money Emmys: Reality Categories – Ryan Reynolds, Padma Lakshmi and ‘Vanderpump Rules’ Could Win Their First Statuettes
Variety Awards Circuit section is the home for all awards news and related content throughout the year, featuring the following: the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars, Emmys, Grammys and Tony Awards ceremonies, curated by Variety senior awards editor Clayton Davis. The prediction pages reflect the current standings in the race and do not reflect personal preferences for any individual contender. As other formal (and informal) polls suggest, competitions are fluid and subject to change based on buzz and events. Predictions are updated every Thursday.
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2023 Emmy Predictions:
Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program
Weekly Commentary (Aug. 22, 2023): After a shell-shocking 10th season, “Vanderpump Rules” picked up its first-ever Emmy nom and stands a solid chance of it winning the prize. Also, the reality series also picked up a mention for picture editing for the episode “Lady and the Glamp.” It could be an odds-on favorite. It’ll be tough with the multiple-time winner “RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked.”
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Primetime Emmy predictions in the major categories.
FX’s “Welcome to Wrexham,” which follows Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, as they team up and take ownership of the 5th-tier Red Dragons soccer club, brought the Hollywood stars their first career noms. Whether it can win or not, especially feeling more in line with a documentary than an “unstructured” reality project, still remains to be determined.
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Creative Arts predictions in all categories.
The rankings for the category are below.
The final Emmy voting rounds open on Aug. 17 at 9 a.m. PT and close on Aug. 28 at 10 p.m. PST. The 75th Emmy Awards are scheduled to air on Monday, January 15, 2024, at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT. The Creative Arts ceremony will occur on Saturday, January 6, and Sunday, January 7. An edited version will air on FXX on Saturday, January 13, 2024, at 8 p.m. ET. All events will take place at the Peacock Theater at LA Live.
2022 winner: “Love on the Spectrum U.S.” (Netflix)
And the Nominees Are:
“RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked” (MTV)
RuPaul Charles, Randy Barbato, Fenton Bailey, Tom Campbell, Kenneth Leslie, Mandy Salangsang, Steven Corfe, Tim Palazzola (executive producers), Adam Bronstein, Thairin Smothers (co-executive producers), Jeremy McGovern, Jen Passovoy (supervising producers)“Vanderpump Rules” (Bravo)
Alex Baskin, Joe Kingsley, Jen McClure-Metz, Jeremiah Smith, Natalie Neurauter, Lisa Vanderpump (executive producers), James Markham, Lauren Nathan (co-executive producers), Sandra Bansil (supervising producer)“Welcome to Wrexham” (FX)
John Henion, Andrew Fried, Sarina Roma, Dane Lillegard, Nicholas Frenkel, George Dewey, Rob McElhenney, Ryan Reynolds (executive producers), Alan Bloom, Lana Barkin (co-executive producers), Miloš Balać (supervising producer), Jeff Luini (producer)“Indian Matchmaking” (Netflix)
Aaron Saidman, Eli Holzman, J.C. Begley, Smriti Mundhra (executive producers), Hoo In Kim (co-executive producer), Mansi Sharma (supervising producer)“Selling Sunset” (Netflix)
Adam Divello, Kristofer Lindquist, Sundee Manusakis, Suzy Ratner, Skyler Wakil, Jason Oppenheim (executive producers), Megan Roger (co-executive producer)
2023 Emmy Predictions:
Outstanding Structured Reality Program
Weekly Commentary (Aug. 22, 2023): After Food Network successfully petitioned the Television Academy to move the long-running food reality series “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” back to the outstanding structured reality category, could it unseat the most awarded series in the category’s history, “Queer Eye?”
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Primetime Emmy predictions in the major categories.
The long-running Netflix show has won five consecutive Emmys in this category. It’s hard to bet against.
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Creative Arts predictions in all categories.
The rankings for the category are below.
The final Emmy voting rounds open on Aug. 17 at 9 a.m. PT and close on Aug. 28 at 10 p.m. PST. The 75th Emmy Awards are scheduled to air on Monday, January 15, 2024, at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT. The Creative Arts ceremony will occur on Saturday, January 6, and Sunday, January 7. An edited version will air on FXX on Saturday, January 13, 2024, at 8 p.m. ET. All events will take place at the Peacock Theater at LA Live.
