For pop culture lovers, awards shows are some of the most rewarding and yet disappointing experiences of the year. The Emmys can be particularly hurtful due to the fact that the same people and shows get nominated every year, leaving some beloved options in the dust. Because we’re not quite ready to give up our idealistic dreams of “Friday Night Lights” or “Parks and Recreation” overcoming “Mad Men” and “Modern Family,” here’s a presentation of who should win and who will win in some of the major categories.

Best comedy series
NOMINEES: “Modern Family” (ABC), “30 Rock” (NBC), “Glee” (FOX), “The Office” (NBC), “The Big Bang Theory” (CBS), “Parks and Recreation” (NBC).
SHOULD: We’re split. Half of us vote “Modern Family” and half vote “Parks and Recreation.” Both have incredibly good supporting casts and a lot of heart without being overly sentimental. “Parks and Recreation” may have the edge here, though, because a) Amy Poehler is amazing, and b) we like the underdogs.
WILL: “Modern Family.” “Modern Family”’s second season was as good as its winning first, and the Emmy voters are repeat offenders.

Best drama actor
NOMINEES: Jon Hamm, “Mad Men” (AMC); Steve Buscemi, “Boardwalk Empire” (HBO); Kyle Chandler, “Friday Night Lights” (NBC); Michael C. Hall, “Dexter” (Showtime); Hugh Laurie, “House” (FOX); Timothy Olyphant, “Justified” (FX).
SHOULD: Minus new entree Buscemi, everyone in this category should have won already but has been stiffed thanks to Bryan Cranston’s monopoly. Jon Hamm should probably win this year, though we’d be remiss to leave out Kyle Chandler in his final season as Coach Eric Taylor.
WILL: Jon Hamm. It’s probably his only chance (due to Cranston’s absence), and his work as a newly divorced man was often heart-wrenching.

Best comedy actress
NOMINEES: Tina Fey, “30 Rock” (NBC); Edie Falco, “Nurse Jackie” (Showtime); Amy Poehler, “Parks and Recreation” (NBC); Laura Linney, “The Big C” (Showtime); Martha Plimpton, “Raising Hope” (Fox); Melissa McCarthy, “Mike & Molly” (CBS).
SHOULD: Amy Poehler. This season, she made Leslie Knope a very real person whom you couldn’t help but root for.
WILL: Laura Linney. The Emmys likes big names, and her show is about cancer. She has a juicier role than the other nominees.

Best variety, music or comedy series
NOMINEES: “The Colbert Report” (Comedy Central), “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” (NBC), “Saturday Night Live” (NBC), “Conan” (TBS), “Real Time with Bill Maher” (HBO), “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” (Comedy Central).
SHOULD & WILL: Jon Stewart. He’s won consistently, and he had our favorite Osama bin Laden coverage back in May. He might have only submitted a few episodes for consideration, but that totally counts, right?

Best drama series
NOMINEES: “Boardwalk Empire” (HBO), “Friday Night Lights” (NBC), “Dexter” (Showtime), “Game of Thrones” (HBO), “The Good Wife” (CBS), “Mad Men” (AMC).
SHOULD: “Friday Night Lights.” “Mad Men” had some great episodes this year, but it has enough recognition. “Friday Night Lights” has been one of the best shows on television for the past half decade, and now is its time to be in the spotlight. Its final season brought about a glorious end that tied up stories for Coach, Tami, Tim and all the others.
WILL: “Mad Men.” It has won every season it’s been on the air. Season three was incredibly slow and uninteresting, yet it still managed to beat the final season of “Lost.” How could it lose?

Best drama actress
NOMINEES: Julianna Margulies, “The Good Wife” (CBS); Elisabeth Moss, “Mad Men” (AMC); Mariska Hargitay, “Law & Order: SVU” (NBC); Kathy Bates, “Harry’s Law” (NBC); Connie Britton, “Friday Night Lights” (NBC); Mireille Enos, “The Killing” (AMC).
SHOULD: Connie Britton has carried the “Friday Night Lights” cast, and she really should have won already. Honorable mention goes to Elisabeth Moss for her stellar work in the episode, “The Suitcase.”
WILL: Julianna Margulies. Her strong-woman role is quite high-profile and critically acclaimed. Also, she won last year.

Best comedy actor
NOMINEES: Steve Carell, “The Office” (NBC); Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock” (NBC); Jim Parsons, “The Big Bang Theory” (CBS); Matt LeBlanc, “Episodes” (Showtime); Louis C.K., “Louie” (FX); Johnny Galecki, “The Big Bang Theory” (CBS).
SHOULD & WILL: Steve Carell. Michael Scott’s last episodes of “The Office” were some of the strongest of the series, and Carell made them even better.

Best supporting comedy actor
NOMINEES: Ty Burrell, “Modern Family” (ABC); Jesse Tyler Ferguson, “Modern Family” (ABC); Ed O’Neill, “Modern Family” (ABC); Eric Stonestreet, “Modern Family” (ABC); Jon Cryer, “Two and a Half Men” (CBS); Chris Colfer, “Glee” (FOX).
SHOULD: Neil Patrick Harris or Nick Offerman. Oh, wait, you say they weren’t nominated? This is why we hate the Emmys.
WILL: Chris Colfer. It’ll be too hard for one of the four “Modern Family” men to break through and Jon Cryer definitely doesn’t deserve it. Colfer is the emotional center of “Glee,” regardless of the fact that he never does anything funny.

Best reality competition
NOMINEES: “So You Think You Can Dance” (FOX), “Top Chef” (Bravo), “The Amazing Race” (CBS), “American Idol” (FOX), “Dancing With the Stars” (ABC), “Project Runway” (Lifetime).
SHOULD: “So You Think You Can Dance” makes dance interesting for people who have no interest in it, and the dances performed each week are stunningly beautiful. There’s rarely a weak routine, and the judges are fair, unlike the judges on other shows *cough*American Idol*cough*.
WILL: “Amazing Race.” It’s won every year except last year, but the amazing international shoots have made it an extremely strong contender, despite a relatively weak season.