patinkin (Homeland) has a strong chance of coming back after the series had creative resurgence, however it could be little too late for the Emmy winning series. A new nominee like Ben Mendohlson (Bloodline) or Michael Kelly (House of Cards) could make an appearance if an also ran nominee like Jim Carter (Downton Abbey) gets pushed out. However, there’s little room to add them in if Jon Voight (Ray Donovan) makes an appearance.
If you couldn’t tell by this frantic article, I have little idea who’s going to be nominated. However, it’s time to make my final predictions. But be warned, I’m making no locks for this category. It’s truly anyone’s game.
1. Jonathan Banks, Better Call Saul
2. Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
3. Ben Mendohlson, Bloodline
4. Jon Voight, Ray Donovan
5. Jim Carter, Downton Abbey
6. Michael Kelly, House of Cards
Drama Series is pretty much done for me. A lot of people are going to say True Detective can win, Game of Thrones can win, House of Cards can win, but Breaking Bad will win.
Although my confidence was a bit shaken when True Detective hauled in 4 awards at the Creative Arts Emmys, I still believe Breaking Bad is close to a lock. It hasn’t shown many signs of strength thus far, but it also hasn’t shown any signs of weakness. It again won Picture Editing as it did last year, but most pundits expected the show to win most of its awards at the main ceremony. With the powerful buzz around the final season, its increase in nominations, and nominations in key categories give Breaking Bad all it needs to pull off a win.
If there was an alternative, it would be True Detective. Before the Creative Arts Emmys, I would have said that House of Cards was the alternate choice. It is probably one of the biggest cultural phenomenons since Breaking Bad went off air and it received surprise nominations in the guest and writing categories. However, following its already impressive success, True Detective is the clear alternative.
[maxbutton id=”3″]
1. Breaking Bad
2. True Detective
3. Game of Thrones
4. House of Cards
5. Mad Men
6. Downton Abbey
Supporting Actress in a Drama Series is going to be a tough category to hash out. Emmy favorite Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey) returns, unopposed by two-time winner Anna Gunn, as does perennial nominee Christine Baranski (The Good Wife).
Smith has already won twice for the role before being stopped when Anna Gunn won twice for Breaking Bad. However, with some Downton fatigue and a stronger focus on episode submissions she may not be the juggernaut she has been in past years.
Baranski, on the other hand, has the benefit of The Good Wife‘s creative resurgence and a slew of episode submissions to pick from.
Who they have to look out for is Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black), who joins the race after OITNB was classified as a drama. With her strong awards history and extreme likability make her an instant threat in this race.
After these three women, the field widens up. Christina Hendricks (Mad Men) has been nominated for this award 5 times, which pushes her into overdue territory along with Christine Baranski. However, with Mad Men‘s waning nominations, she could be dropped. Of course, the potential buzz around the final season can keep her in the race.
If we’re going by buzz, then Lena Headey (Game of Thrones) will certainly have an extreme edge with the deafening noise that Game of Thrones causes whenever an episode airs. Also, based on the source material, she will have a plethora of episodes to choose from.
Other possibilities include Oscar winner Sissy Spacek (Bloodline) and this year’s Golden Globe winner for Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries, or TV Movie Joanne Froggatt (Downton Abbey).
Check out our full 2015 Emmy Predictions here!
Strong Possibilities
1. Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
2. Uzo Aduba, Orange is the New Black
3. Christine Baranski, The Good Wife
On shaky ground
4. Christina Hendricks, Mad Men
5. Lena Headey, Game of Thrones
6. Sissy Spacek, Bloodline
7. Joanne Froggatt, Downton Abbey
The rest of the field
8. Kate Mulgrew, Orange is the New Black
9. Alfre Woodard, State of Affairs
10. Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones
Last year in Supporting Actor in a Drama Series we had a fierce three man race that ended with Aaron Paul taking his third Emmy for Breaking Bad. Now, with two of those men gone from contention, we just have Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) left in the race. Dinklage won an Emmy for the first season of the series with a heartbreaking speech in the episode “Baelor.” This year, he doesn’t need anything as rousing with this relatively weak field.
