The 61st Primetime Emmy Awards are this Sunday at 8pm on CBS.  Hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, it looks like two shows will have a stranglehold on the night: Mad Men for Drama and 30 Rock for Comedy, both coming in with an overwhelming lead in total nominations.

But will they really prevail.  Check out the nominees for the major Emmy Drama categories below and who I think will win, then make your own picks and watch along with me Sunday night.

Read More: Comedy Category Predictions>>

DRAMA SERIES:
Big Love
Breaking Bad
Damages
Dexter
House
Lost
Mad Men

MY PREDICTION: House
I know everyone's predicting Mad Men to repeat, but honestly, I thought the second season was a dud that got too stylized.  Meanwhile, House had the great ending with House seeing Amber and slowly going insane as well as the single best episode from any of these nominees, "Locked In," which featured Mos Def and redefined television storytelling once again.



LEAD ACTOR:
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Hugh Laurie, House
Gabriel Byrne, In Treatment
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Simon Baker, The Mentalist

MY PREDICTION: Hugh Laurie, House
It might surprise you to learn Laurie has not yet won an Emmy for this role, and God knows he deserves it, especially for the amazing final story arc when House's mind descended into madness.



LEAD ACTRESS:
Sally Field, Brothers and Sisters
Glenn Close, Damages
Mariska Hargitay, Law and Order: SVU
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men
Holly Hunter, Saving Grace
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

MY PREDICTION: Glenn Close, Damages
I could easily defend picking any of these fantastic women, but once again, Close ruled over all of television as the manipulative and ruthless Patty Hewes.



SUPPORTING ACTOR:
William Shatner, Boston Legal
Christian Clemenson, Boston Legal
Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad
William Hurt, Damages
Michael Emerson, Lost
John Slattery, Mad Men

MY PREDICTION: William Shatner, Boston Legal
This isn't the best option, but the man has won before and in the final season, Denny Crane's acceptance of his Alzheimer's was very emotional and powerful.  But of course, I'm rooting for Benjamin Linus all the way.



SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Cherry Jones, 24
Rose Byrne, Damages
Sandra Oh, Grey's Anatomy
Chandra Wilson, Grey's Anatomy
Dianne Wiest, In Treatment
Hope Davis, In Treatment

MY PREDICTION: Cherry Jones, 24
I'm going out on a huge limb here, but if politics plays a role, a female president who had to struggle to decide between her country and her family helped put her in the same league as Dennis Haysbert and Gregory Itzin.



WRITING:
"The Incident," Lost
"A Night to Remember," Mad Men
"Six Months Leave," Mad Men
"The Jet Set," Mad Men
"Meditations in  an Emergency," Mad Men

MY PREDICTION: "Meditations in an Emergency," Mad Men
Four Mad Men episodes and the season finale of Lost?  This is a pretty biased category, but I have to give the edge to the Mad Men finale with that beautifully written scene of Peggy telling Pete the truth about the baby.



DIRECTING:
"Daybreak Part 2," Battlestar Galactica
"Made in China/Last Call," Boston Legal
"Trust Me," Damages
"And in the End," ER
"The Jet Set," Mad Men

MY PREDICTION: "Trust Me," Damages
This is a hard category, as it features three series finales, one season finale and Mad Men.  While Mad Men should be the favorite, I think Damages is so well made that it could win.  However, even though I didn't enjoy it, I'm rooting for Battlestar Galactica purely for BSG love.



-John Kubicek, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image courtesy of ATAS)