The structure of the deal reflects Liverpool's need to solve an immediate problem rather than make a long-term commitment - at this stage.
They wanted a defender who could operate both at centre-back and right-back, and Araujo's versatility and physical profile made him an attractive option.
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The timing is particularly significant. Conor Bradley, Joe Gomez and Giovanni Leoni are all injured, while new signing Jeremy Jacquet has yet to feature in pre-season.
With Ibrahima Konate leaving for Real Madrid in the summer, Virgil van Dijk is Liverpool's only fit senior centre-back, making the need for reinforcements increasingly obvious.
Liverpool still believe that their stock of centre-backs will serve them well for the coming season and beyond. Jacquet, Leoni, Mor Talla Ndiaye and Ifeanyi Ndukwe are all emerging players in the position.
But Araujo, with his strength, pace and experience at one of Europe's top clubs, was viewed as a player capable of helping Liverpool through that period. His leadership capabilities were also seen as a positive factor. He will wear the number 33 shirt.
At Barcelona, not only did his acceleration allow them to defend a high line with confidence but, at 6ft 4in (1.93m) tall, his frame made him a formidable presence in physical contests and aerial duels.
Araujo joined Barcelona from his native Uruguay in 2018, made his first-team debut the following October and has since gone on to make more than 200 appearances for the Catalan club.
He finished last season as captain, making 38 appearances for Hansi Flick's side in the 2025-26 campaign.
"He is a very good person and an exceptional player, but our style of play is slightly different," Flick said in a recent press conference.
"He is a footballer with great speed and power, and he is good with the ball at his feet, too. I wanted to get him involved; I think he is eager to try new things, and I believe he has also been affected by what happened in the past.
"I said goodbye to him this morning and saw that he was happy. Liverpool is a great club, and I wish him the best. You have to accept it."
The "past" Flick may have been referring to includes a number of high-profile moments in which Araujo's mistakes came under intense scrutiny.
His red card against Paris St-Germain in the 2024 Champions League quarter-finals became one of the defining moments of his Barcelona career, with his dismissal helping turn the tie in PSG's favour.
He was also heavily criticised for mistakes in the second leg of the 2025 Champions League semi-final defeat by Inter, when Flick came out and publicly defended him.
Last season, in Barcelona's Champions League 3-0 away defeat by Chelsea, he was sent off just before half-time after receiving a second yellow card for a foul on Marc Cucurella.
A week after, he was granted a leave of absence to prioritise his mental health and received professional support and treatment to "take care of himself emotionally".
He returned a month later and made 23 appearances over the second half of the season, starting six matches.
There is also a financial benefit for Barcelona.
The club have been looking to generate a significant sale to help ease their financial pressures and, although this is only a loan with an option to buy, Liverpool will cover Araujo's full salary for the season. As one of Barcelona's highest earners, that represents a significant saving for the Catalan club.
For Araujo, though, he arrives at Anfield with an opportunity to reset his career and rediscover the confidence that once made him one of the club's most highly regarded defenders. %!s()
First Artists Management, the Los Angeles-based talent agency specializing in composers and music supervisors, is rebranding and changing its name to FAM agency.
The agency has also hired former Kraft-Engel Management agent, Dan North. Moving with North to FAM are composers and music supervisors, including: Gabriel Mann (“Emily in Paris”), Marcus Norris (“Lady in the Lake”), Tim Williams (“Pearl”), Jonathan Sanford (“The Good Daughter”), Andrew Kotatko (“The Power of the Dog”) and Daniel Rossen (“Past Lives”).
… %!s()
In tandem with the rebrand and North’s arrival, FAM has continued to expand, curating its global roster by signing iconic Scottish post-rock band Mogwai (ZeroZeroZero), Andrew Bird (Emmy-nominated for “The Pitt”), BAFTA nominated Matthew Herbert (“A Fantastic Woman”), music supervisor Jemma Burns (“The Drama”), Sofia degli Alessandri aka Drum & Lace (“Red White & Royal Wedding”), Tune-Yards (“I Love Boosters”) and The Rescues (The Tony-nominated band behind the Broadway musical “The Lost Boys”).
In addition to North’s hiring, FAM has made two further business hires. Alexander Beltran joins the Los Angeles office from Warner Bros. as Head of Business Affairs, while Julie Blake joins the London office from Erased Tapes as Business Affairs Manager, reinforcing the company’s capabilities across its key international markets.
Founded in 2003, the agency’s rebrand follows a period of immense creative momentum for its existing client base across major film, television, and streaming projects which include: Antonio Sanchez (Emmy-nominated for “The Studio”), Dan Deacon (“Task”), Stephen McKeon (Lee Cronin’s “The Mummy”), Nathan Micay (“Margo’s Got Money Troubles”), Hannah Peel (“Midwinter Break”), Haim Mazar (“Scary Movie 6”), Blanck Mass (“Crime 101”), Aaron May & David Ridley (“Adolescence”), Clinton Shorter (“The Rip”), Gavin Brivik (Emmy-nominated for “The Pitt”), Lorena Perez Batista (Emmy-winner for “The Studio”), and Fatima Al Qadiri (“The Stranger”). %!s()
A NOTE FROM SCOTT: With precisely one week remaining until the start of the final round of Primetime Emmys voting, some races look locked (you can probably bet the farm on The Pitt’s Noah Wyle for best actor in a drama series and Pluribus’ Rhea Seehorn for best actress in a drama series), but many others remain too close to call, and campaigning is increasing accordingly.
… %!s()
The biggest nailbiters, to me, are best comedy series (Hacks or Widow’s Bay?), variety series (which, thanks to a rule-change, can produce multiple winners, so the question now is how many?), documentary/nonfiction special (any of the five could win), documentary/nonfiction series (any of the five could win), supporting actor in a drama series (The Morning Show’s Billy Crudup, a two-time past winner of the category, The Pitt’s Patrick Ball or Task’s Tom Pelphrey?), supporting actress in a drama series (The Pitt’s Katherine LaNasa, last year’s winner, or The Pitt’s Sepideh Moafi or Pluribus’s Karolina Wydra or Paradise’s Julianne Nicholson?), supporting actress in a comedy series (Hacks’s Hannah Einbinder, last year’s winner, or Widow’s Bay’s Kate O’Flynn?), actress in a limited/anthology series or movie (any of the five could win), guest actor in a drama series (any of the six could win), guest actor in a comedy series (Shrinking’s Michael J. Fox or The Bear’s late Rob Reiner?), guest actress in a comedy series (any of the seven could win), directing for a drama series (The Pitt’s Noah Wyle or Pluribus’s Vince Gilligan?), directing for a comedy series (Hacks’s Lucia Aniello or Widow’s Bay’s Hiro Murai?), directing for a documentary/nonfiction program (any of the five could win) and writing for a comedy series (Hacks or Widow’s Bay?).
PLEASE REMEMBER: These forecasts do not necessarily reflect Scott’s personal preferences. His aim is not to advocate for what he thinks the members of the Television Academy should do, but rather to project what they will do.
