Creative Arts Emmy Awards Guest Acting Winners

The Creative Arts Emmy Awards were given out last night. Game of Thrones picked up the most hardware with 8 trophies followed by American Horror Story: Freakshow with 5 and Bessie with 4. For a complete list of winners, click here.

What I did want to talk about were the four Guest Acting categories which, like every year, are the only acting categories given out at the Creative Arts Emmy ceremony. I wished I had posted my predictions prior to the ceremony, but I only would've gotten 1 of 4 anyways. Onwards...

BEST GUEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY

• Mel Brooks, The Comedians
• Louis C.K., Saturday Night Live
• Paul Giamatti, Inside Amy Schumer
• Bill Hader, Saturday Night Live
• Jon Hamm, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
• Bradley Whitford, Transparent - WINNER

Was very happy to see Whitford get the nomination and the win. If I had been voting, that would've been an easy vote for an actor with a tricky role. He was also the only acting win of the night that I predicted as I think the Emmys will embrace Transparent wholeheartedly during the big night. With that said, I know I wasn't the only one wishing Hamm had won for his kooky cult leader character just so he'd have an Emmy since he's clearly not winning one for Mad Men (or is he?).

As for the rest of the nominees, they're fine if a bit shrug-worthy. Among my personal picks were Ki Hong Lee from Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Zachary Quinto for his stint in Girls. Or anyone and everyone from Parks & Recreation, but that's a common refrain from me.

BEST GUEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

• Pamela Adlon, Louie
• Elizabeth Banks, Modern Family
• Christine Baranski, Big Bang Theory
• Joan Cusack, Shameless - WINNER
• Tina Fey, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

I have so much love for most of these actresses and yet other than Baranski, who is just so good in this role (what role isn't she good in?), none of them made my own personal shortlist which included no-brainers like Rhea Perlman for The Mindy Project, Kyra Sedgwick for Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Kathryn Hahn for Parks & Recreation.

With that said, I'm totally fine for Cusack's win. With the constant question of her show being a comedy or her role being a guest role, hilarious this year her character did fit the bill for both. Plus it's a first Emmy to a longtime working actor who's always a treat to watch. From the nominees, I probably would've given my vote to Baranski. As for my prediction as to how the Emmys would've gone, I would've bet on Fey or Banks.

BEST GUEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA

• F. Murray Abraham, Homeland
• Alan Alda, The Blacklist
• Beau Bridges, Masters of Sex
• Reg E. Cathey, House of Cards - WINNER
• Michael J. Fox, The Good Wife
• Pablo Schreiber, Orange Is the New Black

Schreiber's inclusion was a bit of a surprise during nomination morning, but the others were less shocking. I wasn't even disappointed in them since I do think they're all good, but for most of them I would've picked other actors from their shows for example Corey Stoll for Homeland, David Hyde Pierce for The Good Wife, and Larsd Mikkelsen for House of Cards.

Mikkelsen especially really chewed scenery toe-to-toe with Spacey so Cathey's nomination and win is a head-scratcher for me in a season where he barely did anything (ditto Bridges whose win last season I championed). From this list of nominees, I would've personally picked and predicted Fox to win since shockingly to me he has yet to win for a juicy and complex role in a show that's rich with acting Emmy wins.

BEST GUEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA

• Khandi Alexander, Scandal
• Rachel Brosnahan, House of Cards
• Allison Janney, Masters of Sex
• Margo Martindale, The Americans - WINNER
• Diana Rigg, Game of Thrones
• Cicely Tyson, How to Get Away With Murder

My love for Martindale and The Americans is clear and I think it's great that the show got some kind of Emmy recognition, but Martindale did nothing special this past season at least not compared to someone like Tyson who I thought was the slam-dunk winner. Even on the same show, Lois Smith was the only who truly delivered an award-winning guest performance last year.

Other people I was rooting for to get nominations were Julianne Nicholson for Masters of Sex (should've won!), Linda Lavin for The Good Wife, and Courtney Love (damn right!) for Empire.

In any case, now all eyes are on the Big Night next week. Do any of the Creative Arts Emmy wins mean anything for it? Should Mad Men fans worry their show went 0 for 4? Will the 3 wins for Transparent mean it'll be the first show to unseat Modern Family for Best Comedy Series? Unfortunately, there's no direct correlation between early technical wins and winning the big prizes, so we'll all just have to wait and see.