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I wrote at the time that I felt the way I imagined a É«É«À² hockey fan would if the Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup: absolutely jubilant. 

But there will be no all-Canadian high when the Emmy Awards air Sunday. Our best chance of borrowed glory comes from a TV comedy about Hollywood that was made in Los Angeles.

That would be “The Studio,” the Apple TV satire about a movie company straddling the divide between art and commerce. Its Canadian connections include two of its creators — Vancouverites Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg — several of its actors (É«É«À²nians Catherine O’Hara, Devon Bostick and Sugar Lyn Beard) and one guest star (Sarah Polley, also of É«É«À²).

One might wonder, of course, why it matters that Hollywood takes notice of Canadian contributions to the television industry, especially when interest in awards shows is on a steady decline.

And yes, the Emmys, like the Oscars and other prize-giving galas, are glitzy, self-congratulatory affairs with no relevance to the issues that preoccupy the average person, like, say, finding a place to live that doesn’t impoverish them.

But the arts still matter, both as a form of expression of the identity of a country and its people, and as entertainment. And we are so stingy in Canada with our appreciation of Canadians in the industry — at least, until somebody else notices them — that I’m happy to see praise for our creatives wherever they can find it. 

It’s also true that we are inextricably intertwined with the Hollywood machine, whether it’s through the American shows and movies that come here to film, or the Canadian actors, directors, writers and producers who go to the U.S. to ply their trade — people like Rogen and Goldberg, which brings us back to “The Studio.”

A key question Sunday — not just for Canucks but for all Emmys watchers — is whether the show can unseat “Hacks,” last year’s winner, as best comedy series. 

I believe it can and will.

But even if it doesn’t, it’s already on track to at least tie the record of 11 comedy wins in a single year set by “The Bear” (which, as I and many others have said before, is not a real comedy).

“The Studio” took nine prizes at last weekend’s Creative Arts Emmy Awards, including the casting prize, which in the past has been a predictor of a best comedy victory, as well as guest actor for Bryan Cranston — who beat out the favourite, fellow “Studio” guest star Martin Scorsese, but Marty will get over it.

Rogen, who stars as studio head Matt Remick, seems like a shoo-in for the best actor in a comedy prize. Don’t worry: Jeremy Allen White, the winner in 2023 and ’24, will also get over it — he might even get a consolation Oscar nomination for playing Bruce Springsteen.

Catherine O’Hara is a national and global treasure, but she seems likely to lose best supporting actress to Hannah Einbinder of “Hacks,” which many pundits also expect to take the writing award over “The Studio.” (O’Hara also missed out on guest actress in a drama last weekend for “The Last of Us.” It went to Merritt Wever of “Severance.”)

The directing prize, however, seems to be Rogen’s and Goldberg’s to lose — as it should be. “The Oner,” in which Matt keeps messing up a long take in a film directed by Sarah Polley, playing herself, was brilliant (I’m still annoyed that Polley wasn’t nominated for guest actress). 

Plus Ike Barinholtz, who plays Matt’s right-hand man, stands an excellent chance of taking the supporting actor prize away from sentimental favourite Harrison Ford.

A couple of Canadians already tasted Emmy victory at the creative arts ceremonies: perennial winner and É«É«À²nian Lorne Michaels, who added two for “SNL50: The Anniversary Special” to his Emmys haul of 23 (so far); and Jessica Lee Gagné, who won for cinematography for “Severance.”

The Quebec City native provides a Canadian toehold — a baby toe at least — on the year’s most nominated series. The Apple TV drama goes into Sunday’s gala with 27 nominations, having already made good on six at the Creative Arts awards.

Gagné could also take a best directing trophy on Sunday, although she’s up against “Severance” executive producer Ben Stiller, who’s favoured to win for the jaw-droppingly good Season 2 finale. 

The real nail-biter will be the best drama award, with “Severance” neck in neck with HBO Max medical drama “The Pitt.” The former has its nominations total in its favour; the latter took the bellwether casting prize last Saturday.

I honestly have no idea which will win, but here’s who I’d like to see triumph in the major categories.

Outstanding drama series

Nominees: “Andor,” “The Diplomat,” “The Last of Us,” “Paradise,” “The Pitt,” “Severance,” “Slow Horses,” “The White Lotus”

My pick: “Severance.” This is a tough one for me because I adored “The Pitt,” but the sophomore season of “Severance” was just so good: funny, frightening, thought-provoking, heartbreaking, absorbing and rewarding.