2022 winner: “Queer Eye” (Netflix)
And the Nominees Are:
“Queer Eye” (Netflix) — David Collins, Michael Williams, Rob Eric, Jennifer Lane, Jordana Hochman, Mark Bracero (executive producers), Kori Kingg (co-executive producer), Jennifer Lerman, (supervising producer), Bobby Berk, Karama Brown, Tan France, Antoni Porowski, Jonathan Van Ness (producers)
“Love is Blind” (Netflix) — Chris Coelen, Ally Simpson, Eric Detwiler, Brent Gauches, Heather Crowe, Brian Smith (executive producers), Stepfanie Cohen Williams, Morgan Harris, Ewa Mularczyk (co-executive producers)
“Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” (Food Network) — Guy Fieri, Frank Matson, Jen Darrow (executive producers)
“Shark Tank” (ABC) — Mark Burnett, Clay Newbill, Yuri Lingner, Max Swedlow, Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner, Kevin O’Leary, Barbara Corcoran, Daymond John, Robert Herjavec, Brandon Wallace (executive producers), Becky Blitz (supervising producer), Shaun Polakow, Shawn Aly, Andrew Kimmel (senior producers)
“Antiques Roadshow” (PBS) — Marsha Bemko (executive producer), Sam Farrell (senior producer), Sarah K. Elliott (producer)
2023 Emmy Predictions:
Outstanding Reality Competition Program
Weekly Commentary (Aug. 22, 2023): After missing from this category for 17 years, “Survivor” made a triumphant comeback and could spoil the party. The Jeff Probst-hosted program has been waiting for its big moment and there could be a welcome back in its future.
It’ll have to compete with the multiple winning “RuPaul’s Drag Race” after losing to “Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls” last year.
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Primetime Emmy predictions in the major categories.
“The Amazing Race” used to be a staple in this category, winning consecutively every year since the category’s inception until “Top Chef” ended its streak in 2010 (which is nominated again this year). All three seem unlikely to win this year, but you can never know how voters will check off their ballots.
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Creative Arts predictions in all categories.
The rankings for the category are below.
The final Emmy voting rounds open on Aug. 17 at 9 a.m. PT and close on Aug. 28 at 10 p.m. PST. The 75th Emmy Awards are scheduled to air on Monday, January 15, 2024, at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT. The Creative Arts ceremony will occur on Saturday, January 6, and Sunday, January 7. An edited version will air on FXX on Saturday, January 13, 2024, at 8 p.m. ET. All events will take place at the Peacock Theater at LA Live.
2022 winner: “Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls” (Prime Video)
And the Nominees Are:
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” (VH1) — RuPaul Charles, Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato, Tom Campbell, Mandy Salangsang, Steven Corfe, Michelle Mills, Tim Palazzola (executive producers), John Polly, Thairin Smothers, Lisa Steele (co-executive producers), Sara Kordy, Jen Passovoy, Jeremy McGovern (supervising producers), Michelle Visage, Ashlei Dabney, Michael Seligman (senior producers), Alicia Gargaro-Magaña, Carson Kressley, Ross Mathews (producers)
“Survivor” (CBS) — Jeff Probst, Matt Van Wagenen (executive producers), Ryan Balthazor, Clark Bernstein, Dawn Haber, Joe Lia, Hudson H. Smith III (co-executive producers)
“Top Chef” (Bravo) — Casey Kriley, Jo Sharon, Doneen Arquines, Hillary Olsen, Tracy Tong (executive producers), Hunter Braun, Nora Cromwell, Thi Nguyen, Patrick Schmedeman, Eric Vier (co-executive producers), Tom Colicchio, Padma Lakshmi, Frank Crane, Diana E. Gonzales (supervising producers), Diana Schmedeman (producer), Steve Lichtenstein (senior producer), Joon Hee Lim, Jillian Diaz Mireles, Tessa Saville, Maureen Biegas, Jessica Guerra, Caitlin Henley (supervising story producers)
“The Voice” (NBC) — John De Mol, Mark Burnett, Audrey Morrissey, Amanda Zucker, Kyra Thompson (executive producers), Teddy Valenti, Barton Kimball, Brittany Martin Porter (co-executive producers), Amanda Silva Borden, Clyde Lieberman, Dan Paschen (supervising producers), Kyle Grossinger, Hayley Opalek McSherry, Jared Wyso (senior producers), Meredith Ambrose, Carson Daly (producers)
“The Amazing Race” (CBS) — Jerry Bruckheimer, Bertram van Munster, Jonathan Littman, Elise Doganieri, Mark Vertullo, Phil Keoghan, Patrick Cariaga (executive producers), Matt Schmidt, Darren Bunkley, Michael DiMaggio, Chad Baron (co-executive producers), Krista Fukunaga, Eva Grimmer-Comden (senior producers)
2023 Emmy Predictions:
Outstanding Reality Competition Host
Weekly Commentary (Aug. 22, 2023): In 2021, RuPaul made Emmy history with as the most decorated Black artist since the ceremony began in 1949, in addition to being the most-awarded person of color. That streak will likely continue unless Padma Lakshmi has something to say about it.
