Sunday, February 1, 2026

Emmy Watch 2026 Phase Two Part 1: My (Delayed) Reactions to the 2025 Image Nominations for TV

 

We've now unofficially begun Phase 2 of this year's Emmy Watch. With the Golden Globe and Critics Choice Awards in our rear view and only the SAG awards remaining, it's time to discuss some of the other major groups that give awards for television.

This year I will be expanding my scope slightly more as well as looking to see if other major awards groups even exist. For this article I'm finally going to get around to dealing with a group I started covering for my blog during the last few years: the NAACP Image Awards and their nominations for TV.

While it remains highly unlikely, to say the least, the Emmys will ever recognize series like Reasonable Doubt or The Upshaws for award recognition looking at the various acting and writing nominations for all three groups one can see possibilities for the year to come. And as is usually the case much of the time you wish the Emmys, in their less then infinite wisdom, would show some common sense and nominate some of these series and actors.

Anyway here we go and as always I start with drama.

 

OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES

One of these series was nominated for best drama by the Emmys last year and may well be again: Paradise.  Beyond the Gates is no doubt going to be in the hunt for Daytime Emmys down the road and Forever did get some recognition for various awards. The Emmys will never recognize Bel-Air or Reasonable Doubt.

 

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Sterling K. Brown is here for Paradise and perhaps he'll even win. The Emmys really should nominate Forest Whitaker for Godfather of Harlem. I'm glad to see Morris Chestnut recognized for Watson. Michael Cooper is here for Forever and Jabari Banks is here for the last time for Bel-Air.

 

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

Yes the Emmys need to give Angela Bassett some love for her work in 9-1-1; they really do. Queen Latifah is here for the last time for The Equalizer. Lovie Simone, Patina Miller and Emayatzy Corinealdi have no realistic chance.

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES.

Okay I'm kind of shocked that no one from Severance here, considering Tramell Tillman did win the Emmy and the Critics Choice Award. Ato Essandoh has been nominated for the Critics Choice Award for his work in The Diplomat and it's not impossible he will be by the Emmys. Caleb McLaughin fills the gap for Stranger Things. Wood Harris has deserved an Emmy since The Wire but they're not going to nominate him for Forever, likewise no one from The Chi will get in and Adrian Holmes for Bel-Air.

 

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA

Karen Pittman is competing against herself: she's nominated for both Forever and The Morning Show. She's more likely to be nominated for the latter as is Nicole Beharie, both have been in previous years. I would love to see Audra McDonald nominated for The Gilded Age though its more likely Denee Benton will be. Aisha Hinds has no chance for 9-1-1

 

OUTSTANDING DIRECTING

Salli Richardson-Whitfield might very well get nominated for directing The Gilded Age or indeed some other award.  Its not clear what will happen with The Copenhagen Test. None of the other three series have much of a chance.

 

OUTSTANDING WRITING IN A DRAMA

This actually has some legs. The Lowdown does have some possibility for nominations so Walter Mosley could have a chance. The Pitt has had writing nominations in the chance and The Beast in Me is a contender for nominations in Best Limited Series. FBI and Law & Order have no realistic chance but its because the Emmys have turned their backs on network TV.

 

 Now Comedy.

OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES

Big surprise Abbott Elementary is here. Bigger surprise is the recognition for The Residence which got some Emmy recognition before it was canceled. Harlem has gotten some nominations for awards in the past and The Upshaws and Survival of the Thickest will not.

 

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

The Emmys absolutely should nominated David Alan Grier for St. Denis Medical. I've advocated for it numerous times. The Vince Staples Show was canceled. I'm not sure there's much love coming for the canceled Government Cheese and Cedric The Entertainer and Mike Epps have no realistic chance.

 

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

This is the first category the Emmys either have or will follow: only Michelle Buteau for Survival of the Thickest has no chance. Uzo Abuda was nominated for The Residence last year and Ayo Edebiri, Maya Rudolph and Quinta Brunson are already regulars for their respective shows. Edebiri and Brunson are certainties and Maya Rudolph might buck the odds for Loot

 

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR FOR A COMEDY

Colman Domingo was nominated for The Four Seasons. Giancarlo Esposito should have been for The Residence. And I want to see Wendell Pierce nominated for Elsbeth and William Stanford Davis nominated for Abbott Elementary. The Daily Show doesn't fit the category.

 

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY

Janelle James may be the front runner for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy. Ego Nwodim left SNL before the season began so she's ineligible as is Edwina Finley for The Residence. The other two nominees have no realistic chance

 

OUTSTANDING DIRECTING IN A COMEDY

The Four Seasons, Government Cheese and Demascus are ineligible. Tyler James Williams might make it.

 

OUTSTANDING WRITING IN A COMEDY

All of the nominees are for shows that either ineligible this year or have already happened. That said Abbott Elementary and Hacks are likely to be in contention for writing.

 

OUTTSANDING TV MOVIE, MINI SERIES OR SPECIAL

Washington Black, Ironheart and G20 I've all heard of and they're ineligible. Ruth & Boaz and Straw have no chance.

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN TV MOVIE, LIMITED SERIES, SPECIAL

Bryan Tyree Henry has been nominated for multiple awards for Dope Thief. Idris Elba's best chance is for Hijack, not Heads of State. Taye Diggs and Giancarlo Esposito are great actors they don't have a chance.

 

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A TV MOVIE, MINI SERIES OR SPECIAL

All of these nominees are ineligible, which is a shame because Dominque Thorne in Ironheart was solid.

 

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR SPECIAL

Okay I wouldn't mind if Jay Ellis was nominated for his work in All Her Fault and having seen much of Dope Thief Ving Rhames more than deserved a nomination. Neither of the nominees for Straw have much of a chance.

 

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A TV MOVIE, LIMITED SERIES OR SPECIAL

Zero Day should have gotten more nominations across the board. No one else is likely

 

I'm actually going to look at some of the other categories.

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A YOUTH

Frankly I think this category should exist at the Emmys. And Amanda Christine and Blake Cameron James work in Welcome to Derry was superb as was Percy Daggs IV in Paradise.

Shows like Chief of War might contend for technical awards. The Emmys won't touch All's Fair with a ten-mile pole.

I'll be back at the end of the month to see if the winners give us any guidance.  Later this month I'll be dealing with a new face to Emmy watch: the Saturn's. And I should have following them even longer the Images honestly.

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