The Emmys are taking place tonight - here's what shows are tipped to win

THE STARS OF the small screen are set to descend on Los Angeles tonight for the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards. 

The Pitt, Hacks, Widow’s Bay, Pluribus, Slow Horses and The Diplomat are among the shows vying to pick up a prize at the ceremony. 

The Emmys, which are overseen by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, is seen as the US television industry’s most prestigious event. 

The nominations are split into three categories: comedy, drama and limited series. A full list of nominees can be found here.

Frontrunners

In the drama category, hit HBO medical drama The Pitt is leading the pack with a massive 25 nominations. 

It is tipped to take home the award for outstanding drama series, with star Noah Wyle also expected to beat competition such as Mark Ruffalo (Task) and Gary Oldman (Slow Horses) to the best lead actor prize for the second year running. 

Three men from The Pitt are also up for best supporting actor, including Shawn Hatosy – who showbiz reporters feel will take the prize over Task‘s Tom Pelphrey and Slow Horses star Jack Lowden – who is rumoured to be the new James Bond. 

There are four names from The Pitt in the best supporting actress grouping, and though this could lead to a split vote, Katherine LaNasa is anticipated to win the award for the second time. 

Pluribus received 18 nominations, including in the best drama category. From the creators of Breaking Bad, the dark sci-fi comedy follows one woman who is immune from a virus that makes everyone extremely happy. 

Rhea Seehorn, who plays the main character, is the favourite to win outstanding lead actress. Her biggest competition is thought to be Keri Russell, who is nominated for her role in Netflix’s political thriller The Diplomat. 

Meanwhile, Apple TV’s Widow’s Bay, which focuses on a New England island that appears to be haunted, looks to be the one to beat for the outstanding comedy series gong. 

The show was nominated for 24 awards and is in a position to become the most awarded comedy series in a single year, with forecasters putting their money on Matthew Rhys to win best actor in a comedy, with Stephen Root and Kate O’Flynn also strong contenders in their respective supporting categories. 

A strong night for Widow’s Bay does not bode well for Hacks, the comedy drama about a stand-up comedian trying to revive her career and the dysfunctional millennial assistant who helps her.

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Having been nominated in 24 categories, its surest bet is for Jean Smart to win outstanding actress in a comedy series. 

Meanwhile, in the limited series category, Beef and DTF St Louis are thought to be the top two contenders to take home the main prize.

The Netflix show about two strangers involved in a road rage incident which then escalates into a feud received 16 nominations, while the HBO Max series in which a love triangle between three middle-aged adults that leads to murder got 13 nods.

Oscar Isaac is also tipped to win best actor in a limited series for Beef, though his costar Carey Mulligan will likely lose out to Sally Field in the best actress category.

The veteran Hollywood actress is the favourite to win for her performance as a widow who works at a local aquarium and forms an unlikely bond with a giant Pacific octopus in Netflix’s Remarkably Bright Creatures. 

Irish interest

It is limited, but there are some Irish connections to look out for.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, the Game of Thrones spin-off which was filmed in Northern Ireland and stars Irish actor Peter Claffey as Ser Duncan the Tall, received nine nominations in total.

This includes outstanding drama series, cinematography, production design and costumes. It already won for outstanding stunt performance at the Creative Arts Emmys last week. 

Elsewhere, All Her Fault is nominated for seven awards, including outstanding limited series and outstanding lead actress in a limited series for Sara Snook.  

Adapted from Cork author Andrew Mara’s book of the same name, the mystery thriller centres on a mother’s search for the truth after she goes to collect her young son from a playdate, but finds the mother who answers the door has never seen or heard of her or her son.

Ceremony

The ceremony kicks off at 5pm (12am Irish time) and will be hosted by Law and Order star Mariska Hargitay at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles.

It will feature a tribute to the late country music legend Dolly Parton, who was also an Emmy winner, and a performance from Noah Kahan, who will sing ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ during the broadcast’s In Memoriam segment.

The gala will also deliver some TV nostalgia, with Buffy the Vampire Slayer stars Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz among the presenters, along with Charlie’s Angels stars Kate Jackson, Cheryl Ladd and Jaclyn Smith.

NBC is broadcasting the ceremony in the US, which can be streamed on Peacock.