'American Horror Story: Hotel' News: Will Kathy Bates Or Sarah Paulson Win Emmy? [POLL, VIDEO]
It's no secret that American Horror Story didn't do as well as usual with this year's Emmy nominations, but could the series still win multiple awards?
The Television Academy announced this year's Emmy nominations last week and fans of American Horror Story were likely disappointed. While the series' first four seasons each received at least 17 nominations over the years, the most recent installment, Hotel, only received eight nominations.
This was also the first year American Horror Story was not nominated in the Outstanding Limited Series category. Does this mean its days of pulling off major wins are over? Not exactly.
The two actresses nominated for American Horror Story: Hotel are Kathy Bates and Sarah Paulson, who played Iris and Hypodermic Sally, respectively. They are nominated in the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie category, which arguably doesn't have a clear frontrunner. This means Bates or Paulson could pull off a win here.
Bates has the advantage of having previously won an Emmy for American Horror Story before. The actress took home an Emmy for her role as Madame LaLaurie in American Horror Story: Coven, and she was nominated last year for playing Ethel Darling in American Horror Story: Freak Show, too. However, her role as Iris in Hotel might not have the same bite as Madame LaLaurie, so it seems unlikely that she can win again.
As for Paulson, she has a deep Emmy history, with this being her fourth consecutive nomination for American Horror Story, an impressive feat considering they were for completely different characters. Unlike Bates, Paulson has yet to win an Emmy for AHS or otherwise, so it's possible that voters might deem her overdue. Yet, she also received a nomination for The People v. O.J. Simpson in the Lead Actress category, for which she has received much more critic buzz.
Even still, there is a scenario where Paulson could be up on the Emmy stage twice in one night. Voters clearly like her enough to keep nominating her, so who's to say they won't just vote for her in both categories to ensure she at least wins one?
The 2016 Primetime Emmys air Sunday, Sept. 18 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
