Who will win big at the Emmy Awards on Monday morning?

FOR the first time ever, Aussie audiences are well placed to decide for themselves who deserves to take out the Emmy Awards. Will Game of Thrones scoop the lot?

Favourite ... The Mother of Dragons, Emilia Clarke, gives Game of Thrones a flying chance at Best Drama. Picture: Supplied.

FOR the first time ever, Aussie audiences are well placed to decide for themselves who deserves to take out the Emmy Awards tomorrow morning.

This year we’ve had unprecedented access to the top nominated shows … legal access, as opposed to dodgy downloads. Thanks to a combination of free-to-air fast tracking, pay TV programming and the introduction of streaming services Presto, Stan and Netflix earlier this year, viewers Down Under are no longer in the dark about the latest hit shows from the US.

So what’s hot and what’s not? Forget about “outstanding hairstyling for a single camera series” (and yes, that’s a real category). We’re interested in the big guns, Best Drama, Comedy, and the outstanding men and women who lead them.

BEST DRAMA SERIES

Better Call Saul

Downton Abbey

Game of Thrones

Homeland

House of Cards

Mad Men

Orange is the New Black

Game of Thrones is so loved we can’t stop stealing it (it was last year’s most pirated show), and it’s the most-nominated at this year’s Emmys, with 24 nods. In a gripping fifth season, Jon Snow carked it (or did he?), kiddies were killed in cold blood and Cersei Lannister took the ultimate nude run of shame. If the Academy of Television watched half as closely as we did, Game will be a shoo in. Mad Men could nab the win as a sentimental send-off gift, while Better Call Saul is an unlikely but worthy new contender.

BEST COMEDY SERIES

Louie

Modern Family

Parks and Recreation

Silicon Valley

Transparent

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Veep

The Emmys luuuuuurve long-running Modern Family, but Best Comedy this year could go to Veep, as the yanks do love a presidential sort, even a bumbling one such as Selina Meyer. Especially a bumbling one — they elected George Dubya after all. Loveable newbie Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt would be a much bolder choice. Like its forerunner, 30 Rock, it’s the weird kid of this category.

BEST LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

Taraji P. Henson as Cookie Lyon, Empire

Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison, Homeland

Robin Wright as Claire Underwood, House of Cards

Viola Davis as Annalise Keating, How to Get Away With Murder

Elisabeth Moss as Peggy Olson, Mad Men

Tatiana Maslany as Sarah, Alison, Cosima, Helena, Rachel and Krystal, Orphan Black

Elisabeth Moss is another Mad Men star oft-snubbed by the Emmys. Peggy Olson is arguably the show’s anchor, the new, improved, female version of her mentor and mate, Don Draper.

BEST LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Bob Odenkirk as Jimmy McGill, Better Call Saul

Kyle Chandler as John Rayburn, Bloodline

Kevin Spacey as Francis Underwood, House of Cards

Jon Hamm as Don Draper, Mad Men

Jeff Daniels as Will McAvoy, The Newsroom

Liev Schreiber as Ray Donovan, Ray Donovan

Jon ‘always a bridesmaid’ Hamm has been nominated for 16 Emmys in total, eight times for his role as suave drunk Don Draper. With Mad Men having ended, this is his last stab at the crown. Give the bloke a pity win, he deserves one just for hanging in there so long. And the Emmys are known to give award wins as parting gifts.

BEST LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

Lisa Kudrow as Valerie Cherish, The Comeback

Lily Tomlin as Frankie, Grace and Frankie

Amy Schumer as Amy, Inside Amy Schumer

Edie Falco as Jackie Peyton, Nurse Jackie

Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope, Parks and Recreation

Julia Louis-Dreyfuss as President Selina Meyer, Veep

It’s hip to love Amy Schumer right now, and 2015 has been the year of the Schu’. Clips from her sketch show Inside Amy Schumer went viral on a weekly basis, and she wrote and starred in her first feature film, Train Wreck. Confronting and cutting edge, Schumer is the Emmys’ ticket to street cred.

