The Nominees Ranked By Which Should Win:
- HBO's We're Here
- VH1's RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked
- Food's Amy Schumer Learns to Cook
- Netflix's Cheer
- Netflix's Kevin Hart: Don't F**k This Up
We're Here was such a stunning format earlier this year. It's easily at the top of my rankings amongst these nominations. It had such a strong and searing message at the core of its storytelling. It examined how the LGBTQ+ community and their allies are deserving of spaces to thrive all across the country. The art of drag was used as a unifier to bring towns together highlighting the joy instead of the despair. It was entertaining during the performances. It was entertaining during the visceral emotional moments. It was one of the best new shows in 2020. I can't talk up the other nominees quite as much as I can for We're Here. Untucked has always been a reliable companion to Drag Race. It allows more time for the audience to understand the contestants and what they are going through as they hope to claim the top prize. Amy Schumer Learns to Cook allowed Food Network to have a new property up on the air while being remotely shot. The comedian's humor may not be for everyone. However, the mixture of brands makes for a tantalizing watch. Cheer similarly offers thrills in a sport that audiences don't have many references for. But again, We're Here is the clear and deserving frontrunner.
The Nominees Ranked by Which Will Win:
- HBO's We're Here
- VH1's RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked
- Netflix's Cheer
- Netflix's Kevin Hart: Don't F**k This Up
- Food's Amy Schumer Learns to Cook
For the first time in three years, a new winner will be declared in this category. The current reigning champion United Shades of America did not air any new episodes during the eligibility window. In fact, Untucked is the only nominee in the race to previously be recognized by the voters. It has never won. The main competition show has. That may signal it as the frontrunner. However, We're Here and Cheer are some exciting new formats with a ton of buzz as well. They have the backings of awards juggernauts HBO and Netflix too. That's significant. VH1 has won Emmys in recent years. It doesn't have the same track record as those premium outlets do though. None of them have won in this specific category though. Sure, CNN and HBO are now part of the same corporate entity. That may not translate to anything of note. HBO has its own voting block. Netflix does as well. Netflix's nominees may suffer from voters having to decide between two. Cheer seems like the much more formidable contender because it had a cultural moment at the start of this year. The Kevin Hart project may have gotten nominated solely by name recognition. The same could be true for Amy Schumer's cooking show. That at least has had some critical acclaim during the time spent in quarantine. And so, this race seems messy and up-in-the-air. A former nominee could finally prevail or a new show could swoop in for victory on its first try.
What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with my predictions? Let me know in the comments below!
