Sabrina Impacciatore is leading the way for “The Paper.”

After a successful September launch on Peacock, “The Office” spinoff series “The Paper,” created by Greg Daniels, is preparing to kick off its fall awards campaigns at the Golden Globes, SAG and Critics Choice Awards, before angling for Primetime Emmy consideration next year.

Emmy nominee Sabrina Impacciatore, who plays Esmeralda Grand, the brash (and hilarious) managing editor of the Toledo Truth Teller, will vie for awards consideration for the upcoming fall ceremonies, and the 2026 Emmys, in the lead actress comedy categories, revealed to Variety exclusively.

Created by Greg Daniels and Michael Koman, “The Paper” follows the same documentary crew that followed the workers at Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton, Pennsylvania, branch 20 years earlier, focusing its efforts on the Toledo Truth Teller, a historic yet declining Midwestern newspaper attempting to revive itself with volunteer reporters.

Along with Impacciatore, the series also stars Domhnall Gleeson, Chelsea Frei, Melvin Gregg, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Alex Edelman, Ramona Young, Tim Key and original “Office” cast member Oscar Nunez. A day prior to the comedy series dropping all of its episodes on Peacock, it was picked up for a second season.

Impacciatore delivered some of the most hilarious moments in the inaugural season of the spinoff. Though initially positioned as the show’s “villain” — notably when Esmeralda spitefully cancels the newspaper’s wire service — she ultimately earns the audience’s sympathy through moments of vulnerability and absurdity. In the episode “Scam Alert,” she becomes entangled in a catfishing scheme involving her internet boyfriend “Jarson,” who is pretending to be “Lost” actor Josh Holloway. And who could forget the outrageous season finale at “The Ohio Journalism Awards,” where, feeling sidelined, she hijacks multiple acceptance speeches and even takes over the In Memoriam segment? There are lots of options for possible Emmy submissions.

If Impacciatore were to win the Emmy for lead actress in a comedy, she would be the first from the NBCUniversal family to do so since Tina Fey, who won in 2008 for “30 Rock.” For Peacock, the NBC-owned streaming service that launched in July 2020, the category has seen only one nomination to date: Natasha Lyonne for “Poker Face” in 2023.

Very early projections of the TV race show “The Paper” has a strong chance of securing multiple nominations this awards season. The Golden Globes have traditionally embraced freshman comedies — “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” notably won best TV comedy series in 2014 — positioning “The Paper” as a likely contender. The show is also seen as a prime candidate for a comedy ensemble nomination at the SAG Awards and could potentially earn Peacock its first Emmy nomination for outstanding comedy series next year.

Born in Rome, Impacciatore has built an eclectic resumé, including her role as Seraphia in Mel Gibson’s 2004 biblical epic “The Passion of the Christ,” as well as numerous Italian films and television projects. Her big breakout came with her acclaimed performance as Valentina — the stern yet endearing hotel manager — in the second season of Mike White’s anthology series “The White Lotus.” The role earned her an Emmy nomination for supporting drama actress.

Next on the Hollywood docket for Impacciatore is a role in Julian Schnabel’s “In the Hand of Dante,” which premiered at the Venice Film Festival in August. She’s also set to star in a still-untitled R-rated comedy from “Wet Hot American Summer” director David Wain, alongside Jon Hamm, Zoey Deutch and John Slattery.

All episodes of “The Paper” are streaming now on Peacock.