His immediate competitor is Jonathan Banks (Better Call Saul). He was previously nominated for the role in 2013 for Breaking Bad becoming the first and only actor to be nominated twice in that category for different shows. Although he may not have some of the stellar material that Dinklage has, he definitely has the urgency.
The next three spots are going to go to “perennial” nominees Mandy Patinkin (Homeland), Jon Voight (Ray Donovan), and Jim Carter (Downton Abbey). In any other year Patinkin and Carter would be on the chopping block. However, in this relatively weak year in this category they are comfortably in and nominated.
The last spot is really up in the air. If Michael Kelly (House of Cards) has a good shot if the show is a big hit at the Emmys. He’d also have a plethora of episodes to choose to submit. However, if House of Cards doesn’t have an uptick in nominations like I think it will, then it really just becomes a name game.
There aren’t any shows with supporting actors that could get in purely on buzz, the only one is really Ben Mendelsohn (Bloodline). He received strong critical acclaim for his performance and Netflix could push him hard in the category.
After that, veteran actor Michael McKean (Better Call Saul) and previous nominees Alan Cumming (The Good Wife) and John Slattery (Mad Men) have the next best shots.
Frontrunners
1. Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
2. Jonathan Banks, Better Call Saul
Perennial Nominees
3. Mandy Patinkin, Homeland
4. Jon Voight, Ray Donovan
5. Jim Carter, Downton Abbey
Could be any of them
6. Michael Kelly, House of Cards
7. Ben Mendelsohn, Bloodline
8. Michael McKean, Better Call Saul
9. Alan Cumming, The Good Wife
10. John Slattery, Mad Men
Like its drama counterpart, Lead Actress in a Comedy Series is a crowded field this year. Three-time winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep) returning to the race, overdue industry and fan favorite Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation), and veteran actresses Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda (Grace and Frankie) co-starring in a new Netflix (which is red-hot at the Emmys) already make the category heavy enough. However, now comes the process of fitting in the new stars and the perennially nominated women.
With Tina Fey and Netflix backing her star-vehicle, Ellie Kemper (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) should be in no matter how her quirky show does at the Emmys.
Golden Globe winner Gina Rodriguez (Jane the Virgin) seems to have some momentum going for her, and considering her acclaim and success early in the year it’s obvious that the often ignored CW will be campaigning hard.
With two new actresses possibly joining the lineup, that would mean that Emmy favorite Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie) could be pushed out. It might be unwise to predict that such a no brainer nominee would be snubbed, however I could see scenario where the category is expanded to 7 with a tie somewhere in the voting.
Another new nominee that could pop up is Lisa Kudrow (The Comeback), a favorite from Friends who self parodies in her new show, which is the actually be her comeback.
Check out all of our 2015 Emmy Predictions here!
Strong Frontrunners
1. Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
2. Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation
The Veterans
3. Lily Tomlin, Grace and Frankie
4. Jane Fonda, Grace and Frankie
Could be any of them
5. Ellie Kemper, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
6. Gina Rodriguez, Jane the Virgin
7. Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
8. Lisa Kudrow, The Comeback
Other Contenders
9. Melissa McCarthy, Mike and Molly
10. Lena Dunham, Girls
The last time the winner of Best Picture wasn’t at least nominated for Best Film Editing was 1980 when Ordinary People won the top prize. That’s a long time. To make the trend even stronger, in 2005 Best Picture frontrunner Brokeback Mountain lost out to Crash. Guess what film wasn’t nominated for Best Film Editing. Boyhood had a fight on it’s hand when Birdman was in the race. However, with the film out of the running, it looks like Boyhood should win this pretty easily.