Best Drama Series
Image Credit: Apple TV+
Projected Order of Finish 1. The Pitt (HBO Max, s. 2, 15 eps., Jan. 8-April 4, 2026) 2. Pluribus (Apple TV, s. 1, 9 eps., Nov. 7-Dec. 24, 2025) 3. The Diplomat (Netflix, s. 3, 8 eps., Oct. 16, 2025) 4. Your Friends & Neighbors (Apple TV, s. 2, 10 eps., 4/3/26-6/5/26) 5. Paradise (Hulu, s. 2, 8 eps., Feb. 23-March 30, 2026) 6. Slow Horses (Apple TV, s. 5, 6 eps., Sept. 24-Oct. 29, 2025) 7. The Gilded Age (HBO, s. 3, 8 eps., 6/22/25-8/10/25) 8. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (HBO, s. 1, 6 eps., Jan. 18-Feb. 22, 2026)
Best Comedy Series
Image Credit: Disney/Gilles Mingasson
Projected Order of Finish 1. Hacks (HBO Max, s. 5, 10 eps., April 9-May 28, 2026) 2. Widow’s Bay (Apple TV, s. 1, 7 eps., April 29-June 17, 2026) 3. Shrinking (Apple TV, s. 3, 11 eps., Jan. 28-April 8, 2026) 4. Abbott Elementary (ABC, s. 5, 22 eps., Oct. 1, 2025-April 22, 2026) 5. Margo’s Got Money Troubles (Apple TV, s. 1, 8 eps., April 15-May 20, 2026) 6. The Bear (FX, s. 4, 10 eps., June 25, 2025) 7. Only Murders in the Building (Hulu, s. 5, 10 eps., Sept. 9-Oct. 28, 2025) 8. Nobody Wants This (Netflix, s. 2, 10 eps., Oct. 23, 2025)
Best Limited or Anthology Series
Image Credit: Narelle Portanier/Peacock
Projected Order of Finish 1. Beef (Netflix, s. 2, 8 eps., April 16, 2026) 2. DTF St. Louis (HBO Max, s. 1, 7 eps., March 1-April 12, 2026) 3. Love Story (FX/FX on Hulu, s. 1, 8 eps., Feb. 12-March 26, 2026) 4. The Beast in Me (Netflix, s. 1, 8 eps., Nov. 13, 2025) 5. All Her Fault (Peacock, s. 1, 8 eps., Nov. 7-Dec, 26, 2025)
Best Movie
Image Credit: Daniel Escale/Netflix
Projected Nominees 1. Remarkably Bright Creatures (Netflix, May 8, 2026) 2. People We Meet on Vacation (Netflix, 1/9/26) 3. Miss You, Love You (HBO, May 29, 2026) 4. Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan Ghost War (Prime Video, May 20, 2026) 5. Heads of State (Prime Video, 7/2/25)
Best Variety Series
Image Credit: ABC/Randy Holmes
Projected Order of Finish (area award: yes or no) YES. The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (CBS, s. 11, 118 eps., Sept. 2, 2025-TBD) — podcast [Stephen Colbert] YES. Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (HBO, s. 13, TBD eps., Fe. 15, 2026-TBD) YES. Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC, s. 24, TBD eps., Sept. 2, 2025-TBD) — podcast [Jimmy Kimmel] YES. Saturday Night Live (NBC, s. 51, 20 eps., Oct. 4, 2025-TBD) — podcast [Lorne Michaels] YES. The Daily Show (Comedy Central, s. 31, TBD eps., Jan. 5, 2026-TBD)
Best Variety Special (Live)
Image Credit: Christopher Polk/2026GG/Penske Media via Getty Images
Projected Order of Finish 1. The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny (NBC, Feb. 8, 2026) 2. The Oscars (ABC, March 15, 2026) 3. 68th Annual Grammy Awards (CBS, Feb.1, 2026) 4. 78th Annual Tony Awards (CBS, June 8, 2025) 5. 83rd Annual Golden Globe Awards (CBS, Jan. 11, 2026)
Best Variety Special (Pre-Recorded)
Image Credit: Griffin Nagel/NBC
Projected Nominees 1. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour — The Final Show (Disney+, Dec. 12, 2025) 2. Dave Chappelle: The Unstoppable … (Netflix, Dec. 19, 2025) 3. The Muppet Show (Disney+, Feb. 4, 2026) — podcast 1 and 2 [Seth Rogen] 4. Wicked: One Wonderful Night (NBC, Nov. 6, 2025) — podcast [Ben Winston] 5. Nikki Glaser: Good Girl (Hulu, April 24, 2026)
Best Documentary or Nonfiction Special
Image Credit: Courtesy of TIFF
Projected Order of Finish 1. Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! (HBO Max) — podcast [Judd Apatow] 2. Marty, Life Is Short (Netflix) — podcast [Martin Short] 3. My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay (HBO) — podcast [Mariska Hargitay] 4. John Candy: I Like Me (Prime Video) 5. Ocean With David Attenborough (Nat Geo)
Best Documentary or Nonfiction Series
Image Credit: Courtesy of HBO
Projected Order of Finish 1. Sean Combs: The Reckoning (Netflix) 2. Mr. Scorsese (Apple TV) — podcast [Martin Scorsese] 3. The Yogurt Shop Murders (HBO Max) 4. The American Revolution (PBS) — podcast [Ken Burns] 5. Rafa (Netflix)
Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking
Image Credit: Ciconia Film
Projected Order of Finish 1. The Librarians (BBC) 2. The Tale of Silyan (Nat Geo)
Best Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special
Image Credit: Courtesy of PBS
Projected Order of Finish 1. My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman (Netflix) — podcast [David Letterman] 2. Tucci in Italy (Nat Geo) — podcast [Stanley Tucci] 3. The Reluctant Traveler With Eugene Levy (Apple TV) — podcast [Eugene Levy] 4. Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (PBS) 5. The Daily Show Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: Give the Man a Prize (Comedy Central)
Best Reality Competition Program
Image Credit: Disney/Christopher Willard
Projected Order of Finish 1. The Traitors (Peacock) 2. RuPaul’s Drag Race (MTV) — podcast [RuPaul Charles] 3. Survivor (CBS) 4. Top Chef (Bravo) 5. Dancing With the Stars (ABC)
Best Structured Reality Program
Image Credit: Courtesy of PBS
Projected Order of Finish 1. Queer Eye (Netflix) 2. Love Is Blind (Netflix) 3. Shark Tank (ABC) 4. Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (Food Network) 5. Antiques Roadshow (PBS)
Best Unstructured Reality Program
Image Credit: Eugene Gologursky/Bravo
Projected Order of Finish 1. Love on the Spectrum (Netflix) 2. Welcome to Wrexham (FX) 3. RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked (MTV) 4. Summer House (Bravo) 5. America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (Netflix)
Best Animated Program
Image Credit: Courtesy of Adult Swim
Projected Order of Finish 1. South Park (Comedy Central) 2. Bob’s Burgers (Fox) 3. The Simpsons (Fox) 4. Star Wars: Visions (Disney+) 5. Rick and Morty (Adult Swim) 6. Smiling Friends (Adult Swim)
Best Game Show
