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Our 2021 Emmy predictions kick off with the Outstanding Variety Talk Series. Nominees include Conan, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. But of all the nominees, HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver is poised to be the winner in this category. Let’s take a look at why the late-night talk show will continue its winning streak.

2021 Emmy predictions Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, whose host is pictured here in a black tuxedo at last year's Emmy Awards
‘Last Week Tonight with John Oliver’ is part of this year’s Emmys 2021 predictions | Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Emmys 2021 predictions: ‘Last Week Tonight with John Oliver’ wins in its category

The first of our Emmys 2021 predictions involve the Outstanding Variety Talk Series award. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver has been on a winning streak in this category. The show has won the Emmy in this category consistently since 2016. And there’s no reason to believe that it won’t win again.

The show is up against several other popular late-night talk shows. Other nominees include The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel Live! But while these primetime television shows are popular in their own right, they may not exactly be Emmy-worthy.

There are only five nominees in the category this year. Variety, too, believes that the hit HBO late-night talk show will take home the top prize.

The HBO show has won several Emmys already

Another reason why we believe that Last Week Tonight with John Oliver is secure in our 2021 Emmy predictions is that the show has won several Emmys already.

The show’s official Emmys page reveals that it has 53 nominations and awards total. Of that number, it’s won 21 awards and one honor. It’s won several awards for its writing and direction.

But it’s most important to remember that the show first won the Outstanding Variety Talk Series in 2016, and it hasn’t lost yet. Oliver, himself, seems to be getting better with age. And his shows during the pandemic — which proved to be a salvo for many — were arguably some of the best of their kind.

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‘The Daily Show with Trevor Noah’ may give an upset

While all of the 2021 Emmys predictions point to Last Week Tonight with John Oliver being the big winner in its category, it’s not a sure winner. There are some suggestions that The Daily Show with Trevor Noah could win the category. And that would be an interesting turn of events given The Daily Show‘s history with the Emmys.

According to IndieWire, The Daily Show last won an Emmy in 2015. At that time, Jon Stewart was the host of the show, but it was his last season hosting the Comedy Central hit. What’s interesting, though, is that Oliver himself is a veteran of The Daily Show. And while Trevor Noah has proved to be a popular host, he’s nowhere near as beloved as Stewart was in his prime.

The Emmys tend to go with “favorites” when they choose a winner. Since Last Week Tonight with John Oliver has been a consistent winner, there’s no reason to believe that the show won’t win again. However, we will have to wait until Sept. 19 to see if our 2021 Emmy predictions prove to be true.

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