The first of two films that are going to give Boyhood some chase is The Grand Budapest Hotel. Wes Anderson’s caper surprised in this category. However, with its lead in the nominations and win on the comedy side at the ACE Eddie Awards (Boyhood took the drama award), it’s going to be the closest to upsetting Boyhood.
The other scenario I can see playing out is Whiplash surprising. This category usually goes with a Best Picture frontrunner, if not the winner. However, Whiplash wins here in the event that the best edited film wins. Many pundits predicted Captain Phillips last year because it was the most clearly edited film. However, Whiplash is not only the most clearly edited, it also is the most beautifully stitched together.
Boyhood is still solidly out front to win. I mean, they had to edit 12 years worth of material. However, it’s not the absolute lock we thought it was.
[maxbutton id=”3″]
Will Win: Boyhood
Could Win: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Should Win: Whiplash
Should have been nominated: For me, the best editing is the one that you can’t see, so A Most Violent Year would have been a worthy addition.
What’s better than the same 5 guys being nominated for SAG, Golden Globes, and Oscars?
Maybe the same guy winning.
J.K. Simmons has swept his way through the awards season on the coattails of his now infamous character of Fletcher, the abusive jazz director that demands excellence and a commitment to honoring the greats. There’s almost no chance of him losing now that the nominees have been finalized, and his race is one to take to the bank.
That being said, the flashy Simmons performance has a couple downsides if you’re willing to pick a monstrous upset. He’s not a big-name actor, and Whiplash was not the sort of film to galvanize the Oscar campaign troops, despite its solid critical response. An actor like Ethan Hawke, let’s say, could try to shake and smile his way to a win behind the powerful performance in most-likely Best Picture winner Boyhood. Ed Norton is a small threat as well.
Yet, don’t be too smart for your own good. Lock in Simmons.
[maxbutton id=”3″]
Will Win: J.K. Simmons, Whiplash
Could Win: Ethan Hawke, Boyhood
Should Win: Simmons…He was bad-ass.
Should’ve Been Nominated: Chris Pine- Into the Woods. Pine’s scene of singing “Agony” was one of my favorites of the year. Replace Duvall with him…Also, Andy Serkis…Apes….? Anyone?
With the expansion of the Best Picture category to ten nominees/whatever they’re doing with this sliding scale, Best Visual Effects has become one of the easier categories to predict at the Oscars. The winner tends to be whichever nominee is also nominated in Best Picture. Take Gravity, Hugo, Life of Pi, and Inception as examples from recent years. However, this year there is no Best Picture contender nominated. Instead, what we have is the film that has other nominations, which in this case is Interstellar.
The only other contender that could take it down is probably going to be Dawn of the Planet of the Apes its predecessor Rise mustered up a nomination, but failed to take the top prize, however with even stronger acclaim around the film this time around, it could pull off an upset, especially with Interstellar’s underperformance this year.
Guardians of the Galaxy takes the superhero slot this year with an enormous global box office total in tow. It has a small chance of upsetting over the other two superhero movies in this category. However, I think it’s more likely that the above two films win over it.
[maxbutton id=”3″]
Will Win: Interstellar
Could Win: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Should Win: Interstellar
Should’ve Been Nominated: Despite the title character’s lack of screentime, Godzilla still had gorgeous effects.
The 2015 Grammy awards are tonight, and although the winner are yet to be announced, we’re here to give you the lowdown on who’s ahead and who’s getting ready to upset. Use our easy navigator to check out our 2015 Grammy predictions!
Album of the Year
Oddly enough, AOTY is a pretty thin category this year in retrospect. There are two strong contenders for the top prize, then 3 other nominees that are just kind of there. Beyonce (Beyonce) has been the strong frontrunner since its surprise release in 2013. Although she took a hit after missing out easy nominations in Record and Song, she’s still looking like the frontrunner in this weak field. The only nominee that has a chance to dethrone the queen is In the Lonely Hour (Sam Smith). He led the nominations (tying with Beyonce and Pharrell) and was the only artist to receive nominations in all four general field categories. If there’s a spoiler in this race, it’s him.