Image Credit: LOS ANGELES - NOVEMBER 13: "Holidays - Episode #412L" -- Coverage of the CBS Original Daytime Series THE PRICE IS RIGHT, scheduled to air on the CBS Television Network. Pictured: Drew Carey and Brandon McMillan. (Photo by Sonja Flemming/CBS/Getty Images
Projected Order of Finish 1. Jeopardy! (ABC/Syndicated) 2. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (ABC) — podcast [Jimmy Kimmel] 3. Celebrity Family Feud (ABC) 4. Wheel of Fortune (ABC/Syndicated) — podcast [Ryan Seacrest] 5. The Price Is Right (CBS)
Best Short Form Comedy, Drama or Variety Series
Image Credit: Screenshot/YouTube
Projected Order of Finish 1. Colbert Before Air (YouTube) — podcast [Stephen Colbert] 2. The Daily Show: Desi Lydic Foxsplains (Comedy Central) 3. Bad Thoughts (Netflix) 4. Subwaytakes (YouTube) 5. The Randy Rainbow Show (YouTube)
Best Short Form Nonfiction or Reality Series
Projected Order of Finish 1. This Is a Gardening Show (Netflix) 2. Inside The Pitt (HBO Max) 3. Hacks: Bit by Bit (HBO Max) 4. Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette — A Love Untold (FX) 5. Shrinking — In It Together (Apple TV)
Best Actor in a Drama Series
Image Credit: Peter Kramer/HBO
Projected Order of Finish 1. Noah Wyle for The Pitt (HBO Max, s. 2, 15 eps., Jan. 8-April 16, 2026) — podcast 2. Mark Ruffalo for Task (HBO, s. 1, 7 eps., Sept. 7-Oct. 19, 2025) 3. Sterling K. Brown for Paradise (Hulu, s. 2, 8 eps., Feb. 23-March 30, 2026) — podcast 4. Gary Oldman for Slow Horses (Apple TV, s. 5, 6 eps., Sept. 24-Oct. 29, 2025) — podcast 5. Rufus Sewell for The Diplomat (Netflix, s. 3, 8 eps., Oct. 16, 2025)
Best Actress in a Drama Series
Image Credit: Steve Wilkie/Disney
Projected Order of Finish 1. Rhea Seehorn for Pluribus (Apple TV, s. 1, 9 eps., Nov. 7-Dec. 24, 2025) — podcast 2. Keri Russell for The Diplomat (Netflix, s. 3, 8 eps., Oct. 16, 2025) — podcast 3. Chase Infiniti for The Testaments (Hulu, s. 1, 10 eps., April 8-May 27, 2026) 4. Zendaya for Euphoria (HBO, s. 3, 8 eps., April 12-May 31, 2026) — podcast 5. Carrie Coon for The Gilded Age (HBO, s. 3, 8 eps., June 22-Aug. 10, 2025)
Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Image Credit: Apple TV+
Projected Nominees 1. Tom Pelphrey for Task (HBO, s. 1, 7 eps., Sept. 7-Oct. 19, 2025) — podcast 2. Patrick Ball for The Pitt (HBO Max, s. 2, 15 eps., Jan. 8-April 16, 2026) — podcast 3. Billy Crudup for The Morning Show (Apple TV, s. 4, 10 eps., Sept. 17-Nov. 19, 2025) 4. Jack Lowden for Slow Horses (Apple TV, s. 5, 6 eps., Sept. 24-Oct. 29, 2025) 5. Shawn Hatosy for The Pitt (HBO Max, s. 2, 15 eps., Jan. 8-April 16, 2026) 6. Carlos-Manuel Vesga for Pluribus (Apple TV, s. 1, 9 eps., Nov. 7-Dec. 24, 2025) 7. Gerran Howell for The Pitt (HBO Max, s. 2, 15 eps., Jan. 8-April 16, 2026)
Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Image Credit: Apple TV+
Projected Order of Finish 1. Sepideh Moafi for The Pitt (HBO Max, s. 2, 15 eps., Jan. 8-April 16, 2026) 2. Katherine LaNasa for The Pitt (HBO Max, s. 2, 15 eps., Jan. 8-April 16, 2026) 3. Karolina Wydra for Pluribus (Apple TV, s. 1, 9 eps., Nov. 7-Dec. 24, 2025) 4. Julianne Nicholson for Paradise (Hulu, s. 2, 8 eps., Feb. 23-March 30, 2026) 5. Allison Janney on The Diplomat (Netflix, s. 3, 8 eps., Dec. 16, 2025) — podcast 6. Taylor Dearden for The Pitt (HBO Max, s. 2, 15 eps., Jan. 8-April 16, 2026) 7. Fiona Dourif for The Pitt (HBO Max, s. 2, 15 eps., Jan. 8-April 16, 2026)
Best Actor in a Comedy Series
Image Credit: Patrick Harbron/Disney
Projected Order of Finish 1. Matthew Rhys for Widow’s Bay (Apple TV, s. 1, 7 eps., April 29-June 17, 2026) 2. Jason Segel for Shrinking (Apple TV, s. 3, 11 eps., Jan. 28-April 8, 2026) — podcast 1 and 2 3. Martin Short for Only Murders in the Building (Hulu, s. 5, 10 eps., Sept. 9-Oct. 28, 2025) — podcast 4. Steve Carell for Rooster (HBO, s. 1, TBD eps., 3/8/26-TBD) — podcast 5. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II for Wonder Man (Disney+, s. 1, 8 eps., Jan. 27, 2026)
Best Actress in a Comedy Series
Image Credit: HBO
Projected Order of Finish 1. Jean Smart for Hacks (HBO Max, s. 5, 10 eps., April 9-May 28, 2026) — podcast 2. Lisa Kudrow for The Comeback (HBO, s. 3, 8 eps., March 22-May 10, 2026) 3. Elle Fanning for Margo’s Got Money Troubles (Apple TV, s. 1, 8 eps., April 15-May 20, 2026) — podcast 4. Quinta Brunson for Abbott Elementary (ABC, s. 5, 22 eps., Oct. 1-April 22, 2026) — podcast 5. Ayo Edebiri for The Bear (FX, s. 4, 10 eps., June 25, 2025)
Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Image Credit: Apple TV+
Projected Order of Finish 1. Harrison Ford for Shrinking (Apple TV, s. 3, 11 eps., Jan. 28-April 8, 2026) — podcast 2. Stephen Root for Widow’s Bay (Apple TV, s. 1, 7 eps., April 29-June 17, 2026) 3. Nick Offerman for Margo’s Got Money Troubles (Apple TV, s. 1, 8 eps., April 15-May 20, 2026) 4. Paul W. Downs for Hacks (HBO Max, s. 5, 10 eps., April 9-May 28, 2026) 5. Michael Urie for Shrinking (Apple TV, s. 3, 11 eps., Jan. 28-April 8, 2026) 6. Tyler James Williams for Abbott Elementary (ABC, s. 5, 22 eps., Oct. 1, 2025-April 22, 2026) 7. Colman Domingo for The Four Seasons (Netflix, s. 2, 8 eps., May 28, 2026) — podcast
Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Image Credit: Apple TV
Projected Order of Finish 1. Kate O’Flynn for Widow’s Bay (Apple TV, s. 1, 7 eps., April 29-June 17, 2026) 2. Hannah Einbinder for Hacks (HBO Max, s. 5, 10 eps., April 9-May 28, 2026) — podcast 3. Jessica Williams for Shrinking (Apple TV, s. 3, 11 eps., Jan. 28-April 8, 2026) 4. Janelle James for Abbott Elementary (ABC, s. 5, 22 eps., Oct. 1, 2025-April 22, 2026) — podcast 5. Michelle Pfeiffer for Margo’s Got Money Troubles (Apple TV, s. 1, 8 eps., April 15-May 20, 2026) — podcast 6. Megan Stalter for Hacks (HBO Max, s. 5, 10 eps., April 9-May 28, 2026) — podcast 7. Dale Dickey for Widow’s Bay (Apple TV, s. 1, 7 eps., April 29-June 17, 2026)
Best Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Image Credit: Courtesy Of Netflix
