Daytime EmmysHOLLYWOOD—Summer is indeed moving way too fast. I nearly forget that the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards are set to be held on August 25, which means its time to make predictions as to who will claim the top prize on Monday in some of the competitive races.

Let’s start the conversation with the Comedy categories. Vying for the Outstanding Supporting Actor prize are Andre Braugher “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” Adam Driver “Girls,” Jesse Tyler Ferguson “Modern Family,” Tony Vale “Veep,” Ty Burrell “Modern Family” and Fred Armisen “Portlandia.”  This is an interesting race as I don’t see any front-runners, but I would say it’s a toss-up between last year’s winner Tony Vale and newcomer Andre Braugher. “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” was slightly snubbed by the Academy of Television Motion Arts and Sciences, so a win for Braugher could be a way to honor the show.

The same sentiment resonates for Outstanding Supporting Actress where Allison Janney “Mom,” Julie Bowen “Modern Family,” Kate McKinnon “Saturday Night Live,” Kate Mulgrew “Orange is the New Black,” Anna Chlumsky “Veep” and Mayim Bialik “The Big Bang Theory.” There are a few new faces in this race with Janney, McKinnon and Mulgrew. While I think the others are great, anytime a new face appears in the race it’s for a reason and presents an edge. I’m putting my money on Mulgrew to take the prize for “Orange is the New Black.” The series has been a critical and fan favorite and the awards should pour in this season.

In the Lead Actor race, familiar faces return to the race once again with Ricky Gervais “Derek,” William H. Macy “Shameless,” Louis C.K. “Louie,” Matt LeBlanc “Episodes,” Jim Parsons “The Big Bang Theory” and Don Cheadle “House of Lies.” I know Parsons is a fave, but I think the academy would like to shake things up this year, which means Macy, C.K. or Cheadle could take the prize. I’d put my money on C.K. as he was robbed the past year.

For Lead Actress the contenders include Amy Poehler “Parks and Recreation,” Melissa McCarthy “Mike & Molly,” Edie Falco “Nurse Jackie,” Taylor Schilling “Orange is the New Black,” Julia Louis-Dreyfus “Veep” and Lena Dunham “Girls.” This is a tough race to predict, but I see it as a three-way battle between Poehler, Schilling and Dreyfus. Dreyfus has been a fave for her work on “Veep,” but I think Poehler is long-overdue, and Schilling has been the breakout with the critical fave “OITNB.” I think Schilling is the one to bet your money on.

For the Drama categories, plenty of surprises this year make for some interesting races.  For Outstanding Supporting Actor the nominees are Mandy Patinkin “Homeland,” Jon Voight “Ray Donovan,” Jim Carter “Downton Abbey,” Josh Charles “The Good Wife,” Aaron Paul “Breaking Bad” and Peter Dinklage “Games of Thrones.”  Honestly, I can’t see anyone taking the prize from Paul who was sensational in “Breaking Bad.” If any surprise were to occur it would be Dinklage for his work on “GOT.”

In the Supporting Actress race, the nominees include Lena Headey “Games of Thrones,” Christine Baranski “The Good Wife,” Anna Gunn “Breaking Bad,” Joanne Froggatt “Downton Abbey,” Christina Hendricks “Mad Men” and Maggie Smith “Downton Abbey.” This is a very competitive race, where I think it’s a race between Headey, Baranski and Gunn. While I love Headey, she’s too new to the race to take the prize.  So it’s between Baranski and Gunn in my opinion, I adored Baranski’s work this season on “The Good Wife,” bringing such intensity to a character in a supporting role. However, I cannot see Gunn losing especially after the riveting depiction of her character in the episode where she physically attacks Walt after learning about Hank’s demise. It was downright chilling.

The Lead Actor in a Drama Series is perhaps one of the most intense races this year with heavy hitters like Bryan Cranston “Breaking Bad,”  Jeff Daniels “The Newsroom,” Jon Hamm “Mad Men,” Woody Harrelson “True Detective,” Kevin Spacey “House of Cards” and Matthew McConaughey “True Detective. All the guys nominated here have an equal shot of winning, but I think this is a three-person race between Harrelson, McConaughey and Cranston. Before “True Detective” hit the airwaves no one could have told me that Cranston wouldn’t win the prize, now I’m not so certain. The performances by Harrelson and McConaughey are impossible to ignore in this race. The co-stars could cancel each other out, but McConaughey has had a stellar year and I think that will continue on Monday with an Emmy win.

Lead Actress contenders include Julianna Margulies “The Good Wife,” Michelle Dockery “Downton Abbey,” Kerry Washington “Scandal,” Claire Danes “Homeland,” Robin Wright “House of Cards” and Lizzy Caplan “Masters of Sex.”  Another interesting race, where I think Margulies, Wright or Caplan could be victorious. Caplan is new to the race, but in the eyes of the Academy that is always a good thing, but her presence may not be able to compete with Wright and Margulies. My gut has me leaning towards Margulies for the win, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Wright was the name in the envelope.

For Outstanding Comedy Series “Silicon Valley,” “The Big Bang Theory,” “Veep,” “Modern Family,” “Louie” and “Orange is the New Black” are all vying for the top prize. While “Theory” and “Family” are favorites, I can’t see the top prize not going to “Orange is the New Black.” That show has been amazing and it would be icing on the cake for a series that has everyone in America talking.

Now for Outstanding Drama Series “Breaking Bad,” “Game of Thrones,” “True Detective,” “House of Cards,” “Mad Men” and “Downton Abbey” all want the top prize. This is a duel between “Breaking Bad” and “True Detective.” I’m certain voters would like to give “BB” fans the ultimate send off prize, but the juiciness of “True Detective” makes it difficult to ignore this HBO hit. I love “Breaking Bad,” but since the series has been gone for more than a year, I think “True Detective” will be the surprise of the night.

Comedian and late night talk show host Seth Meyers is expected to host the ceremony to be will air live on NBC at 8 p.m. from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles.

By LaDale Anderson