Chris Colfer, "Glee"

Nomination Status: Last year's surprise nominee is this year's lock.

In His Favor: Since earning a welcome, slightly surprising Emmy nod last year, Colfer has gone from underdog to favorite, winning the Golden Globe and picking up a SAG Award nomination to boot. At times this past season, "Glee" became "The Chris Colfer Show" and the previously unknown young actor never let Ryan Murphy and Company down, whether vocally or emotionally.

Working Against Him: In the first half of the first season, aspects of Colfer's Kurt were played broadly and for comedy, but suddenly Colfer faces the possibility of being doubly inappropriate for this category: He's far more convincingly the lead of "Glee" than Matthew Morrison and he's almost never called upon to be funny anymore. Of course, those things will probably work in his favor as he lines up for his first Emmy win.