Lead actor in a drama

Nominees: Sterling K. Brown, “Paradise”; Gary Oldman, “Slow Horses”; Pedro Pascal, “The Last of Us”; Adam Scott, “Severance”; Noah Wyle, “The Pitt”

My pick: Noah Wyle. I love every actor in this category, but if you watched Wyle through 12 seasons of “ER” as Dr. Carter, my bet is you were thrilled to see him back, at the top of his game, as the compassionate Dr. Robby.

Lead actress in a drama

Nominees: Kathy Bates, “Matlock”; Sharon Horgan, “Bad Sisters”; Britt Lower, “Severance”; Bella Ramsey, “The Last of Us”; Keri Russell, “The Diplomat”

My pick: Britt Lower. The consensus is that Bates will take it for her fine work as a wily, older lawyer, but Lower’s turn as both “innie” Helly R. and her “outie,” Helena Eagan, was skilful and affecting.

Supporting actor in a drama

Nominees: Zach Cherry, Tramell Tillman and John Turturro, “Severance”; Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs and Sam Rockwell, “The White Lotus”; James Marsden, “Paradise”

My pick: Tramell Tillman. Things seem to be breaking Goggins’ way, but Tillman is my MVP. From his dance moves to his facial expressions, he brought wonderful nuance to Lumon Industries manager Seth Milchick.

Supporting actress in a drama

Nominees: Patricia Arquette, “Severance”; Carrie Coon, Parker Posey, Natasha Rothwell and Aimee Lou Wood, “The White Lotus”; Katherine LaNasa, “The Pitt”; Julianne Nicholson, “Paradise”

My pick: Katherine LaNasa. I didn’t know LaNasa’s name before “The Pitt,” but I won’t forget it after seeing her bring such likability and vulnerability to sensitive but no-nonsense charge nurse Dana Evans. 

Outstanding comedy series

Nominees: “Abbott Elementary,” “The Bear,” “Hacks,” “Nobody Wants This,” “Only Murders in the Building,” “Shrinking,” “The Studio,” “What We Do in the Shadows”

My pick: “The Studio.” The made-in-É«É«À² vampire mockumentary “Shadows” will always have a substantial piece of my heart, but “The Studio”‘s clever, farcical and ultimately affectionate takedown of moviemaking in Hollywood is a winner.

Lead actor in a comedy

Nominees: Adam Brody, “Nobody Wants This”; Seth Rogen, “The Studio”; Jason Segel, “Shrinking”; Martin Short, “Only Murders in the Building”; Jeremy Allen White, “The Bear”

My pick: Seth Rogen. With apologies to great Hamiltonian Short, Rogen nailed the mix of fear, bravado, ego, insecurity, sincerity and hypocrisy in bumbling studio boss Matt Remick.

Lead actress in a comedy

Nominees: Uzo Aduba, “The Residence”; Kristen Bell, “Nobody Wants This”; Quinta Brunson, “Abbott Elementary”; Ayo Edebiri, “The Bear”; Jean Smart, “Hacks”

My pick: Uzo Aduba. Smart is always brilliant, but this wasn’t my favourite season of “Hacks,” and she’s already won this award three times in the last four years. Aduba’s eccentric Cordelia Cupp was the smartest person in the room and the best thing about the screwball White House murder mystery. 

Supporting actor in a comedy

Nominees: Ike Barinholtz, “The Studio”; Colman Domingo, “The Four Seasons”; Harrison Ford and Michael Urie, “Shrinking”; Jeff Hiller, “Somebody Somewhere”; Ebon Moss-Bachrach, “The Bear”; Bowen Yang, “Saturday Night Live”

My pick: Harrison Ford. The man who gave us Han Solo and Indiana Jones has never won an Oscar, Golden Globe or other major acting prize. And his curmudgeonly psychiatrist is the only thing that made me want to watch “Shrinking.”

Supporting actress in a comedy

Nominees: Liza Colón-Zayas, “The Bear”; Hannah Einbinder, “Hacks”; Kathryn Hahn and Catherine O’Hara, “The Studio”; Janelle James and Sheryl Lee Ralph, “Abbott Elementary”; Jessica Williams, “Shrinking”

My pick: Catherine O’Hara. Einbinder did excellent work in a lesser season of “Hacks,” but I want my fellow É«É«À²nian O’Hara to get all the things, including an Emmy for playing canny ex-studio boss Patty Leigh. 

The 77th Primetime Emmy Awards air Sept. 14 at 8 p.m. on CTV 2, at and on the CTV app. The Star will blog the show live at . See for a full list of nominees.