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The State of the Race

Still, the Best Actress in a Comedy Series trophy isn’t down to just two candidates. Now, I don’t like thinking about Emmy voters as one collective decision-maker, but if the TV Academy’s acting branch really does want to spread the love, they could check the box of Eugene Levy as Best Actor and look to honor another breakthrough 2020 comedy: “Insecure.” Issa Rae’s HBO series landed eight nominations in 2020, which, while far from the totals of “Mrs. Maisel” and “Schitt’s Creek,” still bodes well for the show. Plus, Yvonne Orji also scored a nomination, so actors are into “Insecure.” Given Rae’s rising star, she could fight her way to the top of this class. And that still leaves three high-level contenders in Christina Applegate, Linda Cardellini, and Tracee Ellis Ross. Applegate hasn’t won since 2003, but she’s a favorite of the TV Academy and “Dead to Me” saw a boost in nominations for its second season — including a Best Comedy Series nod and Cardellini’s first lead acting nod. (She was first nominated for Guest Actress on “Mad Men” in 2013.) Vote splitting could be a problem for those two, given they come from the same series, which could leave room for a long-time favorite to finally get her due. This marks the fourth nomination Ross has received for “Black-ish,” and she’s yet to win. Though her nomination was a bit of a surprise, this year’s unpredictable race makes anything possible — no one should feel too comfortable. Power Ranking the Nominees:

  1. Catherine O’Hara, “Schitt’s Creek” 2. Issa Rae, “Insecure” 3. Rachel Brosnahan, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” 4. Christina Applegate, “Dead to Me” 4. Tracee Ellis Ross, “Black-ish” 6. Linda Cardellini, “Dead to Me” Will Win: Catherine O’Hara, “Schitt’s Creek” Could Win: Issa Rae, “Insecure” or Rachel Brosnahan, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” Should Win: Catherine O’Hara, “Schitt’s Creek” Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.