Can Kit Harington and Emilia Clarke bring home Emmy gold?

The 71st annual Emmy Awards nominations were announced today. This will be the last time Game of Thrones is eligible for the awards, so all eyes were on how many nominations it would rack up. The series has changed the entertainment world and ushered in the Golden Age of Television. Will the 2019 Emmys be a victory lap, or will the awards response be muted following a controversial final season?

At first glance, it looks like it’ll be the first one. The show was nominated for a record 32 awards, including leading acting awards for Kit Harington (Jon Snow) and Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen). These two were put forward for the same categories after season 7 but didn’t even get on the ballot. Can they win on September 22? Let’s get into it, starting with Harington.

Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series

• Kit Harington as Jon Snow: Game of Thrones
• Bob Odenkirk as Jimmy McGill: Better Call Saul
• Jason Bateman as Martin ‘Marty’ Byrde: Ozark
• Billy Porter as Pray Tell: Pose
• Sterling K. Brown as Randall Pearson: This Is Us
• Milo Ventimiglia as Jack Pearson: This Is Us

Okay, so let me get this out of my system first: I Don’t think HBO should have put Harington forward for consideration in the Lead Actor category. Sure, he nailed every scene he was in, but all things considering, Jon had a pretty low-key year.

In my opinion, Peter Dinklage had a much stronger season than Harington. Whether paling around with the the members of the living before the Battle of Winterfell or talking Jon into killing the Dragon Queen, he shone this year. After seven seasons of being in the Supporting Actor category, I think it was Dinklage’s time to shine.

Apart from that, I don’t think Harington has much of a chance against two actors from This Is Us. That show is one hell of an emotional roller coaster, and Brown and Ventimiglia are phenomenal in their roles, and it’s really not fair to the other actors in this category. Billy Porter is great in Pose, but I think Bob Odenkirk put in a stronger performance in Better Call Saul. Batemen wasn’t that great in Ozark season 2, so I think we can exclude him.

Harington’s real competition is Odenkirk, Brown and Ventimiglia, and I don’t think he’s going to nab the trophy from that stiff competition.

Prediction: Bob Odenkirk wins the gold in a very close contest with Brown and Ventimiglia.

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Now let’s take a look at the Lead Actress category:

Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series

• Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen: Game of Thrones
• Robin Wright as Claire Underwood: House of Cards
• Viola Davis as Annalise Keating: How To Get Away With Murder
• Jodie Comer as Villanelle: Killing Eve
• Sandra Oh as Eve Polastri: Killing Eve
• Laura Linney as Wendy Byrde: Ozark
• Mandy Moore as Rebecca Pearson: This Is Us

Daenerys’ final arc may have been divisive, but Emilia Clarke sold it to within an inch of her life. Love it or hate it, season 8 was a major showcase for Clarke’s talents.

While Clarke should win Emmy gold, she faces heated competition from Jodie Comer and Sandra Oh from Killing Eve. That show has delivered two fantastic seasons thanks in no small part to the performance of its two female leads. Meanwhile, Linney and Moore were good in their respective shows, but I don’t think they can catch Clarke.

Wright was okay in the final season of House of Cards, but it’s painfully obvious she couldn’t carry the show the way Kevin Spacey did. I have never watched How to Get Away With Murder, so I can’t speak to Viola Davis’ performance.

Prediction: Emilia Clarke takes home the trophy in a landslide victory. Justice for the Mother of Dragons.

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