Projected Order of Finish 1. Oscar Isaac for Beef (Netflix, s. 2, 8 eps., April 16, 2026) — podcast 2. Matthew Rhys for The Beast in Me (Netflix, s. 1, 8 eps., Nov. 13, 2025) 3. Jason Bateman for Black Rabbit (Netflix, s. 1, 8 eps., 9/18/25) — podcast 1 and 2 4. Riz Ahmed for Bait (Prime Video, s. 1, 6 eps., March 25, 2026) — podcast 5. Charlie Hunnam for Monster: The Ed Gein Story (Netflix, s. 1, 8 eps., Oct. 3, 2025)
Best Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Image Credit: Courtesy of Netflix
Projected Order of Finish 1. Sally Field for Remarkably Bright Creatures (Netflix, May 8, 2026) — podcast 2. Sarah Pidgeon for Love Story (FX/FX on Hulu, s. 1, 8 eps., Feb. 12-March 26, 2026) 3. Carey Mulligan for Beef (Netflix, s. 2, 8 eps., April 16, 2026) — podcast 4. Claire Danes for The Beast in Me (Netflix, s. 1, 8 eps., Nov. 13, 2025) — podcast 5. Sarah Snook for All Her Fault (Peacock, s. 1, 8 eps., Nov. 7-Dec. 26, 2025) — podcast
Best Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Image Credit: Courtesy of the BBC/HBO
Projected Order of Finish 1. David Harbour for DTF St. Louis (HBO Max, s. 1, 7 eps., March 1-April 12, 2026) 2. Jason Bateman for DTF St. Louis (HBO Max, s. 1, 7 eps., March 1-April 12, 2026) — podcast 1 and 2 3. Charles Melton for Beef (Netflix, s. 2, 8 eps., April 16, 2026) 4. Nick Offerman for Death by Lightning (Netflix, s. 1, 4 eps., Nov. 6, 2025) 5. Richard Gadd for Half Man (HBO, s. 1, 6 eps., April 23, 2026-TBD) 6. Richard Jenkins for DTF St. Louis (HBO Max, s. 1, 7 eps., March 1-April 12, 2026)
Best Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Image Credit: Tina Rowden/HBO
Projected Order of Finish 1. Linda Cardellini for DTF St. Louis (HBO Max, s. 1, 7 eps., March 1-April 12, 2026) 2. Laurie Metcalf for Monster: The Ed Gein Story (Netflix, s. 1, 8 eps., Oct. 3, 2025) 3. Constance Zimmer for Love Story (FX/FX on Hulu, s. 1, 8 eps., Feb. 12, 2026-March 26, 2026) 4. Yuh-Jung Youn for Beef (Netflix, s. 2, 8 eps., April 16, 2026) 5. Dakota Fanning for All Her Fault (Peacock, s. 1, 8 eps., Nov. 7-Dec. 26, 2025) — podcast 6. Joy Sunday for DTF St. Louis (HBO Max, s. 1, 7 eps., March 1-April 12, 2026)
Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Image Credit: Courtesy of Netflix
Projected Order of Finish 1. Colman Domingo for Euphoria (HBO, s. 3, 8 eps., April 12- May 31, 2026) — podcast 2. Bradley Whitford for The Diplomat (Netflix, s. 3, 8 eps., Oct. 16, 2025) 3. Jonathan Pryce for Slow Horses (Apple TV, s. 5, 6 eps., Sept. 24-Oct. 29, 2025) — podcast 4. Jeff Hiller for Pluribus (Apple TV, s. 1, 9 eps., 11/7/25-12/24/25) 5. Ernest Harden Jr. for The Pitt (HBO Max, s. 2, 15 eps., Jan. 8-April 16, 2026) 6. Jeff Kober for The Pitt (HBO Max, s. 2, 15 eps., Jan. 8-April 16, 2026)
Best Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Image Credit: HBO
Projected Order of Finish 1. Shailene Woodley for Paradise (Hulu, s. 2, 8 eps., Feb. 23-March 30, 2026) 2. Tal Anderson for The Pitt (HBO Max, s. 2, 15 eps., Jan. 8-April 16, 2026) 3. Brittany Allen for The Pitt (HBO Max, s. 2, 15 eps., Jan. 8-April 16, 2026) 4. Merritt Wever for The Gilded Age (HBO, s. 3, 8 eps., June 22-Augl. 10, 2025) 5. Tina Ivlev for The Pitt (HBO Max, s. 2, 15 eps., Jan. 8-April 16, 2026) 6. Miriam Shor for Pluribus (Apple TV, s. 1, 9 eps., Nov. 7-Dec. 24, 2025)
Best Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Image Credit: Karen Ballard
Projected Nominees 1. Michael J. Fox for Shrinking (Apple TV, s. 3, 11 eps., Jan. 28-April 8, 2026) 2. Rob Reiner for The Bear (FX, s. 4, 10 eps., June 25, 2025) — podcast 3. Connor Storrie for Saturday Night Live (NBC, s. 51, 20 eps., Oct. 4, 2025-TBD) 4. Hamish Linklater for Widow’s Bay (Apple TV, s. 1, 7 eps., April 29-June 17, 2026) 5. Christopher McDonald for Hacks (HBO Max, s. 5, 10 eps., 4/9/26-5/28/26) 6. Brett Goldstein for Shrinking (Apple TV, s. 3, 11 eps., Jan. 28-April 8, 2026)
Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Image Credit: Courtesy of FX
Projected Order of Finish 1. Kaitlin Olson for Hacks (HBO Max, s. 5, 10 eps., April 9-May 28, 2026) 2. Betty Gilpin for Widow’s Bay (Apple TV, s. 1, 7 eps., April 29-June 17, 2026) 3. Jamie Lee Curtis for The Bear (FX, s. 4, 10 eps., June 25, 2025) 4. Laurie Metcalf for Hacks (HBO Max, s. 5, 10 eps., April 9-May 28, 2026) 5. Cherry Jones for Hacks (HBO Max, s. 5, 10 eps., April 9-May 28, 2026) 6. Leslie Bibb for Hacks (HBO Max, s. 5, 10 eps., April 9-May 28, 2026) 7. Lauren Weedman for Hacks (HBO Max, s. 5, 10 eps., April 9-May 28, 2026)
Best Performer in a Shortform Comedy or Drama Series
Image Credit: Courtesy of Varela Media
Projected Order of Finish 1. Desi Lydic for The Daily Show: Desi Lydic Foxsplains (Comedy Central) 2. Randy Rainbow for The Randy Rainbow Show (YouTube) 3. Kim Estes for Big Law (Vimeo)
Best Character Voiceover Performance
Image Credit: Photo by Sébastien Courdji/Getty Images
Projected Order of Finish 1. Julie Andrews for Bridgerton (Netflix), “The Waltz” 2. Hank Azaria for The Simpsons (Fox), “Keep Chalm and Gary On” — podcast 3. Trey Parker for South Park (Comedy Central), “Sermon on the Mount” 4. Matt Vogel for The Muppet Show (Disney+) 5. Pamela Adlon for King of the Hill (Hulu), “Any Given Hill-day” 6. Steven Yeun for Invincible (Prime Video), “Don’t Leave Me Hanging Here — podcast
Best Narrator
Image Credit: mptvimages.com/Courtesy of Netflix
Projected Order of Finish 1. David Attenborough for Ocean With David Attenborough (Nat Geo) 2. Jodie Foster for Breakdown: 1975 (Netflix) — podcast 3. Werner Herzog for Ghost Elephants (Nat Geo) 4. Octavia Spencer for Lost Women of Alaska (Investigation Discovery), “The Missing” 5. David Attenborough for A Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough (Netflix)
Best Host for a Reality or Reality Competition Program
Image Credit: Ben Symons/Peacock
