Outstanding Comedy Series — The Studio
In our rankings of the best TV shows of 2025 so far, our senior entertainment editor Brady Langmann wrote, "When I finished The Studio, I ran to a meeting and loudly (slash obnoxiously) declared it the best comedy of the streaming era." Once I finally got around to it, it was clear why. There's a lot working in The Studio's favor—Seth Rogen, Hollywood parody, people playing fictional versions of themselves like Curb Your Enthusiasm—but its real strength lies in picking apart just what makes movie studios tick nowadays. Where FOX News hosts may lazily joke that everything is too woke, The Studio shows film executives freaking out in their conference rooms while planning the Kool-Aid movie because they're worried that they may actually be perceived as not woke enough. Read our cover story with Seth Rogen here.
Honorable mentions: The Rehearsal, Hacks, The Righteous Gemstones, The Bear, Abbott Elementary, and What We Do in the Shadows.
Lead Actor (Comedy) — Nathan Fielder (The Rehearsal)
A lot of amazing comedies debuted in 2025. Nathan Fielder in The Rehearsal was the only show that could render me speechless. Every week, as Fielder hilariously tried to fix the airline industry, recreate the life of Sully Sullenberger with giant puppets, or even stage an entire fake singing competition show, I sat staring at my TV just thinking, Nathan, you are a goddamn genius.
Honorable mentions: Seth Rogen (The Studio), Jeremy Allen White (The Bear), Matt Berry (What We Do in the Shadows), Kayvan Novak (What We Do in the Shadows), Danny McBride (The Righteous Gemstones), and Benito Skinner (Overcompensating).
Lead Actress (Comedy) — Jean Smart (Hacks)
We should just retitle this award the "Jean Smart Award for Comedic Excellence." Get this: Smart has won this award for every season of Hacks. If she's on TV playing Debra Vance, then this award is hers. Frankly, I can't see the trend stopping this year.
Honorable mentions: Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary), Kathryn Hahn (Agatha All Along), Natasha Lyonne (Poker Face), Kristen Bell (Nobody Wants This), Ayo Edebiri (The Bear), and Wally Baram (Overcompensating).
Supporting Actor (Comedy) — Walton Goggins (The Righteous Gemstones)
We may see Goggins nominated for both Supporting Actor (Drama) and Supporting Actor (Comedy) this year, but it's his comedic role as Billy Gemstone in the final season of The Righteous Gemstones that deserves recognition this year. Gemstones is packed to the brim with zany characters. You could throw Adam DeVine, John Goodman, and Tony Cavalero in here just as easily as Goggins, but every scene with Baby Billy exudes silliness. If you want to really drive home that The Bear isn't a comedy (and critics always do), then award one of the funniest guys on TV this year instead.
Honorable mentions: Ike Barinholtz (The Studio), Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear), Matty Matheson (The Bear), Tyler James Williams (Abbott Elementary), Harrison Ford (Shrinking), and Bowen Yang (Saturday Night Live).
Supporting Actress (Comedy) — Liza Colón-Zayas (The Bear)
Okay. Look, I know I just complained that The Bear isn't a comedy. And when I say that Liza Colón-Zayas should win this award, it's equally as contradictory because there's nothing about her starring episode, "Napkins," that is ha-ha funny. But goddamn. I'm not the one that submits this show for Comedy, so don't get angry at me. As much as I love the cast of Abbott Elementary, I have no qualms saying that Colón-Zayas gave one of the greatest performances in season 3 of The Bear that I've ever seen.
Honorable mentions: Janelle James and Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary), Kathryn Hahn (The Studio), Hannah Einbinder (Hacks), and Jessica Williams (Shrinking).
Guest Actor & Guest Actress (Comedy) — Dave Franco and Zoë Kravitz (The Studio)
Among a host of actors playing fictional versions of themselves on The Studio—shout-out Martin Scorsese, Anthony Mackie, and Ron Howard—Dave Franco and Zoë Kravitz steal the show in the two-part finale. Basically, the two guest stars pretend that they are high out of their minds on mushrooms during an important CinemaCon presentation. Where Franco is mostly in his element here—the man has appeared in too many bro comedies to count—Kravitz is a delightful surprise.
Honorable mentions: Bradley Cooper (The Righteous Gemstones), Julianne Nicholson (Hacks), Jamie Lee Curtis (The Bear).
Outstanding Limited Series — The Penguin
Adolescence is a heavy favorite to win at this year's awards show, but I'm putting all my eggs in The Penguin's basket. The Batman spin-off should serve as the new pinnacle for superhero-adjacent TV, and a lot of its success stands on the shoulders of its exceptional cast.
I could write four more paragraphs here, but I'll take this space to say that I hope Colin Farrell, Critistin Milioti, and Deidre O'Connell sweep the Limited Series categories this year. The Penguin was campy, silly, and one of the most compelling character studies I've seen on TV in a long time. In The Penguin, Farrell is completely transformed. Milioti's villain is a long way from her role in How I Met Your Mother, and O'Connell insane performance as Oz Cobb's mother maybe deserves two Emmys instead of just one. Read our interview with Milioti here.
I hope Owen Cooper (Adolescence) takes home the award for Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series. The 15-year-old is easily the most impressive emerging talent among all the actors up for nominations this year, and he found the perfect little slice of televised drama to show off his chops. Still, I can't hide that I was absolutely in a state of glee over The Penguin every week last fall. Oz Cobb, I love you, man.
Honorable mentions: Presumed Innocent, Disclaimer, American Primeval, Brian Tyree Henry (Dope Thief) and Betty Gilpin (Three Women).
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