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In a summer of swimmers, psoriasis and stuff a whole lot stranger, it's clear that the American people deserve a gold medal for binge watching. For that, the main event is the upcoming Emmy Awards, even if some of our favorites will never win. With more TV than ever and not enough awards to go around, we hedged our bets on where the trophies will land in the major acting categories on Sunday.

SEE ALSO:5 new fall shows you need to watch

Lead actor in a drama

Kyle Chandler, BloodlineRami Malek, Mr. RobotBob Odenkirk, Better Call SaulMatthew Rhys, The AmericansLiev Schreiber, Ray DonovanKevin Spacey, House of Cards

Say what you want about Mr. Robot's meandering second season, but the Emmys are based on Season 1 – besides, Malek's performance is stunning throughout. He lost the Golden Globe to Jon Hamm's long-awaited Mad Menwin, but that leaves a clear path to the Emmy statue unless the established stars of these older shows suddenly awaken the voters. But in that case, isn't winning just an illusion?

Lead actress in a drama

Claire Danes, HomelandViola Davis, How to Get Away With MurderTaraji P. Henson, EmpireTatiana Maslany, Orphan BlackKeri Russell, The AmericansRobin Wright, House of Cards

These nominees are identical to last years, with one notable change: Instead of Elizabeth Moss, this year's ballot features The Americans' Keri Russell. It would take a lot to de-throne Davis, but in one of The Americans' finest seasons to date, the timing may be just right for Russell.

Lead actor in a comedy

Anthony Anderson, black-ishAziz Ansari, Master of NoneWill Forte, Last Man on EarthWilliam H. Macy, ShamelessThomas Middleditch, Silicon ValleyJeffrey Tambor, Transparent

Anderson, Middleditch and Tambor come from ensemble-heavy shows, while Macy's Shameless is woefully under-the-radar and Master of None shines best at writing, not acting. The statue belongs, then, to Forte, whose relentlessly difficult man-child performance as Phil Miller is as hilarious as it is grating (and it's supposed to be both).

Lead actress in a comedy

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, VeepEllie Kemper, The Unbreakable Kimmy SchmidtTracee Ellis Ross, black-ishLaurie Metcalf, Getting OnAmy Schumer, Inside Amy SchumerLily Tomlin, Grace and Frankie

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It might be boring to watch Dreyfus take this statue home every year, but her performance on Veep is anything but. President Meyer is as deliciously acerbic as ever after five seasons, and Dreyfus's work is nothing short of a national treasure. Shoutout to her fellow nominees for sticking it out all this time and delivering nonstop knockout comedy.

Supporting actor in a comedy series

Louie Anderson, BasketsAndre Braugher, Brooklyn Nine-NineKeegan-Michael Key, Key & PeeleTy Burrell, Modern FamilyTituss Burgess, Unbreakable Kimmy SchmidtTony Hale, VeepMatt Walsh, Veep

It's wonderful to see this category, once merely a list of the male credits in Modern Family, has evolved to include cable and streaming and a brilliant sampling of comedic actors. Hale has the edge as last year's winner, but throwing Walsh in the mix could split Veepfans' votes. Will Key ride the wave of success from his show's final season and the film Don't Think Twice? Will Andre Braugher's comedy chops finally get some love? Will Ty Burrell make a comeback? THIS IS STRESSFUL.

Supporting actor in a drama series

Jonathan Banks, Better Call SaulPeter Dinklage, Game of ThronesBen Mendelsohn, BloodlineKit Harington, Game of ThronesMichael Kelly, House of CardsJon Voight,Ray Donovan

Dinklage has been a fixture of this category since winning it in 2011, but it's Harington who got to stretch his acting muscles the most in Game of Thrones Season 6. Pitting them against each other could prove perilous, but Jon Snow's been known to beat the odds.

Supporting actress in a comedy series

Niecy Nash, Getting OnAllison Janney, MomKate McKinnon, Saturday Night LiveJudith Light, TransparentGaby Hoffmann, TransparentAnna Chlumsky,Veep

Apart from Light, these are all of last year's nominees (with a few absences), which just clears the path for Janney to take her third consecutive Emmy for playing Bonnie on Mom.

Supporting actress in a drama series

Maura Tierney, The AffairMaggie Smith, Downton AbbeyLena Headey, Game of ThronesEmilia Clarke, Game of ThronesMaisie Williams, Game of ThronesConstance Zimmer, UnREAL

This category is so snoozey that it seems to have been a ballot afterthought, which is a shame given the brilliant performances by actresses on television this year. Williams' inclusion is a nod to her character's burgeoning badassery, but she'll have a tough time beating out Thrones-leaning voters while competing with the Mother of Dragons and the mother of – wow, never mind. It's Zimmer who deserves to win for the malicious matriarch of production in UnREALSeason 1.

The Emmys air Sunday, Sept. 18 on ABC.

TopicsEmmys

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