Projected Order of Finish 1. Alan Cumming for The Traitors (Peacock) 2. Jeff Probst for Survivor (CBS) 3. RuPaul Charles for RuPaul’s Drag Race (MTV) — podcast 4. Kristen Kish for Top Chef (Bravo) 5. Ariana Madix for Love Island USA (Peacock)
Best Directing for a Drama Series
Image Credit: Courtesy of Apple TV
Projected Order of Finish 1. The Pitt (HBO Max), “12:00 P.M.” — Noah Wyle 2. Pluribus (Apple TV), “We Is Us” — Vince Gilligan 3. Slow Horses (Apple TV), “Scars” — Saul Metzstein 4. Paradise (Hulu), “Exodus” — Hanelle M. Culpepper 5. Task (HBO), “Out Beyond Ideas of Wrongdoing and Rightdoing, There Is a River.” — Salli Richardson Whitfield 6. The Gilded Age (HBO), “My Mind Is Made Up” — Salli Richardson-Whitfield
Best Directing for a Comedy Series
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Projected Order of Finish 1. Hacks (HBO Max), “Hacks (Finale)” — Lucia Aniello 2. Widow’s Bay (Apple TV), “Welcome to Widow’s Bay!” — Hiro Murai — podcast 3. The Bear (FX), “Bears” — Christopher Storer 4. Abbott Elementary (ABC), “Ballgame” — Randall Einhorn 5. The Chair Company (HBO), “Life goes by too f**king fast, it really does.” — Andrew DeYoung 6. The Ms. Pat Show (BET+), “Give It Arrest” — Mary Lou Belli
Best Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
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Projected Order of Finish 1. DTF St. Louis (HBO Max), series — Steven Conrad 2. Beef (Netflix), “It Will Stay This Way and You Will Obey” — Jake Schreier 3. Beef (Netflix), “Oh, the Comfort, the Inexpressible Comfort” — Lee Sung Jin 4. Black Rabbit (Netflix), “The Black Rabbits” — Jason Bateman — podcast 1 and 2
Best Directing for a Variety Series
Image Credit: Courtesy of SNL
Projected Order of Finish 1. The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (CBS), “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Series Finale” — Yvonne De Mare 2. Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC), “Guests: Robert De Niro as the New FCC Chair, Glen Powell, and Music from Sarah McLachlan” — Andy Fisher 3. Saturday Night Live (NBC), “Host: Olivia Rodrigo” — Liz Patrick
Best Directing for a Variety Special
Image Credit: Clifton Prescod/Netflix
Projected Order of Finish 1. The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny (NBC, Feb. 8, 2026) — Hamish Hamilton 2. Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour — The Final Show (Disney+, Dec. 12, 2025) — Glenn Weiss 3. 78th Annual Tony Awards (CBS, June 8, 2025) — Glenn Weiss 4. Dave Chappelle: The Unstoppable … (Netflix, Dec. 19, 2025) — Rikki Hughes 5. Wanda Sykes: Legacy (Netflix, May 19, 2026) — Julie Dash
Best Directing for a Documentary or Nonfiction Program
Image Credit: Courtesy of Apple TV
Projected Order of Finish 1. My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay (HBO) — Mariska Hargitay — podcast 2. Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! (HBO Max) — Judd Apatow — podcast 3. Mr. Scorsese (Apple TV) — Rebecca Miller 4. Sean Combs: The Reckoning (Netflix) — Alexandria Stapleton 5. Marty, Life Is Short (Netflix) — Lawrence Kasdan
Best Directing for a Reality Program
Image Credit: Paul Cheney/Bravo
Projected Order of Finish 1. The Traitors (Peacock), “Let the Cards Fall as They Will” — Ben Archard 2. The Amazing Race (CBS), “I’m Not a Big Fan of Olives” — Bertram van Munster 3. Love on the Spectrum (Netflix), “Episode 1” — Cian O’Clery 4. RuPaul’s Drag Race (MTV), “Grand Finale” — Nick Murray 5. Top Chef (Bravo), “Carolina Roots” — Anna Moulaison
Best Writing for a Drama Series
Image Credit: Warrick Page/HBO Max
Projected Order of Finish 1. Pluribus (Apple TV), “We Is Us” — Vince Gilligan 2. Slow Horses (Apple TV), “Scars” — Will Smith 3. The Pitt (HBO Max), “1:00 P.M.” — R. Scott Gemmill & Kirsten Pierre-Geyfman 4. The Pitt (HBO Max), “12:00 P.M.” — Valerie Chu 5. The Diplomat (Netflix), “Amagansett” — Peter Ackerman & Debora Cahn 6. Task (HBO), “A Still Small Voice” — Brad Ingelsby
Best Writing for a Comedy Series
Image Credit: Sarah Shatz/HBO
Projected Order of Finish 1. Hacks (HBO Max), “Hacks (Finale)” — Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs & Jen Statsky 2. Widow’s Bay (Apple TV), “Welcome to Widow’s Bay” — Katie Dippold 3. The Comeback (HBO), “Valerie Does It All” — Michael Patrick King & Lisa Kudrow 4. Abbott Elementary (ABC), “Team Building” — Quinta Brunson — podcast [Quinta Brunson] 5. The Chair Company (HBO), “Life goes by too f**king fast, it really does.” — Zach Kanin & Tim Robinson 6. Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat (Prime Video), “Mergers and Acquisitions” — Anthony King
Best Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Image Credit: Larry Horricks/Netflix
Projected Order of Finish 1. Beef (Netflix), “All the Things We’re Never Going to Have” — Lee Sung Jin 2. DTF St. Louis (HBO) — Steven Conrad 3. The Beast in Me (Netflix), “Sick Puppy” — Daniel Pearle & Gabe Rotter 4. All Her Fault (Peacock), “Episode 8” — Megan Gallagher 5. Death by Lightning (Netflix) — Mike Makowsky
Best Writing for a Variety Series
Image Credit: Comedy Central
Projected Order of Finish 1. Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (HBO, s. 13, TBD eps., Feb. 15, 2026-TBD) 2. The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (CBS, s. 11, 118 eps., Sept. 2, 2025-TBD) — podcast [Stephen Colbert] 3. Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC, s. 24, TBD eps., Sept. 2, 2025-TBD) — podcast [Jimmy Kimmel] 4. The Daily Show (Comedy Central, s. 31, TBD eps., Jan. 5, 2026-TBD) 5. Saturday Night Live (NBC, s. 51, 20 eps., Oct.4, 2025-TBD) — podcast [Lorne Michaels]
Best Writing for a Variety Special
Image Credit: Courtesy of HBO
Projected Order of Finish 1. Nikki Glaser: Good Girl (Hulu, April 24, 2026) — Nikki Glaser 2. Wanda Sykes: Legacy (Netflix, May 19, 2026) — Wanda Sykes — podcast 3. The Oscars (ABC, March 15, 2026) — Amberia Allen, Jose Arroyo, Josh Comers, Dan Cronin, Jessie Gaskell, Skyler Higley, Berkley Johnson, Ian Karmel, Brian Kiley, Laurie Kilmartin, Carol Leifer, Todd Levin, Jon Macks, Conan O’Brien, Matt O’Brien, Agathe Panaretos, Mike Sweeney, Levi MacDougall & Eric Roth — podcast [Conan O’Brien] 4. The Muppet Show (Disney+) — Gabe Liedman, Albertina Rizzo, Nedaa Sweiss, Andrew Williams & Kelly Younger 5. Chris Fleming: Live at the Palace (HBO Max) — Chris Fleming
