Emmy Predictions 2018 - Who Will and Should Win for Guest Actor in a Comedy Series?

The nominations are in for The 70th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. So now, it's time to speculate on who will and should win in each major category. Next up for analysis is Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.

The Nominees Ranked By Which Actor Should Win:

1. Sterling K. Brown for FOX's Brooklyn Nine-Nine - "The Box"
2. Bill Hader for NBC's Saturday Night Live - "Host: Bill Hader"
3. Donald Glover for NBC's Saturday Night Live - "Host: Donald Glover"
4. Katt Williams for FX's Atlanta - "Alligator Man"
5. Bryan Cranston for HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm - "Running With the Bulls"
6. Lin-Manuel Miranda for HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm - "Fatwa!"

It really is such a shame that Brooklyn Nine-Nine hasn't gotten more Emmy nominations over the years. It's consistently one of the best comedies airing with a terrific ensemble that is utilized extremely well week after week. In fact, I wasn't even sure Sterling K. Brown would get nominated despite appearing in one of the best episodes the show has ever produced. Sure, he probably got in largely because the voters are obsessed with him at the moment - as they rightfully should be. But it was also just so amazing watching him face off with Andre Braugher and Andy Samberg in an episode that broke completely from the norm for the show. It was such mesmerizing work to watch. Meanwhile, both Bill Hader and Donald Glover were strong as SNL hosts. I would just have to give the edge to Hader because Stefon remains so consistently hilarious for me. And finally, I have not watched Curb Your Enthusiasm. As such, I cannot give a fair assessment of how Bryan Cranston and Lin-Manuel Miranda were in their guest roles. They are always strong performers. And yet, I rank them low on this list only because the reception I've heard about the new season was mostly lukewarm and slightly bloated. 

The Nominees Ranked by Which Actor Will Win:

1. Donald Glover for NBC's Saturday Night Live - "Host: Donald Glover"
2. Bill Hader for NBC's Saturday Night Live - "Host: Bill Hader"
3. Bryan Cranston for HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm - "Running With the Bulls"
4. Lin-Manuel Miranda for HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm - "Fatwa!"
5. Sterling K. Brown for FOX's Brooklyn Nine-Nine - "The Box"
6. Katt Williams for FX's Atlanta - "Alligator Man"

Glover and Hader are facing off in many of the comedy races this year. It's going to be so much fun to see where they each prevail. It seems inevitable that they both walk home with at least one trophy. They each have five individual nominations after all. It's just unclear what the official split will be. This seems like another category that is a toss up between the two of them. Glover may actually have the edge for a couple of reasons. First of all, he was also the musical guest. That means there wasn't a stretch of the episode where he just disappeared for a little bit. And second, he also appears in the Atlanta episode from Katt Williams' nomination. I think it's very unlikely that Williams wins in this race. But his nomination could help propel Glover to victory. All of these things have to work in his favor. And yet, the voters could finally give Hader a win for SNL after years of nominating him but not selecting him as the winner when he was a regular cast member. Sure, it could feel like a consolation prize. But it would still represent a win for his body of work on the show. That could be very rewarding too. Meanwhile, Cranston and Miranda have to be seen as potential upsets too largely because they are so beloved by numerous awards voters. Even Brown might prevail because the voters love him so much.

What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with my predictions? Let me know in the comments below!