Thrones’ Emmy reign
RECORD- BREAKING fantasy epic Game of Thrones has made a storming comeback to Hollywood’s awards circuit after a year off, dominating this year’s Emmy nominations with 22 nods.
The smash hit HBO show, which returns for a shortened eighth and final season next year, will compete once again for the coveted best drama series prize, several acting trophies and a slew of technical awards.
The show about noble families vying for the Iron Throne faces a tough challenge from perennial favorite comedy sketch show Saturday Night Live and HBO stablemate Westworld with 21 nominations each.
The Television Academy’s 22,000-plus members spent two weeks in June sifting through more than 9000 entries to choose nominees for the Emmys, the small-screen equivalent of the Oscars.
The Emmys recognise programs shown in the year to May 31, meaning some of the usual heavy hitters — from Better Call Saul to House of Cards and Veep — are absent this time around.
Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale scored 20 nominations — seven better than last year — and is an early favorite to repeat in September as the win- ner for best drama .
Another big story yesterday was Netflix ending a 17-year winning streak by HBO. The streamer led the nominations with 112, while HBO scored 108. Adrift in third was NBC with 78 nods.
But it was Thrones that set the Emmys pace with its seventh season, which aired last year, earning recognition for cast members Lena Headey, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Peter Dinklage and Diana Rigg.
It will also be in contention for directing, writing and a host of technical awards, as well as best drama, where the other rivals include The Americans, which wrapped recently and has four nods in total.
The category is completed by Westworld, Netflix’s The Crown, which finished on 13 nominations, and the streaming service’s sci-fi series Stranger Things (12), as well as NBC’s family drama This is Us.
The comedy crown usually stored in the Veep trophy cabinet went this year to Atlanta, the FX comedy created by and starring Donald Glover, which amassed 16 nods.
Second round voting takes place in August while the ceremony itself will be held September 17, hosted by Saturday Night Live duo Colin Jost and Michael Che.