Will Win: Beyonce, Beyonce
Could Win: In the Lonely Hour, Sam Smith
Should Win: Morning Phase, Beck
Record of the Year
With Beyonce absent in this category and the lack of a run away hit in this category, it looks like “Stay With Me 
(Darkchild Remix)” (Sam Smith feat. Mary J. Blige) is going to be the one to beat. Although “Fancy” (Iggy Azalea feat. Charlie XCX) is going to pose a pretty heft threat, it’s “Chandelier” (Sia) that could spoil Smith simply because it’s the most “clearly produced” song in the category.
Will Win: “Stay With Me (Darkchild Remix)”, Sam Smith feat. Mary J. Blige
Could Win: “Chandelier”, Sia
Should Win: “Stay With Me (Darkchild Remix)”, Sam Smith feat. Mary J. Blige
Song of the Year
Song and Record rarely match up, so if ROTY doesn’t goes as planned there is a chance that “Stay With Me” (Sam Smith) takes this instead. Either way, “Stay with Me” is taking home an award. Think of it as “Royals” from last year. However, I think the surprise frontrunner here is “Take Me to Church” (Hozier). It’s the classic singer-songwriter’s song and an enormous sleeper hit.
Will Win: “Take Me to Church” (Hozier)
Could Win: “Stay With Me” (Sam Smith)
Should Win: “Take Me to Church” (Hozier)
Best New Artist
Similarly to Macklemore last year, I’m just going to go with the New Artist nominee that also has the most nominations. Sam Smith is the solid frontrunner. The only nominee giving him chase is Iggy Azalea. However, this should be a pretty easy win for Smith.
Will Win: Sam Smith
Could Win: Iggy Azalea
Should Win: Haim
Pop Vocal Album
It’s going to be pretty easy to predict this category. The two nominees that overlap with AOTY are the two frontrunners. That’s In the Lonely Hour (Sam Smith) and X (Ed Sheeran). Then, then winner is going to be one of the frontrunners for AOTY: Smith. See? Easy.
Will Win: In the Lonely Hour, Sam Smith
Could Win: X, Ed Sheeran
Should Win: X, Ed Sheeran
Pop Solo Performance
I’m going to sound like a broken record, but Sam Smith (“Stay With Me”) is again the frontrunner here. However, I think that unlike most pundits, who are pretty unanimously saying Sia (“Chandelier”) is the spoiler, I think it’s going to be multi-Grammy winner John Legend (“All of Me”) to contest Smith.
Will Win: Sam Smith, “Stay With Me”
Could Win: John Legend, “All of Me”
Should Win: Either of the above men would be worthy
Pop Group/Duo Performance
I think it’s unlikely that Iggy Azalea leaves the night empty handed, and with the rap categories stacked with good music, it’s looking like it’s going to be on the pop side. Iggy Azalea and Charlie XCX (“Fancy”) are the strong frontrunners here. Mostly since there aren’t any other nominees that overlap in the general field, it’s unlikely anyone else wins. However, Coldplay (“A Sky Full of Stars”) is probably the only other nominee with a semblance of a chance.
Will Win: Iggy Azalea and Charli XCX (“Fancy”)
Could Win: Coldplay, (“A Sky Full of Stars”)
Should Win: Jessie J, Ariana Grande, Nicki Minaj (“Bang Bang”) solely because Nicki absolutely slays her verse
Rap Album
Last year was a disappointingly thin year for rap. Had Kendrick been nominated in this pool, he would’ve won in a walk. However, instead he was unceremoniously bumped for Macklemore and we get a weak crop of nominees. The smart money would be put on the only nominee with nominations in the general field, which would be The New Classic (Iggy Azalea). However, I can’t see the rap Gods (pun intended) ignoring the chance to award The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (Eminem), even if it pales in comparison to its predecessor.