Best Writing for a Nonfiction Program
Image Credit: Ian Gavan/Apple TV+
Projected Order of Finish 1. The American Revolution (PBS), “Episode One: In Order to Be Free (May 1754 – May 1775)” — Geoffrey C. Ward 2. The Daily Show Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: Give the Man a Prize (Comedy Central) — Ian Berger, Devin Delliquanti, Jennifer Flanz, Jordan Klepper, Zhubin Parang & Scott Sherman 3. The Reluctant Traveler With Eugene Levy (Apple TV), “Living the Royal Life in the UK” — David Reilly and Christine Rose
Best Casting for a Drama Series
Image Credit: Courtesy of Netflix
Projected Order of Finish 1. The Pitt (HBO Max, s. 2, 15 eps., Jan. 8-April 16, 2026) — Erica Berger, Seth Caskey & Cathy Sandrich Gelfond 2. Pluribus (Apple TV, s. 1, 9 eps., Nov. 7-Dec. 24, 2025) — Sharon Bialy, Marie A.K. McMaster, Russell Scott & Sherry Thomas 4. Slow Horses (Apple TV, s. 5, 6 eps., Sept. 24-Oct. 29, 2025) — Melissa Gethin Clarke & Nina Gold 3. The Diplomat (Netflix, s. 3, 8 eps., Oct. 16, 2025) — Ellinor Isherwood, Lain Kunin, Julie Schubert, Lucinda Syson & Natasha Vincent 5. Paradise (Hulu, s. 2, 8 eps., Feb. 23-March 30, 2026) — Tiffany Little Canfield, Josh Einsohn & Brian Sutow
Projected Order of Finish 1. Widow’s Bay (Apple TV, s. 1, 7 eps., April 29-June 17, 2026) — Emily Buntyn, Allison Jones, Lisa Lobel & Angela Peri 2. Hacks (HBO Max, s. 5, 10 eps., April 9-May 28, 2026) — Linda Lowy, Morgan Smith & Lily Trotter 3. Shrinking (Apple TV, s. 3, 11 eps., Jan. 28-April 8, 2026) — Brett Benner, Debby Romano & Daniel Schwab 4. Only Murders in the Building (Hulu, s. 5, 10 eps., Sept. 9-Oct. 28, 2025) — Tiffany Little Canfield, Destiny Lilly & Bernard Telsey 5. Abbott Elementary (ABC, s. 5, 22 eps., Oct. 1, 2025-April 22, 2026) — Chris Gehrt & Wendy O’Brien
Best Casting for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Image Credit: Courtesy of Netflix
Projected Order of Finish 1. Love Story (FX/FX on Hulu, s. 1, 8 eps., Feb. 12-March 26, 2026) — Courtney Bright, Jennifer Brooks & Nicole Daniels 2. Beef (Netflix, s. 2, 8 eps., April 16, 2026) — Jeanie Bacharach 3. All Her Fault (Peacock, s. 1, 8 eps., Nov. 7-Dec. 26, 2025) — Matt Lander, Jane Norris, Djinous Rowling & David Rubin 4. DTF St. Louis (HBO) — Francine Maisler & Amber Wakefield 5. The Beast in Me (Netflix) — Kim Krakauer & Julie Tucker
Best Casting for a Reality Program
Image Credit: Logo/Courtesy Everett Collection
Projected Order of Finish 1. Love on the Spectrum (Netflix) — Sean Bowman, Emily Frisbie, Ashley Morgan & Cian O’Clery 2. The Amazing Race (CBS) — Kayla Kellerbauer, Alex Stiner & Jesse Tannenbaum 3. RuPaul’s Drag Race (MTV) — Goloka Bolte, Adam Cook & Michelle Redwine 4. Survivor (CBS) — Penni Lane Clifton, Heidi Hill, Caitlin Moore & Jesse Tannenbaum 5. Top Chef (Bravo) — Heather Allyn, Joy Barrett, Ron Mare, Sena Rich & Anna Sturgeon
Best Original Main Title Theme Music
Image Credit: Courtesy of Apple TV+
Projected Order of Finish 1. Pluribus (Apple TV) — Dave Porter 2. All Her Fault (Peacock) — Jeff Beal 3. The Beast in Me (Netflix) — Sean Callery 4. The ‘Burbs (Peacock) — Michael Abels 5. Murderbot (Apple TV) — Amanda Jones
Best Original Music and Lyrics
Image Credit: Jasper Savage/Prime
Projected Order of Finish 1. Wednesday (Netflix), “Woe Me the Money” — “The Dead Dance” by Lady Gaga, Henry Walter Russell & Andrew Watt — podcast [Lady Gaga] 2. The Boys (Prime Video), “The Frenchman, the Female, and the Man Called Mother’s Milk” — “Raise Him Up” by Daveed Diggs & Christopher Lennertz 3. South Park (Comedy Central), “The Crap Out” — “Christian Woman” by Trey Parker 4. Spider-Noir (Prime Video), “A Mistake I’ll Never Make Again” — “The Devil You Know” by Warren Oak Felder, Sebastian Kole & Daniel Pemberton 5. The Pitt (HBO Max), “12:00 P.M.” — “Need Someone” by Andrew Bird & Gavin Brivik 6. Hacks (HBO Max), “EGOT” — “Mis Figuritas” by Carlos Rafael Rivera & David Stal
Best Music Composition for a Series (Original Dramatic Score)
Image Credit: Apple TV
Projected Order of Finish 1. Widow’s Bay (Apple TV), “Our History” — David Fleming 2. Slow Horses (Apple TV), “Missiles” — Daniel Pemberton & Toydrum 3. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (HBO), “In the Name of the Mother” — Dan Romer 4. Spider-Noir (MGM+/Prime Video), “Step Into My Office” — Kris Bowers & Michael Dean Parsons 5. Pluribus (Apple TV), We Is Us” — Dave Porter 6. Palm Royale (Apple TV), “Maxine Drinks Martinis Now” — Jeff Toyne
Best Music Composition for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special (Original Dramatic Score)
Image Credit: Disney/Cristian Salvatierra
Projected Order of Finish 1. All Her Fault (Peacock), “Episode 7” — Jeff Beal 2. In the Blink of an Eye (Hulu) — Thomas Newman 3. The Beast in Me (Netflix), “The Beast and Me” — Sara Barone & Sean Callery 4. Black Rabbit (Netflix), “Isle of Joy” — Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans 5. Washington Black (Disney+), “If You See My Mama, Whisper Her This…” — Cameron Moody
Best Music Composition for a Documentary/Nonfiction or Reality Program (Original Dramatic Score)
Image Credit: BBC America
Projected Order of Finish 1. Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age (Apple TV), “The Big Freeze” — Anze Rozman, Kara Talve & Hans Zimmer — podcast [Hans Zimmer] 2. Ocean With David Attenborough (Nat Geo) — Steven Price 3. Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! (HBO Max) — Jeff Morrow 4. High Horse: The Black Cowboy (Peacock) — Raphael Saadiq 5. John Candy: I Like Me (Prime Video) — Tyler Strickland 6. Kingdom (BBC America), “Episode 2” — Segun Akinola (BBC America)
