As the fourth season of ‘The Bear’ premieres, anticipation builds around its Emmy nominations. Will the series secure its place among this year’s top contenders?

The Bear Emmy Odds: How Many Nominations Will the Series Get?

This week, everyone’s favorite summer-time fine-dining panic attack, The Bear, returns for its fourth season. However, in the awards world — due to eligibility windows — it’s the third season of the FX series starring Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri that Emmy voters are considering.

The rise of Hacks prevented The Bear from winning a second Best Comedy Series last year, but it still secured five out of six acting wins, including White’s second consecutive Emmy for his role as Carmy.

With The Studio entering the competition and Only Murders in the Building maintaining its momentum, the comedy categories at the Emmy Awards are more competitive than ever. How will The Bear perform? Here are the series’ best chances for nominations when they are announced on July 15.

Best Comedy Series

According to Vulture’s Joe Reid, there is a whisper campaign among industry insiders aimed at dethroning the highly dramatic The Bear as the leading comedy series at the Emmys, which may have contributed to Hacks‘ upset victory at the 2024 awards. Current Gold Derby odds suggest that The Bear is in fourth place for the top prize, trailing Hacks, The Studio, and Only Murders in the Building. Close behind are the beloved Abbott Elementary and breakout hit Nobody Wants This.

As episodes of The Bear are set to debut soon, a standout fourth season could enhance its appeal among voters. However, as seen last year, the opposite could also occur.

Best Actor in a Comedy Series

Currently, the strongest Emmy contender for The Bear — aside from Chris Storer‘s directing — is White. He has won Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for the first two seasons and could achieve a hat trick in 2025. Surprisingly, White is currently ranked third in the combined Gold Derby rankings, behind Seth Rogen for The Studio and favorite Martin Short for Only Murders in the Building. Short, a three-time nominee for the Hulu series, hasn’t won an Emmy since 2014. Could this be his year?

Best Actress in a Comedy Series

Will anyone ever surpass Deborah Vance? This remains the question as long as Hacks is airing and Jean Smart continues to shine. Smart has won Lead Actress in a Comedy Series three times — every year Hacks has been eligible. This year, the odds favor Edebiri, who previously won in 2023 when Hacks was not in the running. Close competitors include Quinta Brunson for Abbott Elementary, Kristen Bell for Nobody Wants This, and Natasha Lyonne for Poker Face.

Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

The only regular cast member from The Bear leading the odds in their category is Ebon Moss-Bachrach. The two-time winner ranks ahead of Harrison Ford (Shrinking), Paul W. Downs (Hacks), Ike Barinholtz (The Studio), and Tyler James Williams (Abbott Elementary).

It’s worth noting that Moss-Bachrach stars in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, set to release this July, which may further elevate his profile during voting.

Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

The reigning Comedy Supporting Actress winner, Liza Colón-Zayas, currently holds the No. 2 spot behind her competition from The Bear‘s main rival, Hacks. Hannah Einbinder has two previous nominations in this category but has yet to win. The odds currently favor her, with Catherine O’Hara (The Studio), Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbott Elementary), and Jessica Williams (Shrinking) completing the top five.

Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series

Jamie Lee Curtis is the heavy favorite to repeat as Comedy Guest Actress, but she faces tough competition from Julianne Nicholson‘s memorable appearance on Hacks.

Best Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

The Studio has brought significant star power with its guest appearances, including current number three in the rankings, Martin Scorsese. However, Bryan Cranston may pose a challenge for Jon Bernthal‘s bid for a second consecutive win.

Other Crafts

Over the last two years, The Bear has excelled in comedy directing, editing, sound mixing, and sound editing, never losing in any of these categories. If there are any safe bets for The Bear‘s nominations, it is in these areas.