The nominations have been announced for The 72nd 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 Host for a Reality or Competition Program.The Nominees Ranked By Who Should Win:
- RuPaul for VH1's RuPaul's Drag Race
- Amy Poehler & Nick Offerman for NBC's Making It
- Nicole Byer for Netflix's Nailed It
- Barbara Corcoran, Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John & Kevin O'Leary for ABC's Shark Tank
- Tom Colicchio & Padma Lakshmi for Bravo's Top Chef
- Bobby Berk, Karamo Brown, Tan France, Antoni Porowski & Jonathan Van Ness for Netflix's Queer Eye
Drag Race is such a fun subversion of the reality competition formula. It still includes all of the hallmarks of the format while always providing a fun wink and nod to just how ridiculous it can all be. RuPaul navigates all of that with such whimsy and command. His star power has launched numerous spinoffs of the series across the globe. That's incredible and powerful. Even though he was won so many times already, he still feels deserving to win again. Sure, Making It and Nailed It are so much fun to watch as well. Those competitions bring so much joy to the viewer. That comedic style at the center of the competition extends so much heart through the whole proceedings. These shows don't take themselves too seriously while still fundamentally being a celebration of artists in numerous fields. A game host is someone who can sit back and allow others to thrive through a nurturing environment. It can also be exciting to see personalities clash in the pursuit of drama. The Shark Tank investors butting heads and competing with one another for the best products has been entertaining for years now. Meanwhile, the Queer Eye guys bring so much emotion and sentimentality to the stories they explore each episode. Of course, some of those formats have more forced drama and interactions. However, the hosts are required to make it all look effortless. Those bonds have to feel genuine and all of these nominees do that with such grace and style.
The Nominees Ranked by Who Will Win:
- RuPaul for VH1's RuPaul's Drag Race
- Bobby Berk, Karamo Brown, Tan France, Antoni Porowski & Jonathan Van Ness for Netflix's Queer Eye
- Barbara Corcoran, Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John & Kevin O'Leary for ABC's Shark Tank
- Nicole Byer for Netflix's Nailed It
- Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman for NBC's Making It
- Tom Colicchio & Padma Lakshmi for Bravo's Top Chef
2013 was the only year where a hosting team won in this category. Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn prevailed that year for Project Runway. They missed the cut here after making their big transition to Making the Cut on Amazon. But knowing that history of this category may mean that there are only two real contenders for the prize. It could go to either four-time reigning champion RuPaul or first time nominee Nicole Byer. If RuPaul were to win, he would become the host with the most wins. He is currently tied with Survivor's Jeff Probst for that honor. As such, it seems likely that he will prevail once more. Drag Race continues to be on top in terms of popularity. However, both Shark Tank and Queer Eye have solid track records with the voters. Their core personalities have never been nominated in this field before. That may have been because they submitted separately or the voters didn't previously see what they did as on a comparable level to the other contenders on the ballot. And yes, those two teams are more of the personalities of their shows instead of being the hosts who guide the contestants through the competition. But this category isn't just for competition programs. Reality storytelling needs a strong narrative center as well. Because those hosts are entertaining, viewers keep coming back for more. And so, those teams could prevail and start a new trend at the Emmys. However, it would be a stunning upset if RuPaul failed to pick up that fifth trophy as a host.
What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with my predictions? Let me know in the comments below!
