Pete Hammond’s Emmy Predictions, Part 1: Are ‘DTF St Louis’, Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, Jimmy Kimmel, Rob Reiner & More Heading For Early Wins This Weekend?

The road to the end of the very long Emmy season takes place over most of your Labor Day holiday weekend with the two-night presentation of what were formerly called the Creative Arts Emmy Awards but now are simply being called the Emmy Awards. There’s no difference between the some 97 or so categories handed out this weekend and the glitzy NBC telecast where the final 19 categories will be dispersed on Monday, September 14. This year it got a little controversial when the Television Academy Board approved the move of four key Limited Series categories plus one for Variety off the usual perch on the primetime telecast and on to the preceding weekend’s crafts-dominated ceremonies. These always have been part of the main show and are some of the highest profile and most prestigious categories, the supporting awards featuring a who’s who of past winners and nominees returning to the contest, plus some newcomers including an Oscar winner who could make more history if she wins. I had anticipated this all would blow up and the Academy would have to reverse course, as has happened in the past when startling moves like this were made. But although the studios, networks and in particular the streamers — since they were the most affected — may have complained privately and grumbled to pundits like me, there was no big public outcry. So the show goes on with a promise to reassess this decision going forward, when the Emmys could well have a new TV deal in place (they don’t yet, even though this is the last year of the current contract with the four broadcast networks’ rotating wheel). RELATED: Emmy Presenters Set For Creative Arts Ceremonies: Noah Wyle, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Colin Hanks, Daveed Diggs, Julianne Hough & More Watch on Deadline As a longtime member of the TV Academy and a former governor of the Writers Branch, I would have opposed this move, though I understand it is difficult to squeeze added entertainment segments into the main show when you have to hand out 25 awards and do a death reel. Still, the Limited Series/Anthology/Movie categories offer the opportunity to showcase new and often quite famous faces over the inevitable repetitive regular series contenders, which remain untouched but likely will see a parade of familiar winners again since shows like The Pitt and stars like Jean Smart are posed to return as champs again (Smart is going for a record with a fifth consecutive win for all five seasons of Hacks). But I jump ahead of myself. That part of the puzzle I will hold for next week’s set of predictions in advance of the BIG Emmy show. RELATED: 2026-27 Awards Season Calendar: Oscars, Emmys, Grammys, Guilds & More Here then are some select highlighted categories of special interest and the way I see them going both Saturday and Sunday night, ceremonies that can give more than a big clue as to what we will also see come Monday the 14th and perhaps even influence my final overall predictions for the final Emmy ceremony. The dual events at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles will be edited into a single broadcast airing at 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, on FXX. Night 1 on Saturday In addition to a multitude of crafts awards, there are several program categories being handed out from Reality to Variety to Documentary to Game Shows. BEST GAME SHOWJeopardy! What else? Because it always wins. BEST STRUCTURED REALITY PROGRAMShark Tank Because that is what I voted for. BEST UNSTRUCTURED REALITY PROGRAMWelcome to Wrexham Again. BEST SHORT FORM COMEDY, VARIETY OR DRAMA SERIESSubwayTakes Because You Tubers are hot and this thing campaigned more than anything else. Why Emmy-Nominated ‘SubwayTakes’ YouTube Star Kareem Rahma Hasn’t Written Off Traditional TV Just Yet – Contenders TV Nominees Studio ‘Subway Takes’ YouTube BEST SHORT FORM NON-FICTION OR REALITY SERIESInside The Pitt It should ride the coattails of the mother ship. BEST VARIETY SPECIAL LIVESuper Bowl LX Music Halftime Show No one is beating Bad Bunny this year. BEST VARIETY SPECIAL (PRE RECORDED)Taylor Swift The Eras Tour: The Final Show Swifty has this in the bag. RELATED: Where’s My Show? Why Some Of Your Favorites Couldn’t Be Emmy-Nominated This Year Taylor Swift (center) during the “Reputation” set of the Eras Tour John Shearer/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY OR NON-FICTION SPECIALMarty: Life Is Short The beloved Short is up in three categories and this seems a likely winner, though this category is full of possibilities and any of the five — My Mom Jayne, John Candy: I Like Me, Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man, Ocean with David Attenborough –– easily could win. OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY OR NON-FICTION SERIESThe American RevolutionPicking this over Mr. Scorsese, which also has a shot because Emmy voters, unlike Oscar voters, like showbiz stories. RELATED: Emmy Winners For Best Drama Since 1960: A Photo Gallery Here are some performer predictions for Saturday: OUTSTANDING GAME SHOW HOSTJimmy Kimmel Who Wants to Be a MillionaireHe won last year, but this will really be a worthy repeat considering the year he has had. OUTSTANDING SHORT FORM PERFORMERDesi Lydic, The Daily Show: Desi Lydic Foxsplains Again. OUTSTANDING NARRATORDavid Attenborough, Ocean with David Attenborough Because he is 100 and his name is in the title. OUTSTANDING HOST FOR REALITY OR REALITY COMPETITION PROGRAMAlan Cumming, The TraitorsHe is on a roll, and voters tend to latch on to a winner and repeat for a few years. RELATED: Emmy Centenarian Club: David Attenborough Breaks Record For Oldest Nominee, Mel Brooks Doc Earns Recognition Night 2 on Sunday A whole lot of crafts to honor including casting, makeup, music, editing, sound , visual effects etc etc but all eyes will be on the actors in between with six categories all this night, including the aforementioned Limited Series contenders crashing the party. OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR FOR A LIMITED SERIES, ANTHOLOGY, OR MOVIEDavid Harbour, DTF St. Louis (stranger things have happened but Harbour’s career turn was unforgettable enough to edge out co-stars Jason Bateman and Richard Jenkins, as well as the rest of the talented field) OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS FOR A LIMITED SERIES, ANTHOLOGY, OR MOVIELinda Cardellini, DTF St. Louis ( Could be a tighter race with veterans like veterans Constance Zimmer, South Korean Oscar winner Youn Yuh-jung, or even Dakota Fanning possible spoilers here) RELATED: Emmy Winners For Best Comedy Since 1952 ‘DTF St. Louis’ OUTSTANDING WRITING IN A LIMITED SERIES, ANTHOLOGY, OR TV MOVIESteve Conrad, DTF St. Louis (unless there is a big sweep for Beef like the first one did) OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A LIMITED SERIES, ANTHOLOGY, OR TV MOVIESteve Conrad, DTF St. Louis (unless there is a big sweep for Beef like the first one did , but in this category its two nominations could cancel each other out) OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIESRob Reiner, The Bear (sentiment for the late great Mr. Reiner should prevail, but I can give you reasons for Michael J. Fox, or even Connor Storie’s SNL hosting gig but don’t count on it). ”The Bear’ RELATED: Here Are The Actors Who Have Won The Most Emmys: Photo Gallery OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIESKaitlin Olsen, Hacks (so great in the Amazing Race episode and the final season for Hacks has five nominees here which could all split and hand it to Widow’s Bay’s Betty Gilpin but really it should have been the not-nominated K Callan from that finale episode. Both Leslie Bibb and Cherry Jones deserve a two-fer for the Hacks Montecito episode but will probably split within the split here). OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIESColman Domingo, Euphoria (but Jeff Hiller was last year’s shocker at the Emmys and here he is again, but his nominated Pluribus role was literally 7 minutes, still does his not-nominated Widow’s Bay gig also have influence in this category?) OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIESMerritt Wever, The Gilded Age (she is an Academy favorite so I never bet against her) OUTSTANDING TELEVISION MOVIERemarkably Bright Creatures OUTSTANDING ANIMATED PROGRAMSouth Park OUTSTANDING CHARACTER VOICE OVER PERFORMANCEPamela Adlon, King Of The Hill OUTSTANDING STUNT PERFORMANCEPalm Royale (the first all female stunt team ever nominated) RELATED: All 21 EGOT Winners From Rita Moreno to Whoopi Goldberg – Photo Gallery RELATED: 10 Celebrities Close To EGOT Status: From Cynthia Erivo To Lin Manuel Miranda RELATED: 2026 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery RELATED: 2026 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery RELATED: 2026 Premiere Dates For New & Returning Series On Broadcast, Cable & Streaming