2024 Emmy Predictions: Best Competition Program
At the 2023 Primetime Emmy Awards, “RuPaul’s Drag Race” bounced back in the Best Competition Program category after seeing its four-year streak broken by “Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls” in 2022. Now, the pressure is on for it to repeat its renewed success, which may be a tall order given the increasing strength of its most formidable challenger, “The Traitors.”
As was the case with Lizzo’s show, “The Traitors” stands out as the only first-time nominee in the 2024 competition program lineup. Rounding out the roster are former winners “The Amazing Race,” “Top Chef,” and “The Voice,” each of which has been recognized here at least 13 times and lost to “Drag Race” on four or more occasions.
In order to discern whether “Drag Race” can realistically maintain its new streak, let’s take a closer look at each nominee. Be sure to make your predictions in this and 24 other Primetime Emmy categories by September 15.
“The Amazing Race” (CBS)
This reality TV staple is seeking its 11th program win on its record 21st nomination. Its 35th and 36th seasons were, as usual, presented by four-time hosting nominee Phil Keoghan and each involved 13 pairs of Americans racing around the globe in hopes of earning a $1 million prize. Throughout the course of various legs, duos were eliminated one by one until brothers Greg and John Franklin and boyfriends Ricky Rotandi and César Aldrete emerged victorious.
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” (MTV)
This multifaceted talent competition series was first recognized here for its ninth season in 2017 against eventual winner “The Voice.” After initially airing on Logo for eight years, it migrated to VH1 for six before moving again to MTV for its two most recent seasons. This time, a panel consisting of RuPaul, Carson Kressley, Ts Madison, Ross Matthews, and Michelle Visage routinely judged 14 drag performers, ultimately crowning New Yorker Nymphia Wind the winner of the contest.
“Top Chef” (Bravo)
During the 21st (and 18th Emmy-nominated) season of this cooking competition show, 16 new contestants faced off in various quickfire and elimination challenges in search of a $250,000 prize. In the end, judges Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons bestowed the Top Chef title upon Dan Jacobs, a Chicago native based in Milwaukee, where the season was partially filmed. The series originally prevailed here in 2010 on the merit of its Las Vegas-set sixth season.
“The Traitors” (Peacock)
This American adaptation of the Dutch series “De Verraders” has broken through here in its second season, displacing 2023 also-ran “Survivor.” This spring, previous acting nominee Alan Cumming (“The Good Wife”) led 22 celebrity contestants (most of whom hailed from other reality shows) through a series of elimination challenges leading up to the joint victory of “The Real World” alumni Trishelle Canatella and Chris Tamburello.
“The Voice” (NBC)
Since its 2011 inception, this series has produced 25 seasons each featuring four judges responsible for building competing teams of singers. Last fall, Niall Horan produced his second consecutive winner against John Legend, Reba McEntire, and Gwen Stefani. The following season, McEntire coached her first champion, defeating Legend, Chance the Rapper, and Dan + Shay.
So, what will win the 2024 Emmy for Best Competition Program? As the reigning victor, “Drag Race” certainly has this race’s Gold Derby odds on its side, as two-thirds of the individual predictors currently expect it to prevail again. However, “The Traitors” is quite a force to be reckoned with, as proven by the fact that it has been pulling user votes away from the frontrunner in the days since Cumming blocked RuPaul from achieving a ninth consecutive hosting win at this year’s creative arts ceremony.
While some prognosticators may understandably never be swayed from betting on “Drag Race” in its program category, there is now plenty of reason to believe that it will lose to a first-time nominee just as it did two years ago. If that comes to pass, this case will of course differ from the last in that no one can say they didn’t see it coming.
PREDICT the 2024 Emmy winners through September 15
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