After 16 Primetime Emmy nominations throughout her career, Lakshmi makes no qualms about wanting to make a trip to the stage to accept a statuette. She’s double nominated this year for outstanding host for a reality or competition program for the final year of her hosting gig on “Top Chef” and outstanding hosted nonfiction series or special for Hulu’s “Taste the Nation.” Lakshmi has emceed the Bravo cooking series for 17 years and in June, she announced via social media that she would be exiting after this recently aired 20th season. Watch out for her.
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Primetime Emmy predictions in the major categories.
The rankings for the category are below.
The final Emmy voting rounds open on Aug. 17 at 9 a.m. PT and close on Aug. 28 at 10 p.m. PST. The 75th Emmy Awards are scheduled to air on Monday, January 15, 2024, at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT. The Creative Arts ceremony will occur on Saturday, January 6, and Sunday, January 7. An edited version will air on FXX on Saturday, January 13, 2024, at 8 p.m. ET. All events will take place at the Peacock Theater at LA Live.
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Creative Arts predictions in all categories.
2022 winner: RuPaul Charles
And the Nominees Are:
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” (VH1) — RuPaul
“Top Chef” (Bravo) — Padma Lakshmi
“Baking It” (NBC) — Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph
“Queer Eye” (Netflix) — Bobby Berk, Karamo Brown, Tan Frace, Antoni Porowski, Jonathan Van Ness
“Shark Tank” (ABC) — Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John, Kevin O’Leary
Emmy Awards Predictions Categories
DRAMA SERIES | COMEDY SERIES | LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES | TV MOVIE | LEAD ACTOR (DRAMA) | LEAD ACTOR (COMEDY) | LEAD ACTOR (LIMITED/TV MOVIE) | LEAD ACTRESS (DRAMA) | LEAD ACTRESS (COMEDY) | LEAD ACTRESS (LIMITED/TV MOVIE) | SUPPORTING ACTOR (DRAMA) | SUPPORTING ACTOR (COMEDY) | SUPPORTING ACTOR (LIMITED/TV MOVIE) | SUPPORTING ACTRESS (DRAMA) | SUPPORTING ACTRESS (COMEDY) | SUPPORTING ACTRESS (LIMITED/TV MOVIE) | TALK SERIES | SCRIPTED VARIETY | GAME SHOW | DIRECTING (DRAMA, COMEDY, LIMITED/TV MOVIE) | WRITING (DRAMA, COMEDY, LIMITED/TV MOVIE) | REALITY (COMPETITION, STRUCTURED, UNSTRUCTURED, HOST)
Creative Arts and Other Emmy Categories
GUEST ACTOR (DRAMA) | GUEST ACTRESS (DRAMA) | GUEST ACTOR (COMEDY) | GUEST ACTRESS (COMEDY) | VOICE-OVER | SHORT FORM | DOCUMENTARY | MUSIC | ANIMATED | OTHER CATEGORIES
About the Primetime Emmy Awards
The Primetime Emmy Awards, better known as the Emmys, are given out by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS). Since 1949, the awards have recognized excellence in American primetime television programming. They are divided into three classes – Primetime Emmy Awards, the Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards (honors artisan achievements), and the Primetime Engineering Emmy Awards (recognizes significant engineering and technological contributions). The typical eligibility period is between June 1 and May 31 of any given year. The Television Academy comprises over 25,000 members, representing 30 professional peer groups, including performers, directors, producers, art directors, artisans, and executives.
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