Will Win: The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (Eminem)
Could Win: The New Classic (Iggy Azalea)
Should Win: Oxymoron (Schoolboy Q)
Rap Song
It’s rare that a song that is heavily sampled wins this award. However, with three nominees using samples, it’s looking like this year is going to buck the trend. I’m not well versed in this category, so I’m going to take a shot in the dark and say “i” (Kendrick Lamar) is going to bring the rapper is much deserved first Grammy. However, I’d also look out for the mega hit “Anaconda” (Nicki Minaj) to take the award.
Will Win: “i”, Kendrick Lamar
Could Win: “Anaconda”, Nicki Minaj
Should Win: “Anaconda”, Nicki Minaj
Rap Performance
What is incredible about this category is that without a general field contender, the winner should be the deserving nominee! Wow. What a foreign concept. That brings this category down to two contenders. I think that the clear frontrunner here is the very deserving Eminem (“Rap God”), however I wouldn’t count out Kendrick Lamar (“i”) especially after last year’s egregious shut out.
Will Win: Eminem, “Rap God”
Could Win: Kendrick Lamar, “i”
Should Win: Eminem, “Rap God”
Rap/Sung Collaboration
Kanye West has won this category four times in the past, so there’s a strong chance that “Bound 2” (Kanye West feat. Charlie Wilson) wins here. However, “The Monster” (Eminem feat. Rhianna) was a… well, monster hit. So you can’t count them out.
Rock Album
This is a pretty easy category. As with most categories, the nominee that overlaps with the general field is going to win here. Morning Phase (Beck) is the strong frontrunner. However, you can of course never count out Songs of Innocence (U2) in the race. The only other nominee that could upset here is Turn Blue (The Black Keys) who won the award in 2013.
Will Win: Morning Phase, Beck
Could Win: Songs of Innocence, U2
Should Win: Morning Phase, Beck
Rock Song
I’m going to switch up everything I stood for in this post and say that the general field contender isn’t going to win here. Although the album as a whole was lauded, “Blue Moon” (Beck) didn’t standout enough for it to win individually. Instead, I think the Grammys are going to go with one of their favorites. “Fever” (The Black Keys) is ahead here purely because Jack White hasn’t won in this category since 2003 for The White Stripes. That being said, “Lazaretto” (Jack White) is the spoiler.
Will Win: “Fever”, The Black Keys
Could Win: “Lazaretto”, Jack White
Should Win: “Fever”, The Black Keys
Rock Performance
This category hasn’t been around long enough to have any rhyme nor reason, so I’m just going to go with my same predictions as rock song. “Fever” (The Black Keys) is poised to win, while “Lazaretto” (Jack White) is in the spoiler position. However, “Gimme Something Good” (Ryan Adams) really deserves to win here.
Will Win: “Fever”, The Black Keys
Could Win: “Lazaretto”, Jack White
Should Win: “Gimme Something Good”, Ryan Adams
Urban Contemporary Album
Every single of her albums has won in this category, so it’s safe to say Beyonce (Beyonce) is pretty safe to win here. The only potential spoiler is her fellow AOTY contender GIRL (Pharrell).
Will Win: Beyonce, Beyonce
Could Win: GIRL, Pharrell
Should Win: Beyonce, Beyonce
Alternative Music Album
What are the requirements for this category? Anyway, this is where Jack White wins his Grammy this year. Lazaretto (Jack White) is the strong frontrunner, however the 2011 AOTY winners could take it with Reflektor (Arcade Fire) or the highly acclaimed St. Vincent (St. Vincent) can sneak in as well.
Will Win: Lazaretto, Jack White
Could Win: Reflektor, Arcade Fire
Should Win: St. Vincent, St. Vincent
R&B Performance
Beyonce. Beyonce. Beyonce. “Drunk in Love” (Beyonce) is so far ahead in this race that it’s not even going to be close. However, since this is a performance category, my should win has to go to “It’s Your World” (Jennifer Hudson feat. R. Kelly).
