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EMMY 2011 - Lady Gaga VS Oprah?!

Lady Gaga continues her campaign to dominate all media. The singer already has won five Grammys, including three this year for her album "The Fame Monster" and hit single "Bad Romance." She has also won an American Music Award, 14 Billboard Music Awards, and her videos have claimed 11 MTV Video Music Awards.

But this year she could also break into the Emmy race for the first time. Her HBO concert film "The Monster Ball Tour at Madison Square Garden" has been entered for consideration in the race for best variety special. She's not the only popular musician with a contender in this race. Beyonce, Taylor Swift and Bette Midler also have specials competing for nominations. Beyonce has never been recognized by the TV academy, but Midler is a three-time winner, including once for her classic appearance on "The Tonight Show" when she sang to Johnny Carson as he neared retirement.

The variety special category is a catch-all race that also includes comedians such as Ricky Gervais, Kathy Griffin, Colin Quinn, Cedric the Entertainer and "Daily Show" correspondent Wyatt Cenac (who won a writing Emmy in 2009 for the Jon Stewart series). "The Kennedy Center Honors" has won for the last two years, and last summer's event, which honored Paul McCartney and Oprah Winfrey, could repeat.

Musicians have also prevailed in this category, most recently in 2007 when Tony Bennett won for his special "An American Classic." If Lady Gaga wins, she will join a list of performers that includesCher (2003), Barbra Streisand (1995) and Barry Manilow (1977). 

But more importantly, if she's nominated, what on Earth will she wear to the ceremony?

EMMY PREDICTION: Supporting Actress

Requesting A 3-way Tie?!

Crowded? YES

Clear Winner? NO

Hardest Category? DEFINITELY

FRONTRUNNER: Tricia Cast, Y&R

UPSET: Julie Pinson, ATWT

DARK HORSE: Nancy Lee Ghran, GH

NO CHANCE: Bree Willamson, OLTL & Melissa Claire Egan, AMC

Now this is an exciting EMMY race! A category where all 6 nominated actresses deserve to be here and almost too close to call, as all the ladies, (not so much you, Bree Williamson), submitted strong tapes that illustrate their acting talent. While many are calling Tricia Cast and Heather Tom the front runners to win, I'm not sure I see it that way. I approached the category looking at these actress’ as supporting players! 

Julie Pinson's (ATWT) submission was not only EXCELLENT and the longest out of the 6, she shows voters that she is truly the supporting player. Exhibiting great range, impact and evokes a multi-layered performance full of emotion, Pinson plays off all of the other 4 actors in her reel (EMMY winners, Michael Park and Maura West/EMMY nominee Jon Lindstrom/Grayson McCouch) beautifully. 

Cast (Y&R) is impressive in her reel and upon having viewed the tapes, it is apparent that she has the meatiest material of the bunch. The EMMY winner submitted scenes where she discovers one of her sons killed the other.  Cast’s anger at the realization that long-time friend, Christine (Lauralee Bell) knew Ronan was her son was palpable  The scene with Philip is of a momentum change and truly a defining EMMY winning moment! The entire arc is tragic – the idea of one son killing the other; having to witness it is terribly sad and Cast portrays it beautifully from start to finish.  A powerful submission that shows great range and has incredible impact; more than the other reels combined.

2-time EMMY winner, Heather Tom’s (B&B) performance was strong, but the abrupt ending coupled with the fact that you're never quite sure what exactly her sisters have done lessen the impact of what could have been a superior performance.  All we know is that she was humiliated and it was about business, so it doesn't seem quite as serious as the episodes let you think. 

Grahn is very good in her submission, but frankly, the other ladies have stronger material to work with.  She has some great moments, especially in the scenes with Benard, but the tape didn't feel like a winner. 

Egan is very good in her reel as well, but there's little to no impact.  Again, like Tom, it's hard to take her material so seriously, as you're never quite sure exactly what's gone on with this stolen art. However, she has excellent chemistry with Jacob Young and Susan Lucci, making it smart for her to submit an episode with them with both by her side.

EMMY PREDICTION: Younger Actor

After 5 Nominations, CLIFTON will finally WIN!

Clifton is a huge talent and he is offered to display that ability in his submission. His reel starts off slow and builds. The great thing about the back-to-back tapes (B&B submits 2 episodes given their half-hour form) is that the story grows to the big reveal that the man who he hates is his long lost father. Its clichéd soap story-telling but the acting from Clifton and, surprisingly, co-star ‘porn looking star’ Don Diamont lift this tale. Clifton gets to play subtle and snarky, anger and tears, and turns in the most complete performance in this category.  
 
If you are going to submit a short reel it MUST shine and miss no beat from beginning to end.  Think Beatrice Straight from "Network". Duell (GH) goes the quiet route as his character clams up/tears up about his past in prison. The reel continues with some quiet moments with his dad but nothing adds up. This submission has a good actor but no real focus.  
 
Finishing the weakest of EMMY categories is from Days of Our Lives. Another quiet submission as Massey showcases his character's love for his mom. It's nice to see a tape with no drama or danger but a reel like this comes off as fluff if it's not peppered with charm, and fun. Standing at four minutes this reel is over before you can finish a soda and is forgotten soon after that.  

EMMY PREDICTION: Younger Actress

1st time nominee Ainsworth for the WIN!

There is no doubt about it. 2 of the 3 actress’ nominated should be here. Brittany Allen, I am sorry, but this is the academy throwing AMC a pity nomination!

