“Rooting for Paul W. Downs: 5 Emmy Nominations That Would Be Paradise”

After enduring months of FYC campaigns, panels, and last-minute submissions, voting has commenced for the 2025 Emmys, with nominations set to be unveiled in a month.

This year has been momentous for television, especially evident in the assembly of exceptionally talented actors contending for a limited number of spots on the ballot. In the fiercely competitive Drama category, which perennially boasts a plethora of contenders, over 100 eligible shows are vying for just eight coveted nominations. Major favorites like The Handmaid’s Tale, in contention for its sixth and final season, and Landman, are in danger of being left off the nominee list.

Meanwhile, in the Comedy category, the competition is equally intense. Approximately sixty to seventy shows are competing for eight slots, with several returning favorites like Hacks, The Bear, Abbott Elementary, and Only Murders In The Building almost guaranteed nominations. The question remains: will any newcomers manage to secure a surprising slot?

Given the competitiveness of the year and the truly outstanding crop of contenders, we want to highlight just five of the performances that deserve all the love from Emmy voters. And reminder: voting is open through June 23 nominations will be announced on July 15. So, are you ready to hear us plead our case? Keep reading for a few of our Emmy hopes…

1. Paul W. Downs pulls double duty as a writer and actor in Hacks and makes it feel effortless. Great in every season, of course, but on another level in the fourth season. Whenever you can point to one scene and say that an actor’s talent is on full display, it is a show that they are deserving of their position. For me, that could not be clearer with Downs than in Season 4 Episode 9 where Jimmy and Kayla (Meg Stalter) must try and bring “Dance Mom” (Julianne Nicholson) back from her drunken stupor by energizing her with a heavy bump of cocaine. The two-minute long bit is one of the funniest scenes in a comedy in years and is only possible thanks to Stalter and Downs’ comedic timing.

   Watch hacks on HBO max

2. I shouldn’t have to say more than “Paradise Episode 2″ for you to understand why Julianne Nicholson deserves her nomination for the show. The episode, “Sinatra,” follows her character’s journey to bringing together a team to create the underground bunker at the heart of the series, specifically the issues in her personal life that drive her to search for a solution to humanity’s ailments. The entire episode is a masterclass in acting and should be shown in drama schools around the world, in my opinion. Also, it doesn’t hurt that Nicholson’s true chops are put on display even more so when you remember she had a completely opposite role as “Dance Mom” in Hacks Season 4. Here’s hoping she gets a nomination in the Guest Actress in a Comedy Series category, as well.

   watch paradise on hulu

3. Perhaps my darkest horse on this list, Michael Urie has been gracing our screens on television for decades and it’s time he finally gets the recognition for his outstanding work. In Shrinking Season 2, Urie’s character is tasked with acting as a bridge between Jimmy (Jason Segel) and Louis (Brett Goldstein), the drunk driver responsible for taking the life of Jimmy’s wife. It’s a tough spot to be in and it’s even tougher to play it as humanly as it would unfold in real life, which Urie does without fail. In fact, a running joke of the season ended up being Brian’s mini-monologue about trying and failing to send Louis away from Jimmy and Alice (Lukita Maxwell). Paired with Brian and Charlie’s (Devin Kawaoka) adoption storyline, Urie delivers a memorable performance that deserves to be recognized alongside cast member Harrison Ford, who is all but sure for a nomination in the category this year.

   watch shrinking on apple tv+

4. Walton Goggins should be nominated at the Emmy Awards this year, absolutely. But if you think it should be for The White Lotus Season 3, you are sadly mistaken. Sure, his turn as Rick Hachett in Thailand was great but Goggins’ turn as Baby Billy (hopped up on coke, we might add) playing a teenage Jesus Christ is unmatched. In reality, the Fallout actor should have been nominated every year for playing this lovable and idiotic Bible-thumper, but Season 4 is one of his best years to date. Goggins is one of those actors who has the ability to channel everything they have into their character, not leaving a drop in the bucket at the end of the day. I feel strongly that he gives himself over completely to every role but it’s never more apparent how much love he has for the work than when he is delivering lines as Baby Billy that make a person pause the television to catch their breath.

   watch the righteous gemstones on hbo max

5. Sure, sure, Adam Scott and Britt Lower should get nominated for Severance Season 2, but if Mr. Milchick himself, a.k.a. Tramell Tillman, is left off the list in the Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series category, I will simply tell the TV Academy voters to “devour feculence.” Starring as the stoic and reserved manager of the severed floor, Tillman takes his character to new heights in the second season, delivering the performance of a Lumon poster boy who is beginning to question the company’s motives and goals. Through his eyes, we watch atrocities inside the company unfold and see him begin to question his own role in Lumon’s purpose. If played by any other actor, we may dislike him but it’s Tillman’s ability to balance his emotions on a razor’s edge that make it a compelling performance.

   watch severance on apple tv+

6. watch the righteous gemstones on hbo max

   Listen, I know we said five nominations but I’m tossing in a bonus one that I think deserves it. Year after year, the Television Academy has ignored Danny McBride’s dark-humored comedy and that cannot be the case for its fourth and final season. Not only did every actor deliver their best performance in the show to date, but the writing went to places that McBride and the other scribes have never taken the show before — including an epic scene where Eli Gemstone (John Goodman) and Ms. Lori Milsap (Megan Mullally) are walked in on during an incredibly vivid sex act. That scene juxtaposed with the opening episode starring Bradley Cooper as the original Elijah Gemstone makes for a well-rounded comedy that should not be overlooked.

Emmy nominations will be announced on July 15.