Best Music Supervision
Image Credit: Erin Simkin/Netflix
Projected Order of Finish 1. Widow’s Bay (Apple TV), “Beach Reads” — Toko Nagata 2. Pluribus (Apple TV), “We Is Us” — Thomas Golubić 3. Stranger Things (Netflix), “Chapter Eight: The Rightside Up” — Nora Felder 4. Hacks (HBO Max), “Hacks” — Matt Biffa 5. The Boys (Prime Video), “Blood and Bone” — Michelle Johnson and Yvette Metoyer 6. Nobody Wants This (Netflix), “When Noah Met Joanne” — Jonathan Leahy, Manish Raval & Tom Wolfe
Best Music Direction
Image Credit: Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty Images
Projected Order of Finish 1. The Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show Starring Bad Bunny (NBC) — Miguel Gandelman 2. Wicked: One Wonderful Night (NBC) — Stephen Oremus 3. The Oscars (ABC) — Michael Bearden 4. The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (CBS), “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Series Finale” — Louis Cato 5. Saturday Night Live (NBC), “Host: Jack Black” — Eli Brueggemann, Leon Pendarvis, Lenny Pickett & Maddie Rice
Best Title Design
Image Credit: Peacock
Projected Order of Finish 1. It: Welcome to Derry (HBO) — Joseph Ahn, Aaron Becker, Li-Yu Chen, Seth Kleinberg, Michael Lo, Troy Miller, Lee Nelson & Hsien Lun Su 2. Spider-Noir (MGM+/Prime Video) — Christian Arnsparger, Rachel Brickel, Daniel Duda, Andrew Julien, Mason Nicoll, Peter Pak, John Van Unen & Arik Weiss 3. Ponies (Peacock) — Christoph Gabathuler, Lexi Gunvaldson, Charles Khoury, Ronnie Koff, Fernando Lazzari, Kathy Liang, Min Shi & Jeffrey Su 4. Smoke (Apple TV) — Rachel Brickel, Simon Chan, Ana Criado, Mason Nicoll, Peter Pak & Justin West 5. Young Sherlock (Prime Video) — Scott Bell, Henry Chang, Christoph Gabathuler, Lexi Gunvaldson, Ronnie Koff, Charlie Proctor, Min Shi & Elizabeth Steinberg 6. Murderbot (Apple TV) — Hazel Baird, Rob Cawdery, Ethem Cem, Phil Davies, Ben Jones, Joe Paniagua, Lance Slaton & Mike Zeng
Freeman discusses his new album, Morgan Freeman's Symphonic Blues Experience, why he won't retire, and more
Morgan Freeman has spent the last five decades playing Batman’s Bat-Tech supplier, the president of the United States (multiple times), Nelson Mandela, and God himself, but since 2001, he’s also been the proprietor of his very own juke joint. He co-founded Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, Mississippi — a state where he spent part of his childhood — after realizing that visitors to the site of Robert Johnson‘s crossroads had no place to hear the blues.
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The latest offshoot of that venture is the just-released album Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience, which does just what the title promises, adding tasteful orchestral arrangements by London’s Chineke! Orchestra to new takes on blues standards. Taj Mahal covers Son House’s “Death Letter Blues,” Keb’ Mo’ revs up Albert King’s “Cadillac Assembly Line,” and Shemekia Copeland reclaims Johnson’s “Traveling Riverside Blues,” nodding to Led Zeppelin’s reinvention of it along the way. The album, which also includes historical narration by Freeman, benefits the Ground Zero Arts Foundation, the club’s charitable arm. It grew out of a touring live show of the same name featuring local orchestras alongside Ground Zero regulars, with Freeman’s filmed narration.
The 89-year-old Freeman (resplendent at home in a dashiki) and Ground Zero co-owner and CEO Eric Meier joined Rolling Stone on a Zoom call to talk about Freeman’s own musical history, why he’s jealous of Denzel Washington, his thoughts on retirement, and more.
Morgan, you heard the blues on a porch in Mississippi as a very young child. What do you remember about it? Morgan Freeman: I remember moonshine in a Mason jar. I remember fried fish. I remember going with my grandmother to a pond or a creek somewhere and fishing with a cane pole. Those are snatches, just like this guy with gold teeth on my grandmother’s porch. He’s drinking moonshine out of a Mason jar and he’s got a guitar and he’s, yeah, music-ing. I was three or four years old.
Were you drawn to it at that point, or was it just part of the atmosphere? Freeman: No, not particularly. It was just music. By the time I was five it was Glenn Miller. And “Tuxedo Junction,” “Five O’Clock in the Afternoon.” And a little bit of Count Basie. Not drawn to it, it’s just that was the music in the air. People would have their Philco radios turned up. You’re not old enough to remember that.
And you moved to Chicago in the 1940s, and you missed the Chicago blues — that wasn’t part of your experience growing up. Freeman: Not at all. Yeah. South side of Chicago was a jungle. You had to thread your way through that carefully. Yeah, growing up, hoodlum-ism was one of the easier choices to make.
Did you ever have any interest in becoming a musician yourself? Freeman: In high school, I was in music. I sang with the glee club — tenor, then bass because the bass guys couldn’t handle it. And in the band I blew the alto saxophone. But at 16, I suffered pneumonia and pleurisy. Got an abscess on my lung for that, for my pleurisy. And the doctor said, “No more horn. You won’t be able to do it. You won’t be able to get into the Air Force either.” I got into the Air Force and I didn’t have a mark on my lung.
So you could’ve kept playing the horn, maybe. Freeman: I could’ve.
I heard that Shawshank Redemption director Frank Darabont wanted you to play a harmonica at the end of that movie — the one that Tim Robbins’ character gave you — and you turned that down, so we didn’t get a chance to see that either. Freeman: Yeah, to me, that was a “Yes, boss man” moment. It didn’t make sense to me.
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That was one of the greatest endings of all time, so whatever decisions you made clearly worked out. Freeman: Yeah. I loved it. I like the whole movie, actually.