BAITIEST MATERIAL: Lexi Ainsworth, GH

BEST ACTRESS: Emily O’Brien, Y&R

So why is O’Brien NOT my frontrunner? Easy! Screaming for 5 minutes, does not win you an EMMY. Offering the academy 5 minutes of screen time to represent your years work does not with you an EMMY. Trapped, kidnapped, and pleading for freedom should be the perfect recipe for a high drama submission.  It's a shame this reel is too short to sustain any definite arc or any momentum for the performer.  O'Brien works with what she has and tries to bring the material to life. There is a lot of screaming, pleading, and tears. Should this reel have been double the length, O’Brien would have been given the opportunity to deliver a more layered performance.

Brittany Allen...how I cringed watching your reel, not because you can’t act – you do have a certain level of skill, but the God awful writing speaks volumes! "I cheated. I cheated. I'm sorry, I misconstrued a situation and had sex with your worst enemy." First off, people watch soaps to escape reality, but to say a the situation was ‘misconstructed’?! Really? Who says that? Lazy writers, who recycle plots. Secondly, how many times must voters be subjected to the same boring, tired stories. In the last decade, how many actress’ have submitted the same material!  If you answered, “too many”, you got that right! As a result, Allen brings nothing to the table. She plays it all too safe and does not hit any levels of subtlety or subtext.  The tears are there, so is the pleading look in her eyes but in the end this reel starts in a tepid place and ends up in a lesser place.    

Last, but not least, our likely winner, Ainsworth! While her competition is busy ACTING, Lexi takes a step back and plays all the smaller moments to perfection. Ainsworth shines as her character tells her parents about her abusive relationship, the shame that came with it, and the inadequacies that fuelled her desire for it.  This is a reel that knocks you out with true and heart-felt emotion.

Will Michael Park Repeat as Best Actor?

The Daytime Emmy Awards are only days away, and soap fans are scratching their heads wondering who will be taking home the gold. Relative to the best actor race, pundits are torn! Half give best odds to James Scott (DAYS) while the other half put Michael Park (ATWT) out front.

Scott and Park face off against Ricky Paull Goldin (AMC), Maurice Benard (GH), and Christian LeBlanc (Y&R). In the drama categories at the Daytime Emmys, voters selected two actors from each of the seven eligible soaps to compete as “pre-nominees.” The pre-nominees were then whittled down to the final five or six nominees based on sample episodes, which are edited to include only the actor's scenes. Because nominees and winners are decided in the same round, the Emmy winners were already decided when the nominations were revealed.


LeBlanc has played devious lawyer Michael Baldwin on the CBS soap for twenty years, and this is his ninth nomination. He won Best Actor an impressive three times in the last six years (2005, 2007, 2009), but his reel, in which Michael confronts his wife Lauren to get medical help for blackouts, can be described as "completely unremarkable.”

Goldin, a four-time nominee who has yet to win, submitted a lighthearted reel in which his character, Dr. Jake Martin, proposes to his girlfriend Amanda, but judges were similarly underwhelmed, saying, “this was a cute, sweet submission ... but it didn't have much range and had little to no impact.”


Though none of our forums posters put him in the winner's circle, most agree that Benard is right in the thick of it. He has played mob boss Sonny Corinthos since 1993, but out of five previous nominations he's only won once (in 2003). In his reel, he confronts the man who he thinks attacked his daughter, which is “some of the best acting that Maurice has done in a really long time."


But it's Park and Scott whose submissions generated the most passion from our panel. If Scott prevails, it will not only be his first Emmy, but the first Best Actor win for “Days of Our Lives” since Macdonald Carey took home two in a row in 1974 and 1975. In the reel, Scott plays a drunken and desperate man who considers running away with his children, is “full of emotion and drama and range.” Scott's performance makes [his character] EJ's pain uncomfortably real.

But Park will give him a run for his money. This is his fourth nomination, and he's the defending champion in this category. He submitted an episode in which his character, police officer Jack Snyder, reconciles with his ex-wife Carly. His reel is being described as "exceptional” and "raw, humanly emotional" and moderators feel he'll “easily repeat.”

With “As the World Turns” having been cancelled last year after more than a half-century on the air, will Emmy voters give it a parting gift? Or will Scott bring “Days of Our Lives” its first victory in thirty-six years? Perhaps a mob hit is in order, leaving Benard the last man standing.


The Daytime Emmys air LIVE on 06.19.2011 on CBS.

Countdown to the Daytime EMMYs...

The Daytime Emmy's are 38 years young! These are the TOP winners (3 or 4) for the major DRAMA categories 

Outstanding Drama Series

General Hospital - 10 wins

The Young & the Restless - 7 wins

As the World Turns - 4 wins

THIS YEAR: GH & Y&R are both nominated!

Outstanding Drama Series - WRITING

Guiding Light - 6 wins

Ryan's Hope - 6 wins

All My Children - 4 wins

As the World Turns - 4 wins

THIS YEAR: ATWT is nominated for its final season.

Outstanding Drama Series - DIRECTING

The Young & the Restless - 12 wins

General Hospital - 6 wins

THIS YEAR: Both GH & Y&R are nominated this year.

Outstanding Lead Actor

General Hospital - 7 wins

The Young & the Restless - 7 wins

All My Children - 5 wins

As the World Turns - 3 wins

THIS YEAR: All 4 soaps are represented.

Outstanding Lead Actress

One Life to Live - 11 wins

Guiding Light - 5 wins

As the World Turns - 3 wins

The Bold & the Beautiful - 3 wins

THIS YEAR: ATWT & B&B are represented. 

Outstanding Supporting Actor & Actress

General Hospital and All My Children lead these categories with 7 wins a piece!

THIS YEAR: Both soaps are represented

Outstanding Younger Actress

General Hospital - 6 wins

As the World Turns - 5 wins

THIS YEAR: GH is the favorite to win in this category. 

Outstanding Younger Actor 

Guiding Light - 7 wins

THIS YEAR: B&B is the favorite to win.