By Spencer Coile
In one of the most refreshing new categories at the Emmy Awards this year, it would appear that television soundtracks are finally getting their due. Gone are the days where the score and main title theme are the only musical aspects recognized -- now, music supervisors are receiving the credit they richly deserve. Music Supervision, or the selecting and licensing of songs to be included in television episodes, paves a new course for the Emmy's this year -- one that acknowledges and celebrates music in all of its varieties.
Yet because this is the first year this category is offered, predicting a winner is tricky. But it is all the more reason to explore this year's batch of nominees and predict who stands the best shot at winning the inaugural Emmy Award.
Outstanding Music Supervision Nominees:
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Thomas Golubic for Better Call Saul: "Sunk Costs"
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Susan Jacobs for Big Little Lies: "You Get What You Need"
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Manish Raval, Jonathan Leavy, & Tom Wolfe for Girls: "Goodbye Tour"
Zach Cowie & Kerri Drooten for Master of None: "Amarsi Un Po"
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Nora Felder for Stranger Things: "Chapter 2: The Weirdo on Maple Street"
Will Win: First and foremost, what an electic group of nominees (with over half of them being women, no less)! And with no real precedent set in this category, it feels as though any series here could snag this first year award. Better Call Saul and Girls feel like the "happy to be nominated" bunch. Which, in turn, leaves the other three wide open. Stranger Things relies heavily on nostalgia to pull its audience into the 80's vibe and Master of None utilizes Italian pop star Lucio Battisti with wondrous effect.
My money, though is on Big Little Lies. It is a buzzed show with music that helps heighten the mood and build tension throughout. Its use of Neil Young's "Helpless," Ituana's "You Can't Always Get What You Want," and not to mention the myriad of Elvis songs covered helped bring the series to life in fresh and unique ways.
Should Win: Had this category been developed several years ago, Girls would have won this in a cakewalk. And while it is not the "it" show it used to be, its penultimate episode brings the gang back together with heartbreaking results. As Hannah (Lena Dunham) drives away from New York City to start a new life, we hear the melancholy in Banks' "Crowded Places." And in that moment, the series returned to what it used to be: the story of one girl just trying to find her place in the world. Stunning work.
Could Spoil: Stranger Things feels like a very safe choice for the victory as well. The use of "Should I Stay or Should I Go" by The Clash is iconic, and no one can say no to a healthy dose of 80's fused music.
Still, we have an exciting race on our hands. Who's going to win? Who should win?