When did your actual interest in the blues begin, and how did it develop? Freeman: We were in Mississippi working and we saw a couple of young people, and they said, “Where can we hear some blues?” That was it. There was no answer. We didn’t know. There was no place.
So you made it. Freeman: We bought the building. Turned it into a juke joint. That was Ground Zero.
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Meier: With this project, there’s a hip-hop band I’d seen perform in Australia called the Hilltop Hoods. They’re these two high school buddies that have a really fun hip-hop thing, and they had done some symphony crossover. I talked to them and said, “OK, I like this kind of idea. Let’s try this for the blues.”… Normally, you do an album and then you go tour. We did the reverse here. We realized we had something and with the response we’ve received, we thought we want to memorialize it with a project like this.
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Morgan, how much have you gotten into going back and listening to the blues, in your spare time, for pleasure? Freeman: It’s not specifically the blues. I’m a great fan of Frank Sinatra’s music and Al Green. Otherwise I’m not a blues specialist or aficionado. This is a necessity. This is something where we found what is needed, and we did it. It’s not my passion for music that did it.
There’s an artist named Kingfish, who’s a young Black man who plays the blues. He told me he had white fans surprised that he was singing the blues, because there’s been this divorce of this music from its roots in a way that is unfortunate. In this project there’s some reconnection there and a reminder of the real history. Meier: Kingfish is a hometown person. He’s from Clarksdale. We can count on him for New Year’s every year. He’s usually onstage with Morgan, [co-owner Howard Stovall], myself, and others, and he loves coming home, and he loves this project, so we’ve had a lot of conversations. And I think when he first heard about it, he’s like, “Damn, this is cool.”
As far as doing the narration for this project and getting involved with it — what did you enjoy about it, Morgan? Freeman: Everything. It’s just like you’re on a road and at every curve there was something useful or delightful that you encounter. We see this, we’re on this trip… One thing I wanted to point out about what we are doing — I think we are helping symphony orchestras also. People who like to go to the symphony have another reason to go, and it’s a little pick-me-up for orchestras.
Meier: In some ways you feel like you have a responsibility to do this. You can’t always get to Clarksdale. So we just said, “Look, let’s come to you.” It’s getting out there and exposing it to new audiences.
Morgan, when you’re narrating as yourself, how is that different from narrating as a character? How do you approach it differently, or do you really not have to think about it at all? Freeman: You got a script that calls for a character — narration, I don’t know. You just step into it as a role. I’m not aware actually that I use a different approach as a character if there is a narration involved.
Morgan, you’re keeping very busy. You have some new acting projects coming out, you have this album. You seem so busy at 88 — is retirement something you’ll never do? Freeman: 89. Right, sorry! Freeman: It’s all right. I don’t wanna lose a year, though [laughs]. And doesn’t look to me that I see stopping ahead of me.
Yeah, it doesn’t seem like it. Freeman: No, I don’t see any point in that. Clint Eastwood’s mantra I borrowed: “Don’t let the old man in.” Just keep moving.
Morgan, I was curious — I asked Christopher Walken this not long ago; he’s a little bit of a youngster compared to you. You’ve gotten to play so many things. Is there one kind of role as an actor that you’re still hoping might open up for you, something you’ve never gotten to do Freeman: Too old for what I would hope to do. I got so many things wrong body-wise that I couldn’t do the kind of action stuff that would be required.
So looking back, you wish you’d done a little more action? Freeman: Yeah. See, my career started around my age of 50 — that’s when it took off. Before that, I was working different venues a lot. Twenty years on the Broadway stage. Who I envy is Denzel. Denzel Washington is doing what I wanted to do. I took the jobs that were offered and I thought I was doing well, and I was. But not those action flicks. I was a child of the movies. I grew up in the movies. When I was a kid and when there was no school, I was in the movies every day. So that’s what I wanted to do. %!s()
Critics liked its claustrophobic movie, but soured on the bigger sci-fi twists. Netflix viewers apparently had other ideas.
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Image: Netflix
Netflix has spent years proving that a movie doesn't need to win over critics to win over an audience. Bird Box became a global streaming phenomenon despite mixed reviews. The Sandra Bullock apocalypse thriller even got a spinoff, though Bird Box Barcelona failed to make quite the same impression. Earlier this year, War Machine scored a 66% on Rotten Tomatoes, but still managed to be one of Netflix's biggest films of 2026. And more recently, the horribly reviewed comedy 72 Hours (17% on Rotten Tomatoes) shot to the top of the streaming charts overnight.
Of course, it's no secret that mainstream audiences don't always agree with critics, but sometimes the critics also happen to just be wrong. That's arguably the case with Netflix's latest streaming sci-fi thriller, which has a 27% on Rotten Tomatoes but still managed to dominate the platform after debuting last Friday, Aug. 7. The Last House, Louis Leterrier’s 112-minute sci-fi thriller starring Greta Lee and Wagner Moura is already a global hit, according to FlixPatrol data, making it the latest poorly reviewed release to find a huge audience on the platform.
But here's the thing, unlike Bird Box Barcelona, The Last House is also a damn good movie.
What is The Last House about?
The Last House follows Jason (Wagner Moura) and Ann Delgado (Greta Lee), a married couple who suddenly find themselves trapped inside their suburban home with their two children. Every door and window has been sealed by an invisible force, and the same thing appears to be happening throughout their neighborhood. Meanwhile, a relentless rain pours outside, and the family begins spotting mysterious creatures moving through the storm.
With no way out and no idea what's happening, the Delgados are forced to survive on whatever they can find inside the house. Days become weeks and eventually years as food and other essentials dwindle, forcing the family to tear apart and repurpose their home just to stay alive.
Image: Netflix
It’s a surprisingly intimate setup for Leterrier, the director behind The Incredible Hulk, Fast X, and Now You See Me. In an interview with Polygon, Leterrier explained that Matthew Robinson’s screenplay immediately felt more personal than his usual projects. As a father, he recognized himself in a story about parents trying to keep their family alive.
“For the first time in my life, I was about to do something very personal, where I was seeing myself in it,” Leterrier said.
The Last House gets thrashed on Rotten Tomatoes
Image: Netflix
Despite its success on Netflix, critics haven't been particularly kind to The Last House, with many of the negative reviews praising its initial premise and performances before taking issue with where the story ultimately goes.
A common thread among negative reviews is that viewers enjoyed the central family and survival story but that the film got bogged down once the bigger sci-fi elements took hold. Critics praised Moura and Lee and the movie’s exploration of a family adapting to years of isolation, but some felt the nearly two-hour runtime stretched the contained premise too thin. Others took issue with its fairly obvious parallels to COVID lockdowns, particularly once the movie begins explaining its mysteries in the final act. And while the claustrophobic setup creates plenty of early tension, several reviews argued that the eventual creatures and climactic showdown aren't nearly as interesting as watching the Delgados simply figure out how to survive.
Polygon landed on the other side of that divide. Our review called The Last House "the best Steven Spielberg sci-fi thriller that Spielberg never made,” praising the family dynamic and the way Leterrier keeps the Delgados at the center of the story even as their situation becomes increasingly fantastical.
Whatever critics make of its final act, Netflix viewers clearly haven't been scared away. The Last House is another reminder that bad reviews don't mean much once a movie lands in front of hundreds of millions of subscribers.
Image: Netflix
Image: Netflix
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