Predicting Guest Acting at Creative Arts Emmy Awards

The Emmy Awards are next week, but since there are approximately over 100 awards to be given out, most of the awards will actually be handed out tonight at the Creative Arts Emmys including the four Guest Acting categories. So before that takes place, a few of my thoughts and predictions of the nominees:

BEST DRAMA GUEST ACTOR
Dan Bucatinsky, Scandal
Rupert Friend, Homeland
Michael J. Fox, The Good Wife
Harry Hamlin, Mad Men
Nathan Lane, The Good Wife
Robert Morse, Mad Men

It's no surprise for Mad Men and The Good Wife to take up the majority of nominations, but it's also a good sign for Scandal and Homeland since the two actors cited from those two shows are newcomers showing solid love among the industry. Looking at the nominees, this should be Fox's category to lose, but I said the exact same thing last year and he lost. Lane is probably his closest competition (and Lane is also nominated in Comedy). And all respect to Morse, but I'd have easily traded him for Eddie Izzard's turn in Hannibal.

Prediction: Michael J. Fox
Alternate: Nathan Lane
Should Win: Michael J. Fox
Should've Been Nominated: Eddie Izzard, Dallas Roberts

BEST DRAMA GUEST ACTRESS
Linda Cardellini, Mad Men
Joan Cusack, Shameless
Jane Fonda, The Newsroom
Margo Martindale, The Americans
Carrie Preston, The Good Wife
Diana Rigg, Game of Thrones

Last year, Martha Plimpton won this category and I'm rooting so hard for fellow Good Wife guest star Preston to repeat. But man this nomination was a long time coming, wasn't it? This is a pretty solid list though and I don't think there's an actual frontrunner. Perhaps Fonda since she's a beloved movie star. But I can honestly see any of these women win. Why not give it to recent Emmy winner Martindale especially with the show's sole acting nomination? A couple of Alison (Brie and Wright) should've been nominated for their memorable roles on Mad Men and The Americans respectively.

Prediction: Jane Fonda
Alternate: Margo Martindale
Should Win: Carrie Preston
Should've Been Nominated: Alison Brie, Alison Wright

BEST COMEDY GUEST ACTOR
Louis C.K., Saturday Night Live
Bobby Cannavale, Nurse Jackie
Will Forte, 30 Rock
Nathan Lane, Modern Family
Bob Newhart, Big Bang Theory
Justin Timberlake, Saturday Night Live

It would be very difficult to see a way legendary Newhart wouldn't win his first Emmy Award (out of seven nominations!) especially for a show that Emmy seems to love. His biggest competition are the two Saturday Night Live hosts that Emmys definitely love (C.K. has NINE nominations this year alone and Timberlake has won FOUR). The rest should just be lucky to be nominated, but I wished Patton Oswalt and Andrew Rannells were nominated from Parks and Rec and Girls respectively.

Prediction: Bob Newhart
Alternate: Justin Timberlake
Should Win: Justin Timberlake
Should've Been Nominated: Patton Oswalt, Andrew Rannells

BEST COMEDY GUEST ACTRESS
Dot-Marie Jones, Glee
Melissa Leo, Louis C.K.
Melissa McCarthy, Saturday Night Live
Molly Shannon, Enlightened
Elaine Stritch, 30 Rock
Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live

Even when I was making my own ballot for this category, I was left mostly uninspired so I don't have much to say about the nominees here. I wouldn't even know who is the frontrunner here. Maybe Oscar winner Leo or 3-time Emmy winner Stritch? Everyone still loves McCarthy and/or Wiig right? Your guess is as good (or better) as mine.

Prediction: Kristen Wiig
Alternate: Elaine Stritch
Should Win: Kristen Wiig
Should've Been Nominated: Kate Hudson, Octavia Spencer

So there are my guest acting predictions. And below are three more categories that will be decided tonight that I'm randomly going to say a few words on, just because.

BEST REALITY TV HOST
Tom Bergeron, Dancing With the Stars
Anthony Bourdain, The Taste
Cat Deeley, So You Think You Can Dance
Heidi Klum & Tim Gunn, Project Runway
Ryan Seacrest, American Idol
Betty White, Betty White's Off Their Rockers

I don't understand how Phil Keoghan was left off this list, but I'm rooting for Cat Deeley or Heidi Klum/Tim Gunn. I still don't get how Bergeron won last year.

BEST ORIGINAL SONG
"Nothing In This World Will Ever Break My Heart Again," Nashville
"More Or Less The Kind Of Thing You May Or May Not Possibly See On Broadway," The Neighbors
"Hang The Moon," Smash
"I Hear Your Voice In A Dream," Smash
"Rural Juror," 30 Rock
"If I Had Time," 66th Annual Tony Awards

Other than the song from The Neighbors, I've heard and like all of the other songs so I'll be fine if any of them wins. I'm rooting for "Rural Juror" (for the hilarity) and "I Hear Your Voice In A Dream" (only song I've listened to more than 5x). I would root for Neil Patrick's Tony Awards song from last year, but I'd rather he win NEXT year for his epic opening song from the Tony Awards this year.

BEST MAIN TITLE DESIGN
American Horror Story: Asylum
Da Vinci's Demons
Elementary
Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn
The Newsroom
Vikings

Rooting for Elementary just because I just love their Rube-Goldberg-esque main title, but I also like the dark and pretty one for The Vikings. Haven't seen any of the others!

There's way more awards than these to be given out tonight, but I can't cover them all! Though after tonight, it should tells us which shows the Emmy voters are loving. Though last year the results where mixed with Homeland and Game Change translating their early wins with dominating on the big night while Girls and Game of Thrones didn't.