Hundreds entered, but only one can triumph: South Korea's "Squid Game" will make a play for Emmys history Monday as it aims to become the first foreign-language television show to win top honours for best drama.
The Netflix show -- in which misfits and criminals compete for cash in barbaric and fatal versions of schoolyard games -- is aiming to follow in the footsteps of Oscar-winning movie "Parasite" with success at TV's top prize gala.
It is already the first non-English-language series to earn a best drama series nomination. To convert that into a trophy at the ceremony in Los Angeles, it will need to overcome a previous winner in HBO's "Succession."
"It's pretty hard to go against that HBO juggernaut," said Deadline awards columnist Pete Hammond, noting that the cutthroat drama about a powerful clan vying to inherit a media empire secured the most overall nominations with 25.
"I do think ['Squid Game'] is going to win best actor," said Hammond -- an outcome that would make Lee Jung-jae the category's first winner whose performance was not in English.
Other shows contending for the night's top drama prizes include Apple TV+ dystopian workplace series "Severance," starring Adam Scott, and the final season of Netflix's much-lauded crime saga "Ozark."
Zendaya, who became the youngest-ever best actress winner two years ago for hard-hitting teen drama "Euphoria," is tipped to repeat with her work on the show's sophomore season.
- Keaton 'lock' -
Given the penchant of Television Academy voters for honoring previous winners, best comedy series looks like an open goal for season two of Apple TV+'s fish-out-of-water soccer coach "Ted Lasso."
But its star Jason Sudeikis will have to fend off another previous winner for best actor in Bill Hader, whose dark hitman comedy "Barry" returns from a three-year, pandemic-prolonged absence.
Jean Smart is also heavily tipped to repeat as best actress for "Hacks," in which she plays an aging Las Vegas diva forced to reinvent her dated stand-up routine.
By definition, offering some fresh blood are the nominees in the limited series section, which honors shows capped at a single season.
Four of the five contenders chronicle real-life scandals.
"Dopesick" looks at the US opioid crisis, "The Dropout" recounts the Theranos fraud, "Pam and Tommy" recalls an infamous celebrity sex tape and "Inventing Anna" is inspired by a Russian con artist who scammed upper-crust New York.
But the pundits' favorite in a tight race is "The White Lotus," a satirical look at hypocrisy and wealth among the guests at a luxury Hawaii hotel.
The show -- which is bending Emmy rules by returning for a second season, albeit with a largely new cast and location -- has a whopping eight acting nominations, including for Jennifer Coolidge.
Actors make up the biggest voting branch in the Academy.
"I think Michael Keaton has got a lock on actor in a limited series" for 'Dopesick'," said Hammond, while Amanda Seyfried's turn as disgraced Theranos boss Elizabeth Holmes in "The Dropout" is likely to prove popular.
- 'The Slap' -
The ceremony will be hosted by "Saturday Night Live" stalwart Kenan Thompson.
It is expected to mark a return to normality, after the Covid-19 crisis forced producers to get creative with recent remote and socially distanced editions.
The show takes place at a downtown Los Angeles theater, where A-listers will gather to walk the red carpet for the first major Hollywood awards ceremony since this year's extraordinary Oscars.
Back in March, Will Smith stunned viewers around the world by slapping Chris Rock live on stage for cracking a joke about his wife.
Emmy organizers have rejected the suggestion that security will need to be beefed up to prevent a repeat.
"I can't imagine that lightning will strike twice," Academy CEO Frank Scherma told Deadline.
"We have smart security. We have people around that make quick decisions... We'll be on the lookout and we'll be smart like we always are."
Emmy nominees in key categories
Here is a list of the nominees in key categories for the 74th Emmy Awards, which will be handed out in Los Angeles on Monday.
HBO's "Succession" topped the nominations list with 25, followed by "Ted Lasso" and "The White Lotus" at 20 each.
OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
"Better Call Saul"
"Euphoria"
"Ozark"
"Severance"
"Squid Game"
"Stranger Things"
"Succession"
"Yellowjackets"
OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
"Abbott Elementary"
"Barry"
"Curb Your Enthusiasm"
"Hacks"
"The Marvelous Mrs Maisel"
"Only Murders in the Building"
"Ted Lasso"
"What We Do in the Shadows"
LEAD ACTOR, DRAMA
Jason Bateman, "Ozark"
Brian Cox, "Succession"
Lee Jung-jae, "Squid Game"
Bob Odenkirk, "Better Call Saul"
Adam Scott, "Severance"
Jeremy Strong, "Succession"
LEAD ACTRESS, DRAMA
Jodie Comer, "Killing Eve"
Laura Linney, "Ozark"
Melanie Lynskey, "Yellowjackets"
Sandra Oh, "Killing Eve"
Reese Witherspoon, "The Morning Show"
Zendaya, "Euphoria"
LEAD ACTOR, COMEDY
Donald Glover, "Atlanta"
Bill Hader, "Barry"
Nicholas Hoult, "The Great"
Steve Martin, "Only Murders in the Building"
Martin Short, "Only Murders in the Building"
Jason Sudeikis, "Ted Lasso"
LEAD ACTRESS, COMEDY
Rachel Brosnahan, "The Marvelous Mrs Maisel"
Quinta Brunson, "Abbott Elementary"
Kaley Cuoco, "The Flight Attendant"
Elle Fanning, "The Great"
Issa Rae, "Insecure"
Jean Smart, "Hacks"
SUPPORTING ACTOR, DRAMA
Nicholas Braun, "Succession"
Billy Crudup, "The Morning Show"
Kieran Culkin, "Succession"
Park Hae-soo, "Squid Game"
Matthew Macfadyen, "Succession"
John Turturro, "Severance"
Christopher Walken, "Severance"
Oh Yeong-su, "Squid Game"
SUPPORTING ACTRESS, DRAMA
Patricia Arquette, "Severance"
Julia Garner, "Ozark"
Jung Ho-yeon, "Squid Game"
Christina Ricci, "Yellowjackets"
Rhea Seehorn, "Better Call Saul"
J. Smith-Cameron, "Succession"
Sarah Snook, "Succession"
Sydney Sweeney, "Euphoria"
SUPPORTING ACTOR, COMEDY
Anthony Carrigan, "Barry"
Brett Goldstein, "Ted Lasso"
Toheeb Jimoh, "Ted Lasso"
Nick Mohammed, "Ted Lasso"
Tony Shalhoub, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel"
Tyler James Williams, "Abbott Elementary"
Henry Winkler, "Barry"
Bowen Yang, "Saturday Night Live"
SUPPORTING ACTRESS, COMEDY
Alex Borstein, "The Marvelous Mrs Maisel"
Hannah Einbinder, "Hacks"
Janelle James, "Abbott Elementary"
Kate McKinnon, "Saturday Night Live"
Sarah Niles, "Ted Lasso"
Sheryl Lee Ralph, "Abbott Elementary"
Juno Temple, "Ted Lasso"
Hannah Waddingham, "Ted Lasso"
OUTSTANDING LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES
"Dopesick"
"The Dropout"
"Inventing Anna"
"Pam and Tommy"
"The White Lotus"
LEAD ACTOR, LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE
Colin Firth, "The Staircase"
Andrew Garfield, "Under the Banner of Heaven"
Oscar Isaac, "Scenes from a Marriage"
Michael Keaton, "Dopesick"
Himesh Patel, "Station Eleven"
Sebastian Stan, "Pam and Tommy"
LEAD ACTRESS, LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE
Toni Collette, "The Staircase"
Julia Garner, "Inventing Anna"
Lily James, "Pam and Tommy"
Sarah Paulson, "Impeachment: American Crime Story"
Margaret Qualley, "Maid"
Amanda Seyfried, "The Dropout"
SUPPORTING ACTOR, LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE
Murray Bartlett, "The White Lotus"
Jake Lacy, "The White Lotus"
Will Poulter, "Dopesick"
Seth Rogen, "Pam and Tommy"
Peter Sarsgaard, "Dopesick"
Michael Stuhlbarg, "Dopesick"
Steve Zahn, "The White Lotus"
SUPPORTING ACTRESS, LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE
Connie Britton, "The White Lotus"
Jennifer Coolidge, "The White Lotus"
Alexandra Daddario, "The White Lotus"
Kaitlyn Dever, "Dopesick"
Natasha Rothwell, "The White Lotus"
Sydney Sweeney, "The White Lotus"
Mare Winningham, "Dopesick"
Top 10 programs with most overall nominations:
"Succession" - 25
"Ted Lasso" - 20
"The White Lotus" - 20
"Hacks" - 17
"Only Murders in the Building" - 17
"Euphoria" - 16
"Barry" - 14
"Dopesick" - 14
"Severance" - 14
"Squid Game" - 14