Succession, Squid Game or a surprise? Emmy winners to be unveiled

Hollywood stars will gather on Monday (Sep 12) night to toast the best of television at the annual Emmy awards, where back-stabbing drama Succession will battle South Korean sensation Squid Game for the top prize.

The two are competing for the best drama series trophy at the red-carpet ceremony that will be broadcast live on Comcast Corp’s NBC network and streamed on Peacock. Longtime Saturday Night Live cast member Kenan Thompson will host the event starting at 5 pm in downtown Los Angeles (8 am on Tuesday, Singapore time).

Competition is tough, according to awards experts, with several shows and stars back in the running after COVID-related filming disruptions kept them away last year.

“We’re seeing a lot of categories with contenders who have been mainstays for years, and they’re competing against each other,” said Entertainment Weekly editor-in-chief Patrick Gomez.

Succession, an HBO series starring Brian Cox as the patriarch of a family jockeying for control of a media dynasty, is a favorite for best drama after racking up a leading 25 nominations. It won the award in 2020.

Newcomer Squid Game could pull off a win, however, and if so it would make history as the first non-English language program to claim a series Emmy. The show about life-or-death contests offering the possibility of riches became a global phenomenon when it debuted on Netflix Inc a year ago.

But don’t rule out a surprise, awards experts said. Apple TV+ workplace thriller Severance has generated recent buzz in Hollywood. Other competitors include Netflix’s Ozark and AMC’s Better Call Saul, which voters might want to honor for their final seasons.