Will Win: “Drunk in Love” (Beyonce)
Could Win: N/A
Should Win: “It’s Your World” (Jennifer Hudson feat. R. Kelly)
The Oscar for Best Animated Feature is usually won in a walk. Frozen, Up, Toy Story 3 were all the frontrunners from close to the beginning of Oscar season and pulled it out all the way to the end. The only year in recent memory that the race was unclear was in 2012 when Brave pulled off a win over Paranorman, Frankenweenie, and Wreck-it-Ralph.
This year was looking closer to being another walk when The Lego Movie was released in February, and nearly every Oscar pundit called the race then and there.
Things got a bit awkward when it wasn’t even nominated.
So, it’s looking like the assumed runner-up and Golden Globe winner How to Train Your Dragon 2 is going to take this one. It received strong reviews and has been lauded for its emotional resonance, which continues the trend of past winners that were able to play to both kids and adults. However, the one knock against it is that only one sequel in the history of this category has won, Toy Story 3. It was one of the best reviewed movies of the year and received a Best Picture nomination to go along with its Animated Feature win.
If voters decide to go with the trend of awarding original features, then it’s pretty much open season. Although we could see a shocker like Song of the Sea, I think it’s more likely that the crowd pleaser Big Hero 6 upset How to Train Your Dragon.
Will Win: How to Train Your Dragon 2
Could Win: Big Hero 6
Should Win: How to Train Your Dragon 2
Should have been nominated: Um… The Lego Movie
[maxbutton id=”3″]
Every year since 2009 when Monique won for Precious, the winner of the race for Best Supporting Actress has pretty much swept every single award along the way and struck a hatred for her into our hearts. Don’t believe me? Look at Anne (with an E) Hathaway and Melissa “Take out my own FYC ad” Leo. This year looks like no exception with Patricia Arquette (Boyhood) looking like a lock for the prize. She has taken every award she needed SAG, Globes, Critics Choice. However, the one person we can see as a potential threat here is Emma Stone (Birdman). With Birdman on a surprising late resurgence in the season, it looks like it’s going to challenge Boyhood for Best Picture. If the Birdman love is strong enough, we could see her taken along for a sweep. It’s an unlikely scenario, but the only other one at that.
[maxbutton id=”3″]
Will Win: Patricia Arquette (Boyhood)
Could Win: Emma Stone (Birdman)
Should Win: Jessica Chastain (A Most Violent Year)
Should Have Been Nominated: Since Chastain already took my “Should Win” I’m going to give this to Rene Russo (Nightcrawler)
The Golden Globes are a finicky award show. Sometimes they predict the Oscar winners, sometimes they go with the buzz, and sometimes they go with the film that paid them the most (*cough*The Tourist*cough*). However, this year they seem to have strongly leaned toward the legitimate Oscar contenders. Even in the odd Musical or Comedy categories where three of the five nominees have legitimate Oscar shots.
Since the kudos are aired after the end of Oscar voting (literally the night of the day ballots are due), the winners are going to have on the Oscar nominees. However, they could indicate what frontrunners are keeping their lead and who could be gaining on them.
I think Sunday night is going to belong to Birdman with 4 predicted wins (Picture, Director, Actor, and Score). However, Oscar frontrunner Boyhood isn’t going to be far behind with 2 wins (Picture and Director). It’s important to note that these two films are only competing against each other in the combined genre categories since Birdman was submitted as a comedy (since that all makes sense). Use the simple navigator to switch between categories and sound off in the comments to tell us who you think is going to win at the Globes.
Check out our predictions for the TV categories here!
Best Motion Picture – Drama
Will Win: Boyhood
Could Win: Selma
Should Win: Boyhood
Similar to other categories, with its biggest rival out of the way, it looks like Boyhood is going to take this as another trophy on its way to the Oscars.
Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Will Win: Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything
Could Win: Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game
Should Win: Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything
With Michael Keaton out of the way, this should be a cake walk for Redmayne. On top of his status as Keaton’s biggest Oscar rival and phenomenal performance as Stephen Hawking, he’s coming from a film that’s a British production. Although Benedict Cumberbatch has similar pros, I don’t think Redmayne has too much to worry about.
Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Will Win: Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Could Win: Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything
Should Win: Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
This is hands down the easiest category to predict. I can’t see anyone else really taking this award, unless Rosamund Pike’s “babe” factor kicks in. However, this is probably going to be the first of many wins for Moore this season.
[maxbutton id=”3″]
Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
Will Win: Birdman
Could Win: The Grand Budapest Hotel or Into the Woods
Should Win: Birdman
This is really Birdman‘s category to lose. I can see the Globe voters potentially going with Into the Woods since they love musicals or The Grand Budapest Hotel with its strong support across the categories, but I don’t think they’re going to miss the opportunity to award Birdman.
Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
Will Win: Michael Keaton, Birdman
Could Win: Ralph Fiennes, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Should Win: Michael Keaton, Birdman
This category is going to be a lot closer than we think. More of the Globe voters are going to be familiar with Ralph Fiennes and The Grand Budapest Hotel did well in the nominations. I still think Keaton wins by thismuch, but I won’t be surprised to see Fiennes being called either.
Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical
Will Win: Amy Adams, Big Eyes
Could Win: Emily Blunt, Into the Woods
Should Win: Jenny Slate, Obvious Child (wasn’t even nominated…)
The simple reasoning behind this prediction is that Amy Adams is the closest of this group to an Oscar nomination. Emily Blunt could pull off a win for the same reason Into the Woods might, but her role is greatly reduced in the film compared to the musical, so I don’t think she’s too big of a threat.
[maxbutton id=”3″]
Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Will Win: J.K. Simmons, Whiplash
Could Win: Edward Norton, Birdman
Should Win: J.K. Simmons, Whiplash
This race is going to be much closer than at the Oscars. There’s going to be a lot of support behind Norton and Birdman, but I still think Simmons pulls off a win on his way to the Oscars.
Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Will Win: Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
Could Win: Meryl Streep, Into the Woods
Should Win: Jessica Chastain, A Most Violent Year
Meryl Streep is going to be much closer to winning here than at the Oscars, but Arquette should still win here.
Best Foreign Language Film
Will Win: Ida
Could Win: Force Mejure
Should Win: Force Mejure
Best Animated Feature
Will Win: The Lego Movie
Could Win: Big Hero 6
Should Win: The Lego Movie
Best Screenplay
Will Win: The Grand Budapest Hotel
Could Win: Birdman
Should Win: Birdman
With all the love The Grand Budapest Hotel got in the nominations, I can’t see them losing here even if Birdman did do better. Wes Anderson should get a much deserved win here.
Best Director
Will Win: Alejandro González Iñárritu, Birdman
Could Win: Richard Linklater, Boyhood
Should Win: David Fincher, Gone Girl
Because of the foreign voting pool, I think Mexican director Iñárritu is probably going to just win over Linklater. I could be completely wrong and see Boyhood take this category, but like I said before, this is Birdman’s night.
Best Original Song
Will Win: “Glory” from Selma
Could Win: “Big Eyes” from Big Eyes
Should Win: “Yellow Flicker Beat” from The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Pt. 1
Best Original Score
Will Win: Birdman
Could Win: Interstellar
Should Win: Birdman
[maxbutton id=”3″]
There are two factors that go into the winners of the Golden Globes for Television: (1) buzz (2) how new the show is. The Globes like to be ahead of the curve and tend to award untested first time series. However, somehow they seemed to have gotten right this time. With shows like The Affair, Jane the Virgin, and Transparent making the lineup, it seems that their strategy has actually paid off. Either way, it looks like returning series House of Cards should dominate the Drama Side, while Orange is the New Black will probably lead all series with 3 wins (Series, Actress, Supporting Actress). However, look for newbies like Transparent and The Affair to upset.