BEST LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Anthony Anderson as Andre Johnson, black-ish

Matt LeBlanc as Matt LeBlanc, Episodes

Don Cheadle as Marty Kaan, House of Lies

Will Forte as Phil Miller, The Last Man on Earth

Louis C.K. as Louie, Louie

William H. Macy as Frank Gallagher, Shameless

Jeffrey Tambor as Maura Pfefferman, Transparent

Transparent is an odd fit in this category; it’s darkly funny in parts, and doesn’t shy away from serious issues and complex relationships. But as transgender Maura, who is coming out to her family, Jeffrey Tambor is superb, sensitive, fragile and funny. A no-brainer.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

Joanne Froggatt as Anna Bates, Downton Abbey

Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister, Game of Thrones

Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen, Game of Thrones

Christine Baranski as Diane Lockhart, The Good Wife

Christina Hendricks as Joan Harris, Mad Men

Uzo Aduba as Suzanne ‘Crazy Eyes Warren’, Orange is the New Black

Christina Hendricks is the firm fave in this strong line-up of ladies, as the final season of Mad Men threw up some stunning storylines for the often objectified and overlooked Joan Harris. But there’s no shame in losing to a class act such as Robin Wright, Uzo Aduba or mother of dragons, Emilia Clarke.

Firm favourite ... Underestimate Mad Men’s Joan Harris at your own risk. Picture: Supplied

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Jonathon Banks as Mike Ehrmantraut, Better Call Saul

Ben Mendelsohn as Danny Rayburn, Bloodline

Jim Carter as Mr Carson, Downton Abbey

Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister, Game of Thrones

Alan Cumming as Eli Gold, The Good Wife

Michael Kelly as Doug Stamper, House of Cards

Seriously, have you seen Jonathon Banks play mean guy Mike? First in Breaking Bad, now in Better Call Saul ... I’d chuck him the award just for being scary, then run for my life. If it can’t go to Banks, then Peter Dinklage is next best as the sardonic Tyrion Lannister. Token Aussie Ben Mendelsohn is an outside chance, with his first Emmy nomination.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

Mayim Balik as Amy Farrah Fowler, The Big Bang Theory

Niecy Nash as Denise ‘Didi’ Ortley, Getting On

Julie Bowen as Claire Dunphy, Modern Family

Allison Janney as Bonnie, Mom

Kate McKinnon as various characters, Saturday Night Live

Gaby Hoffman as Ali Pfefferman, Transparent

Jane Krakowski as Jacqueline Voorhees, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Anna Chlumsky as Amy Brookheimer, Veep

This category is bursting at the seams with a total eight nominations. Anna Chlumsky has come a long way since pashing Macaulay Culkin in My Girl, and has been nominated three time for playing Veep’s Amy Brookheimer. Third time could be the charm, if repeat winner Claire Bowen (Modern Family) would give someone else a turn.

All grown up ... Third time lucky for Veep’s Anna Chlumsky? Picture: Supplied.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Andre Braugher as Captain Ray Holt, Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Adam Driver as Adam Sackler, Girls

Keegan-Michael Key as various characters, Key & Peele

Ty Burrell as Phil Dunphy, Modern Family

Tituss Burgess as Titus Andromedon, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Tony Hale as Gary Walsh, Veep

Not sure how they decided Keegan-Michael Key is a supporting actor; he’s clearly one half of killer comedy duo Key & Peele. But since he’s in the category, give the man an award for a spectacular final season of the hit show. Or Andre Braugher as Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s inscrutable captain (co-star Andy Samberg is the Emmys host). Pretty much anyone but Ty Burrell for Modern Family.

The 2015 Emmy Awards, 10am & 7.30pm on Monday, Fox8

Originally published as Who will win big at the Emmy Awards on Monday morning?