Lead Actress in a Comedy Series is one of the most wide open of the categories at the Emmys this year, even if the winner seems obvious.

Veep star Julia Louis-Dreyfus has had a stranglehold on the Comedy Lead Actress category since 2012. The actress has won the award every year for the past four years and could be well on her way to winning a fifth in September.

That said, the other potential nominees in this category are relatively up in the air, with some surprises bound to go down. After all, aside from Louis-Dreyfus, only two other actresses nominated last year are eligible to come back for a repeat nomination: Amy Schumer and Lily Tomlin.

With so many great comedic actresses on television, it's not set in stone who the other nominees this year might be. But in the spirit of competition, let's try to predict who will be nominated for Lead Actress in a Comedy Series this year.

1. Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer in Veep
 

The undefeated champion four years running is a virtual lock to get another nomination in 2016. Veep also won Best Comedy Series last year for the first time, suggesting that voters have truly fallen in love with the show. On top of all this, Louis-Dreyfus has arguably had her best year yet, with many standout episodes and moments.

2. Amy Schumer as Various characters in Inside Amy Schumer
 

Schumer may not have the same media dominance she had last year, but there's no real reason to assume that Emmy voters are going to move on. While she lost to Louis-Dreyfus last year, her show won the Emmy for Best Variety Sketch Series, which should mean good things, assuming voters are still enraptured with her.

3. Ellie Kemper as Kimmy Schmidt in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
 

Considering how much Emmy voters showered Netflix's Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt last year, including nominations for Comedy Series, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress and more, it was a bit of a shock that Kemper herself wasn't nominated. However, considering there are now three empty slots for the taking, she should have no problem getting in, unless voters just don't like her performance.

4. Lily Tomlin as Frankie Bergstein in Grace and Frankie
 

Last year, Tomlin was the only nomination for Netflix's Grace and Frankie, despite the show being right in the Emmy wheelhouse as far as demographics (older) and star caliber (Jane Fonda, Martin Sheen, Sam Waterston). This likely means that voters overall aren't huge fans of the show, and Tomlin's nomination might have been a namecheck. It's possible that voters could drop her this year, but with so many open slots it seems likely that she'll at least get one more nomination.

5. Tracee Ellis Ross as Dr. Rainbow Johnson in black-ish
 

While most agree on Louis-Dreyfus, Schumer, Kemper and Tomlin, this is where things get difficult. The reason Ross seems poised to get her first Emmy nomination this year is due to fellow star Anthony Anderson's nomination last year, and the huge increase in buzz for black-ish. There's also the fact that Ross is a TV veteran and gives a great performance on the comedy.

6. Melissa McCarthy as Molly Flynn in Mike & Molly
 

McCarthy has been in and out of this category since 2011, winning for her first season then getting nominated for season 2 and season 4. While Mike & Molly has officially ended, it's possible that Emmy voters could give McCarthy one last hug, especially with the buzz of Ghostbusters prevalent. However, it wouldn't be surprising if voters chose to go with someone new.

Other prominent contenders in this category include Rachel Bloom for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Lena Dunham for Girls, Anna Faris for Mom, Jane Fonda for Grace and Frankie, Constance Wu for Fresh Off the Boat, Gina Rodriguez for Jane the Virgin, Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson for Broad City and Maria Bamford for Lady Dynamite.

What do you think?

Which actresses will be nominated for Lead Actress in a Comedy Series at the Emmys 2016?

The Primetime Emmy nominations will be announced on July 14.

Tags: Primetime Emmy Awards television