Check out our predictions for the television categories of the Golden Globes below and our predictions for the film categories here.
Best Television Series – Drama
Will Win: House of Cards
Could Win: The Affair
Should Win: The Good Wife
The only new series in this category is The Affair, so it just naturally has a good chance at winning, but I think the highly buzzed about second season of House of Cards is going to take this one.
Best Actor in a Television Series – Drama
Will Win: Kevin Spacey, House of Cards
Could Win: Clive Owen, The Knick
Should Win: Dominic West, The Affair
After six straight losses on both the film and TV side, Kevin Spacey is pretty much locked in to win his first Globe.
Best Actress in a Television Series – Drama
Will Win: Viola Davis, How to Get Away with Murder
Could Win: Ruth Wilson, The Affair
Should Win: Viola Davis, How to Get Away with Murder
Viola Davis is a lock to win here, as she should be.
Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy
Will Win: Orange is the New Black
Could Win: Transparent
Should Win: Transparent
This is going to be one of the tighter races of the ceremony. Orange is the New Black has become a cultural icon and had a highly acclaimed second season, but Transparent is being lauded as groundbreaking television and the Globes love shattering the earth.
Best Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy
Will Win: Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent
Could Win: Ricky Gervais, Derek
Should Win: Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent
Jeffrey Tambor is a deserved lock for this win here.
Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy
Will Win: Gina Rodriguez, Jane the Virgin
Could Win: Taylor Schilling, Orange is the New Black
Should Win: Gina Rodriguez, Jane the Virgin
This is also going to be a very tight race. The Globes love the young hot stars, so Gina Rodriguez is naturally a strong choice. Until recently I had Taylor Schilling winning, but the more I think about it, the only person I can see winning is here is Gina Rodriguez.
Best Miniseries or Television Film
Will Win: Fargo
Could Win: True Detective
Should Win: Fargo
Best Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film
Will Win: Frances McDormand, Olive Kitteridge
Could Win: Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Freak Show
Should Win: Frances McDormand, Olive Kitteridge
Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film
Will Win: Matthew McConaughey, True Detective
Could Win: Mark Ruffalo, The Normal Heart
Should Win: Mark Ruffalo, The Normal Heart
Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries, or TV Movie
Will Win: Uzo Aduba, Orange is the New Black
Could Win: Kathy Bates, American Horror Story: Freak Show
Should Win: Uzo Aduba, Orange is the New Black
Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries, or TV Movie
Will Win: Matt Bomer, The Normal Heart
Could Win: Bill Murray, Olive Kitteridge
Should Win: Matt Bomer, The Normal Heart
When I was first writing the nomination predictions for this category, I said that this is one of the most competitive categories of the year. However, with all the episode submissions in it has turned into one of the weakest. Early frontrunner Robin Wright (House of Cards) seemed like a no brainer, until she submitted the season finale instead of the much buzzed about “Chapter 17.” Although she has a small crying scene in the episode, her actual active screen time only clocks in around 4 1/2 minutes.
In a very last minute switch, I am throwing my support behind Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife), who submitted the post Will Gardner death episode. She has a crying scene early in the episode, but the rest is spent with Alicia trying to find out what a Will was trying to tell her in his last call. Although it isn’t as impressive as other possible tapes, she definitely has the buzz behind her to push her through.
The spoiler right now is current two-time champ Claire Danes (Homeland) who has another screaming, ugly cry episode to submit. However, to make the episode even stronger for her, Carrie is actually sympathetic for once.
In all, the race is fairly open. You can make an argument for every contender except for Dockery, but I think Margulies takes it by a hair.
[maxbutton id=”3″]
1. Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife (“The Last Call”)
2. Claire Danes, Homeland (“The Star”)
3. Robin Wright, House of Cards (“Chapter 26”)
4. Kerry Washington, Scandal (“The Fluffer”)
5. Lizzy Caplan, Masters of Sex (“Pilot”)
6. Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey (“Episode 4.1”)