^{Credit: Invincible (Amazon Prime Video), The Simpsons (Fox), South Park (Comedy Central), King of the Hill (Hulu), The Muppet Show (Disney+)}

Dearest Gentle Reader, 

Last year, Julie Andrews won the Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance Emmy for her work as Lady Whistledown in Bridgerton after three previous losses. Since Emmy voters are creatures of habit, Andrews will more than likely win again this year, which has me conflicted. On one hand, Andrews is turning 91 later this October. She’s the definition of a living legend. Andrews has suggested that she won’t be accepting any more on-screen performances, opting not to appear in The Princess Diaries 3. She’ll still be lending her angelically whimsical voice to projects like Bridgerton, however. So, let’s award Andrews anywhere we can while she’s still working, right?

At the same time, I take issue with Andrews winning here again. Namely because I think she belongs in another category. Yes, this is a voice-over performance. Yes, Lady Whistledown is a character. She’s also a disembodied voice who exists to provide exposition. It feels weird to group Whistledown with four animated characters and a Muppet. In 2025, I argued that the Emmys should create another category for Outstanding Character Narration. Granted, only so many shows currently on the air have narrators like Lady Whistledown. Even then, I think it’d make more sense to have Andrews in the Outstanding Narrator category. 

The rules for the Outstanding Narrator category say, “If the narration is performed as a character rather than a narrator, even if credited as the narrator, the performer must submit in the character voice-over category.” As such, the category is limited to documentaries and non-fiction programs. This wasn’t always the case. Anthony Mendez was nominated for his narration in Jane the Virgin in 2015 and 2016. Under current rules, Mendez would be submitted in Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance like Andrews. Of these two categories, though, who do Andrews and Mendez have more in common with: documentary narrators or Bobby Hill, Kermit the Frog, Mark Grayson, Gary Chalmers, and Satan? 

Even if we were to judge all of these performances, another win for Andrews would feel like a ballot check. This isn’t to say that Andrews is undeserving, but some of her fellow nominees clearly demonstrated greater range. Pamela Adlon won an Emmy in 2002 for her work in the King of the Hill episode, “Bobby Goes Nuts.” When it was decided to age up Bobby for the revival, the creative team considered whether or not to recast the role. They ultimately concluded that Adlon was Bobby, however. Adlon brought Bobby into his early 20s, making his evolution sound natural. Personally, she would have my vote for the episode “Any Given Hill-day," in which Bobby attends a fantasy football camp with his father and girlfriend, becoming a third wheel.

Adlon wouldn’t be the only worthy winner. Steven Yeun gave one of his most devastating performances in the Season 4 finale of Invincible, “Don't Leave Me Hanging Here.” The episode culminated with an emotional gut punch as Mark is forced to make an impossible choice that leaves him broken inside. Although Steve Whitmire’s dismissal as Kermit the Frog proved controversial, Matt Vogel has proven to be a worthy successor. The 2026 Muppet Show special has been Vogel’s strongest showcase yet, holding his own against the likes of Sabrina Carpenter. Hank Azaria has four Emmys for his work on The Simpsons, but this is his first nomination for voicing Gary Chalmers, with "Keep Chalm and Gary On" being an inspired submission. 

Admittedly, Trey Parker’s performance as Satan in South Park is somewhat questionable. Don’t get me wrong. Satan becoming impregnated with Donald Trump’s offspring was a highlight of Seasons 27 and 28. However, Parker is nominated for the episode "Sermon on the 'Mount," where Satan appears for less than a minute. Parker voiced other characters in the episode, including Eric Cartman as he deals with the death of “woke.” Yet, the current Emmy rules limit actors to one character per nomination. If Parker was going to submit an episode where he voiced Satan, he should’ve gone with "The Crap Out," in which Satan loses his baby and leaves the president. The fact that Parker got nominated here at all only seems to solidify South Park as the Outstanding Animated Program frontrunner. 

As for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance, Andrews’ preordained win comes down to her legendary status more than anything else. If voters are actually judging the depth of the performances, I could see Adlon, Vogel, or Yeun surprising here. Andrews seems to be in the same boat as Maggie Smith during her Downton Abbey days, though. Smith consistently went up against actors who turned in more layered performances (Justice for Christina Hendricks). Nevertheless, Smith won three Emmys for playing Violet Crawley. Why? Because Violet got the wittiest and most savage one-liners (not unlike Lady Whistledown) and … well, she’s Maggie Smith (who was in her last act). They were awarding the actor’s career just as much as they were awarding that particular performance. That might not sound very fair, but to paraphrase Lady Whistledown, “All is fair in love and awards.”  

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance Final Predictions:

1. Bridgerton • The Waltz • Netflix • A Netflix Original Series in association with shondalandmedia
Julie Andrews as Lady Whistledown

2. King Of The Hill • Any Given Hill-day • Hulu • 20th Television Animation
Pamela Adlon as Bobby Hill

3. The Muppet Show • Disney+ • 20th Television, Disney Branded Television, The Muppets Studio, Point Grey Pictures 
Matt Vogel as Kermit the Frog

4. Invincible • Don't Leave Me Hanging Here • Prime Video • Amazon MGM Studios, Skybound Animation
Steven Yeun as Mark Grayson/Invincible

5. The Simpsons • Keep Chalm And Gary On • FOX • A Gracie Films Production in association with 20th Television Animation
Hank Azaria as Gary Chalmers

6. South Park • Sermon On The 'Mount • Comedy Central 
Trey Parker as Satan

Nick Spake is the Author of Bright & Shiny: A History of Animation at Award Shows Volumes 1, 2, and 3. Available Now!