Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: FX, Sarah Shatz/FX, Gilles Mingasson/Disney, Will Heath/NBC, Kenny Laubbacher/MaxIt's almost showtime! The 2025 Emmy Awards will be presented on Sunday, Sept. 14, in Los Angeles, where the stars of critically acclaimed shows will vie for the coveted statuettes honoring TV's best shows and performances from the past year.
As always, there are plenty of intriguing races and storylines. Will Apple TV's Severance and The Studio dominate? Can HBO's The White Lotus and The Penguin keep up? What about dark horses such as The Pitt and Adolescence? And breakout stars like Walton Goggins (The White Lotus) and Uzo Aduba (The Residence), or a beloved actor experiencing a career resurgence, like The Pitt's Noah Wyle, three decades removed from his rise to fame on ER?Television critics have weighed in with their predictions, but the Emmys aren't just about consensus favorites. Ahead of Sunday night's ceremony, we've rounded up who experts expect to win in every major category - and who Yahoo staffers think should win.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSee all of our picks below.
The 77th Emmy Awards will be broadcast live on CBS on Sept. 14. (Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images)Limited or Anthology SeriesAdolescenceBlack MirrorDying for SexMonsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez StoryThe PenguinWho will win: AdolescenceAmong critics, it's virtually unanimous: Adolescence is a lock for an Emmy in this category. Gold Derby gives the four-episode Netflix drama a 100% chance of winning. And Glenn Whipp of the Los Angeles Times said Adolescence is "far and away the class of this year's limited series contenders."Who should win: AdolescenceThe Penguin has the movie stars, the big budget and the prestige network pedigree, but nothing on TV this past year pummeled me emotionally the way Adolescence did. Its extended single-shot episodes never felt like a gimmick - they felt like the only correct way to depict the heartbreaking, disturbing and overall deeply human ripple effects of an unimaginable crime.- Mike BebernesLead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or MovieColin Farrell, The PenguinStephen Graham, AdolescenceJake Gyllenhaal, Presumed InnocentBrian Tyree Henry, Dope ThiefCooper Koch, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez StoryAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWho will win: Colin FarrellFarrell's riveting performance as Gotham City's rising crime boss makes him the "obvious frontrunner," Matt Roush of the Los Angeles Times said. "Farrell as 'The Penguin' ticks off all of the awards-bait boxes: physical transformation, absolute commitment, scenery-chewing range."Who should win: FarrellHis transformation was next level! I kept forgetting it was actually Colin Farrell underneath the prosthetics. He moves, talks and commands the screen like he's the Tony Soprano of the DC universe - tense, unpredictable, yet completely in control.- Dana TurnerLead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or MovieCate Blanchett, DisclaimerMeghann Fahy, SirensRashida Jones, Black MirrorCristin Milioti, The PenguinMichelle Williams, Dying for SexAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWho will win: Cristin MiliotiCritics loved Milioti's gritty, electrifying performance in The Penguin. And while she may be known more for her comedic skills, Saloni Gajjar of the A.V. Club said Milioti "owned the antagonistic role as Sofia Falcone," and "her considerable range" will ultimately prevail on Sunday.
Who should win: Michelle WilliamsNot enough people watched Dying for Sex! The mere premise of the show - a terminally ill woman exploring her freak side - is total prestige bait. Williams makes it gourmet, and I'm eating it up.- Kelsey WeekmanSupporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or MovieJavier Bardem, Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez StoryBill Camp, Presumed InnocentOwen Cooper, AdolescenceRob Delaney, Dying for SexPeter Sarsgaard, Presumed InnocentAshley Walters, AdolescenceAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWho will win: Owen CooperGold Derby gives Cooper a 100% chance of winning for his critically acclaimed role as Jamie Miller in the hit Netflix series Adolescence. So there's a more than decent chance the 15-year-old English actor will get the trophy in his Emmys debut.
Who should win: CooperTalk about a breakout performance! The teenager is masterfully pathetic and haunting in a show that only works because he's so great. He should win and get cast in a million things afterward.- Kelsey WeekmanSupporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or MovieErin Doherty, AdolescenceRuth Negga, Presumed InnocentDeirdre O'Connell, The PenguinChloë Sevigny, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez StoryJenny Slate, Dying for SexChristine Tremarco, AdolescenceAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWho will win: Erin DohertyDoherty is in just one episode of Adolescence, but Steve Pond of TheWrap said her portrayal of a child psycholog