As ultra-confident principal Ava Coleman, Janelle James has been consistently hilarious over the course of “Abbott Elementary.” Season 4’s greater focus on Ava could finally bring James an Emmy.

3James has been nominated for comedy supporting actress for each previous “Abbott” season but has not won.

1In 2022, James lost to co-star Sheryl Lee Ralph, whose wise, pious kindergarten teacher won over voters more swiftly than the self-obsessed Ava.

2Undeniable performances in “The Bear” — by Ayo Edebiri and Liza Colón-Zayas — meant James did not win in 2023 or 2024, either.

10+

A multihyphenate like her “Abbott” character, James hasn’t sat around waiting for the nerds in the Television Academy to vote for her. She collected Screen Actors Guild and NAACP Image awards for “Abbott” to go with

See Full Page