Emmys 2025: Newcomers Shake Up Drama and Comedy Races

The 77th annual Emmy Awards, set to take place on August 1st, 2025, are shaping up to be a groundbreaking event. With a diverse array of series, dozens of first-time nominees, and several shows making a comeback, the ceremony is poised to make history in more ways than one.

One of the most competitive categories this year is the drama series race. While established shows like "Severance," "The Last of Us," and "Andor" have earned nominations, none have taken home the top prize before. "Severance" is considered an early front-runner, but it faces formidable challengers in the form of newcomers like "Paradise" on Hulu and "The Pitt" on HBO Max, the latter of which has an impressive 13 nominations.

In the comedy series category, only two of the eight nominees have won previously - "The Bear" and "Hacks." The returning nominees, including "Only Murders in the Building" and "Abbott Elementary," will have to contend with the breakout success of "The Studio" on Apple TV+, which has shattered the previous record for most nominations for a freshman series.

The guest actor and actress categories in both drama and comedy are also set to be hotly contested, with standout performances from the likes of Jeffrey Wright, Joe Pantoliano, and Kaitlyn Dever in "The Last of Us," as well as Zoë Kravitz, Julianne Nicholson, and Olivia Colman in various comedy series.