Los Angeles: HBO's "Game of Thrones" slashed its way to a record-setting 32 Emmy nominations Tuesday for its eighth and final season, leading HBO back to dominance over Netflix, the streaming service that bumped it last year from atop the increasingly crowded television heap.
The bloodthirsty saga's total eclipsed the all-time series record of 27 nods earned by "NYPD Blue" in 1994.
If "Game of Thrones" defends it best drama series title and claims a fourth trophy, it will join the quartet of most-honored dramas that includes "Hill Street Blues," ''L.A. Law," ''The West Wing" and "Mad Men."
Series star Emilia Clarke's decision to seek a best actress nomination after a series of supporting actress bids paid off. She's competing in a category that's notable for its diversity, including past winner Viola Davis for "How to Get Away with Murder" and repeat nominee Sandra Oh for "Killing Eve," who has a second chance to become the first actress of Asian descent to win the trophy.
Last year's best comedy series, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," led the comedy pack with 20 bids, including for its star and defending champion Rachel Brosnahan. She'll vie with Emmy record-holder Julia Louis-Dreyfus of "Veep," who didn't compete in last year's awards because her breast cancer treatment delayed production of the political satire.
Louis-Dreyfus, who with Cloris Leachman shares the record for most Emmys won by a performer, eight, has a shot at solo glory if she wins again.
Other top nominees include the nuclear disaster miniseries "Chernobyl" with 19 nominations and "Saturday Night Live," which regularly employed Robert De Niro to play Robert Mueller last season, with 18. "When They See Us," the miniseries that dramatized the Central Park Five case and its aftermath, received 16 bids.
The 71st Emmy Awards will air Sept. 22 on Fox, with the host yet to be announced.
Emmy nominees in key categories
Los Angeles: Here is a list of the nominees in key categories for the 71st Emmy Awards, which will be handed out in Los Angeles on September 22.
OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
‘Better Call Saul’
‘Bodyguard’
‘Game of Thrones’
‘Killing Eve’
‘Ozark’
‘Pose’
‘Succession’
‘This Is Us’
OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
‘Barry’
‘Fleabag’
‘The Good Place’
‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’
‘Russian Doll’
‘Schitt's Creek’
‘Veep’
LEAD ACTOR, DRAMA
Jason Bateman, ‘Ozark’
Sterling K. Brown, ‘This Is Us’
Kit Harington, ‘Game of Thrones’
Bob Odenkirk, ‘Better Call Saul’
Billy Porter, ‘Pose’
Milo Ventimiglia, ‘This is Us’
LEAD ACTRESS, DRAMA
Emilia Clarke, ‘Game of Thrones’
Jodie Comer, ‘Killing Eve’
Viola Davis, ‘How To Get Away With Murder’
Laura Linney, ‘Ozark’
Mandy Moore, ‘This Is Us’
Sandra Oh, ‘Killing Eve’
Robin Wright, ‘House Of Cards’
LEAD ACTOR, COMEDY
Anthony Anderson, ‘black-ish’
Don Cheadle, ‘Black Monday’
Ted Danson, ‘The Good Place’
Michael Douglas, ‘The Kominsky Method’
Bill Hader, ‘Barry’
Eugene Levy, ‘Schitt's Creek’
LEAD ACTRESS, COMEDY
Christina Applegate, ‘Dead to Me’
Rachel Brosnahan, ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, ‘Veep’
Natasha Lyonne, ‘Russian Doll’
Catherine O'Hara, ‘Schitt's Creek’
Phoebe Waller-Bridge, ‘Fleabag’
SUPPORTING ACTOR, DRAMA
Alfie Allen, ‘Game of Thrones’
Jonathan Banks, ‘Better Call Saul’
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, ‘Game of Thrones’
Peter Dinklage, ‘Game of Thrones’
Giancarlo Esposito, ‘Better Call Saul’
Michael Kelly, ‘House Of Cards’
Chris Sullivan, ‘This Is Us’
SUPPORTING ACTRESS, DRAMA
Gwendoline Christie, ‘Game of Thrones’
Julia Garner, ‘Ozark’
Lena Headey, ‘Game of Thrones’
Fiona Shaw, ‘Killing Eve’
Sophie Turner, ‘Game of Thrones’
Maisie Williams, ‘Game of Thrones’
SUPPORTING ACTOR, COMEDY
Alan Arkin, ‘The Kominsky Method’
Anthony Carrigan, ‘Barry’
Tony Hale, ‘Veep’
Stephen Root, ‘Barry’
Tony Shalhoub, ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’
Henry Winkler, ‘Barry’
SUPPORTING ACTRESS, COMEDY
Alex Borstein, ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’
Anna Chlumsky, ‘Veep’
Sian Clifford, ‘Fleabag’
Olivia Colman, ‘Fleabag’
Betty Gilpin, ‘GLOW’
Sarah Goldberg, ‘Barry’
Marin Hinkle, ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’
Kate McKinnon, ‘Saturday Night Live’
OUTSTANDING LIMITED SERIES
‘Chernobyl’
‘Escape at Dannemora’
‘Fosse/Verdon’
‘Sharp Objects’
‘When They See Us’
OUTSTANDING TELEVISION MOVIE
‘Black Mirror: Bandersnatch’
‘Brexit’
‘Deadwood: The Movie’
‘King Lear’
‘My Dinner with Herve’
LEAD ACTOR, LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE
Mahershala Ali, ‘True Detective’
Benicio Del Toro, ‘Escape at Dannemora’
Hugh Grant, ‘A Very English Scandal’
Jared Harris, ‘Chernobyl’
Jharrel Jerome, ‘When They See Us’
Sam Rockwell, ‘Fosse/Verdon’
LEAD ACTRESS, LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE
Amy Adams, ‘Sharp Objects’
Patricia Arquette, ‘Escape at Dannemora’
Aunjanue Ellis, ‘When They See Us’
Joey King, ‘The Act’
Niecy Nash, ‘When They See Us’
Michelle Williams, ‘Fosse/Verdon’
Top five programmes with most overall
‘Game of Thrones’ - 32
‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ - 20
‘Chernobyl’ - 19
‘Saturday Night Live’ - 18
‘Barry’ - 17
Top five platforms with most overall nominations:
HBO: 137
Netflix: 117
NBC: 58
Amazon Prime Video: 47
CBS: 43
-AFP
