An unprecedented campaign season mixed with expanded (and retracted) categories should result in an exciting batch of nominees.

Year after year, the Primetime Emmy Awards have a habit of rewarding the same batch of shows, but 2020 is poised to break from the norm. `Game of Thrones'` reign is over. `Fleabag's` sensational run began and ended with Season 2, and HBO has yet to turn `Chernobyl` into an anthology disaster franchise. That means all three of the major Emmy categories will be crowning new winners in 2020, so every network with an ounce of hope for their chosen programs has been fighting tooth and nail for a golden statue (or 10).

Welcome back, my friends, to the show that never ends. Between the brief burst of FYC events and the ceremony itself, Emmy season runs from February through September, making it the longest awards season of them all. And TV Academy voters need the time. Content continues to hit record highs, and 2020 brings new providers to the market, as Disney+, Apple TV+, HBO Max, and Quibi all launched in time to compete.

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Emmy nominations are approaching! Head to link in bio for THR's awards columnist final forecast ahead of the big day.

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Viewers will have to judge more original series, on more platforms, all while quarantines, protests, and real-world issues (rightly) overshadow most attempts to campaign. The year's ongoing crisis forced the TV Academy to make a few adjustments, as well, most notably in tightening its awards calendar and adjusting the rules to allow for more (or less) nominees. Best Drama and Comedy Series are guaranteed eight nominees for the first time in Emmy history, while the rest of the categories are on a sliding scale that depends on how many contenders are submitted.