Of the Oscar, Emmy, or Tony, which one has the best actors winning? IMO, it’s the Tony’s.
Let’s discuss the advantages & disadvantages of competing in each:
Oscar
Pros: It’s probably the easiest of the three to “fashion” a surefire award contender (“Oscar bait” is a much more common term than, say, “Tony bait”). You also have good odds at being a one-hit wonder, being in the right place at the right time, riding the good feeling of a film. Would Charlton Heston or F. Murray Abraham have ever won an Oscar otherwise? Anybody hear from Miyoshi Umeki or Harold Russell after their Oscar-winning roles? I’d also venture that you’re more likely to get sentimental winners (both in the roles awarded and also in the actual actors themselves)
Cons: With hundreds of eligible movies every year, it’s much more competetive than the smaller pool of eligible TV & Broadway shows. Also, unlike the others, there is no division for drama/musical/comedy so making the final 5 is even harder.
Tony
Pros: You have time to grow into a role, becoming increasing familiar & comfortable with it, as opposed to movies where that bad day can ruin the take you’ll never get to revisit again. I’d also like to believe that the voting pool is a bit more informed (as opposed to sound editors voting for actors in the Oscar final ballots) and more “classically trained”. Also, in order to see your peformance, people have to actually come to the theater to see it the way it was meant to be appreciated (as opposed to Oscar voters watching films at home on TV instead of going to the theater).
Cons: I imagine all awards processes are fairly political, but IIRC the voting body for the Tonys is the smallest of the three so every vote really counts.
Emmy
Pros: If you don’t win this year, you can always win the next year, or the year after that, or the year after that (as long as your series is renewed). Although technically, the voters should only evaluate you on the episode you submit for consideration, you have the benefit of high exposure, especially if your series is successful, and that never hurts. Also, you have the advantage of having a character that develops and evolves over time. Movies & Broadway have 3 hours worth of performance max, but for TV you have the weight of 20+ episodes to make the most of your character any given year.
Cons: Ratings seem to be the killer here. Once you’re in, you’re in for good (ER), but it takes a lot to break through to the nominating pool. Everybody Loves Raymond or The Practice took a while to get Emmy attention, and that attention was directly proportionate to its ratings, so if you’re on a modest show (but not a hit, even with a cult following) on a smaller network (paging the WB here), you’re probably out of luck.
As far as who awards the “most deserving” the most often? Not living in NY, it’s impossible for me to say, though the Tonys have always struck me as the least resembling a popularity contest.
Hmmmm. The terms “WB” and “out of luck” in a discussion of Emmy awards. Who’d’a thunk it? 