I’m assuming we can get to six nominees, but there is a possibility that only five nominees exist. Thus, I must rank these fine actresses.

1) Jean Smart (Hacks)

Signed. Sealed. Delivered. Not only is she getting the nomination, but she’s winning. yes, I know there was a fantastic (now) lead performance in The bear, but come on now. Jean Smart is Hacks. Yes, she has won before, but Julia Louis-Dreyfus won consistently for Veep.

2) Ayo Edebiri (The Bear)

In a different year, a different season, perhaps Ayo taking center stage for Season 2 of The bear,(and in my opinion, stealing the show from Jeremy Alan White), might put her in the winners circle. Jean smart’s show is too well liked, to beloved, and too centered on her character in order to survive.

3) Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary)

Yeah, she’ll notch another nomination. It’s pretty much a lock at this point. i don’t see how Abbott, still going strong like it is, could possibly miss out on a nomination for Janeane.

4) Kristin Wiig (Palm Royale)

i did leave this out of the series race, in favor of The Righteous Gemstones. That may bite me in the butt, but the show itself had a mixed reception. One of the constants I heard about the show though was that Kristen Wiig was phenomenal, and with that strong of a cast, I think it’s more likely she’ll break into the actress race this year than perhaps former SNL co-star Maya Rudolph.

5) Selena Gomez (Only Murders Inn The Building)

What has happened so far, after each season of Only Murders, is that the conversation becomes centered around how voters keep ignoring her. This may not be the smartest bet, but there’s another part of me that feels like there’s so much pressure to nominate her. Without some of the nominees from last year challenging for a spot, like Rachel Brosnahan and Natasha Lyonne. Gone. One show is over, one show didn’t make a new season. I have to believe, Gomez can get this nomination. Finally.

The Final Spot

So, I would love to see so many names here that I will never see here. There’s the Girls 5 Eva, all of whom deserve nominations. Nasim Pedrad truly did some exceptional comedic work on the little watched Chad. Wouldn’t it be so nice to hear Sarah Lancashire finally get recognized for the final season of Julia? Or how about recognizing that Starz has a terrific comedy in Minx with a wonderful lead actress? I would absolutely love to see Emma Mackey get a nomination for her superb work on the final season of Sex Education. there are so many great choices. hell, wouldn’t it be a nice slap at ABC to see Gina Rodriguez show up for Not Dead yet? Realistically, I think this nomination is between two people, and I think between Amy Schumer (Life and Beth) and Maya Rudolph (Loot), if we do get a sixth slot, it goes to…

Maya Rudolph (Loot)