It didn’t come as a surprise to fans that “Game of Thrones” bloodiest season yet ruled the Emmy nominations on Thursday followed closely by true life mini-series “The People v. O.J. Simpson.”
Power-and-blood fantasy saga “Game of Thrones” ruled the Emmy Award nominations Thursday with a leading 23 bids, including best drama, while a real-life epic of murder and celebrity, “The People v. O.J. Simpson,” was close behind with 22 nods.
“Game of Thrones,” which won a record 12 Emmys last fall including best drama, gets the chance to claim its second top award. “Veep,” last year’s best comedy series winner, also will get another shot at holding office and, with 17 nominations, was the comedy leader.
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Breakthrough nominations include a best comedy series nod for sophomore “black-ish,” which brought the African-American family sitcom back to network TV, with bids as well for its stars, Anthony Anderson — who helped announce the awards live on Thursday and read his show’s name with glee — and his co-star Tracee Ellis Ross.
“I’m on cloud nine right now,” Anderson said afterward. “When hope becomes reality, that’s what it is. I was just a 9-year-old kid growing up in Compton, California, with a dream and this is the dream that I had.”
They were among a number of black actors recognized by TV academy voters, who have started to keep pace with TV’s growing diversity — in sharp contrast to moviedom’s Academy Awards, which were slammed as “Oscars So White” this year.
Viola Davis, the “How to Get Away with Murder” star who last year became the first woman of color to win a best drama actress trophy, was nominated again. So was “Empire” star Taraji P. Henson.
Each of the major acting categories included at least one minority nominee. But there were no major nods for the stars of “Fresh Off the Boat” or other Asian-American actors, or for Latinos, which has been a recurrent Emmy pattern.
Networks have reason for concern as well. In the increasingly crowded TV universe, traditional broadcasts again lost Emmy ground to emerging platforms, including streaming services Netflix and Amazon, both of which boosted their tallies. Even HBO, which again earned the most bids led by “Game of Thrones,” marked a retreat in what had been its ever-growing dominance: its haul dropped from 126 nods last year to 94 this time.
“Game of Thrones” and “Mr. Robot” will compete with “Better Call Saul,” ”Homeland,” ”House of Cards,” ”The Americans” and “Downton Abbey,” the last a nod for its farewell season. But the final season of “The Good Wife” was not recognized, and star Julianna Margulies also was snubbed.
For Stephen Colbert, it was the inaugural season of his CBS late-night show that was overlooked, while network colleague James Corden earned a best variety talk series bid for his “Late Late Show.”
Aziz Ansari received a lead comedy acting bid for his series “Master of None,” a first for an Indian-American actor, and the show received a best comedy series nomination. Rami Malek, of Egyptian descent, earned a top drama acting nod for his role as a renegade hacker in another freshman, “Mr. Robot,” which also will compete for drama honors.
“The Americans,” which gained in attention last season, also earned bids for its stars, Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys.
Besides Russell, Davis and Henson, lead drama actress bids went to Claire Danes for “Homeland” and Tatiana Maslany for “Orphan Black.”
Malek and Rhys will be competing with Kevin Spacey for “House of Cards,” Kyle Chandler for “Bloodline,” Bob Odenkirk for “Better Call Saul” and Liev Schreiber for “Ray Donovan.”
The ensemble cast of “Game of Thrones” found leading bids elusive. Peter Dinklage, named last year’s best supporting actor, will defend his title, with a nod also going to Kit Harington, who plays fan favorite Jon Snow. Emilia Clarke, Lena Headey and Maisie Williams earned supporting actress bids in a year that the show’s female characters gained the upper hand.
On the comedy side, “Veep,” ”black-ish” and “Master of None” will tussle for the trophy with five-time champ “Modern Family,” ”Transparent,” ”Silicon Valley” and “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.”
A top acting nod for “Veep” star Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who plays a U.S. vice president now elevated to the Oval Office, gives her the chance to score her fifth consecutive win and set a record.
She and Ross will be competing with Ellie Kemper in “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” Laurie Metcalf in “Getting On,” Amy Schumer in “Inside Amy Schumer” and Lily Tomlin in “Grace and Frankie.”
“Black-ish” star Anderson, who got his second nod, will be competing with last year’s winner, Jeffrey Tambor of “Transparent,” along with Ansari, Will Forte for “The Last Man on Earth,” William H. Macy for “Shameless” and Thomas Middleditch for “Silicon Valley.”
“The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story,” which recounted the football legend’s sensational, racially charged trial for the slayings of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman, is a best limited series nominee and earned six acting nominations for its cast’s portrayal of well-known figures.
Lead nominations went to Cuba Gooding Jr. as Simpson, Courtney B. Vance as defense attorney Johnnie Cochran and Sarah Paulson as prosecutor Marcia Clark. Supporting bids were given to Sterling K. Brown as prosecutor Christopher Darden, David Schwimmer as Simpson friend Robert Kardashian — patriarch of the now-famous family — and John Travolta as defense attorney Robert Shapiro.
Gooding and Vance will compete with Bryan Cranston as President Lyndon B. Johnson in “All The Way,” Benedict Cumberbatch in “Sherlock: The Abominable Bride (Masterpiece),” Idris Elba in “Luther” and Tom Hiddleston in “The Night Manager.”
In a phone interview, Paulson said that despite joy over her recognition she was happiest to learn that Brown was nominated for his portrayal of Darden.
“I jumped up and down …. more about that than about my own,” Paulson said. “I owe my performance whatever it is to him.”
The 68th prime-time Emmy show will be broadcast live on ABC from 8-11 p.m. EDT on Sept. 18, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel.
Below is the full list of 68th Primetime Emmy Awards nominations:
Outstanding Drama Series
“Downton Abbey” (PBS)
“Game of Thrones” (HBO)
“Mr. Robot” (USA)
“House of Cards” (Netflix)
“Homeland” (Showtime)
“The Americans” (FX)
“Better Call Saul” (AMC)
Immediate reaction: Nicely done, “Mr. Robot” — USA’s new hacker drama that shocked the Golden Globes by winning best drama series also makes an appearance in the Emmys’ most elite category, up against staples including “Homeland,” “House of Cards,” “Game of Thrones” and the final season of “Downton Abbey.” In addition, the inclusion of “The Americans” (finally!) should thrill TV critics across the land, though no telling whether it can make a breakthrough and actually win.
Outstanding Comedy Series
“Modern Family” (ABC)
“Veep” (HBO)
“Silicon Valley” (HBO)
“Transparent” (Amazon)
“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” (Netflix)
“Black-ish” (ABC)
“Master of None” (Netflix)
Immediate reaction: Just when you’re about to declare the network sitcom dead, here comes ABC to save the day. “Black-ish” is no surprise after an excellent second season, though the flagging “Modern Family” (which finally had its winning streak snapped last year by “Veep”) is still just a voter favorite. Netflix is likely doing a celebratory dance for its many, many nominations, but the streaming service should be especially psyched about newbie “Master of None” and “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” breaking into this strong category.
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Rami Malek, “Mr. Robot” (USA)
Kevin Spacey, “House of Cards” (Netflix)
Bob Odenkirk, “Better Call Saul” (AMC)
Kyle Chandler, “Bloodline” (Netflix)
Liev Schreiber, “Ray Donovan” (Showtime)
Matthew Rhys, “The Americans” (FX)
Immediate reaction: This list was fairly predictable (Rami Malek was especially considered to be a shoo-in considering the critically-adored “Mr. Robot) save for Matthew Rhys, as “The Americans” is routinely ignored.
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Claire Danes, “Homeland” (Showtime)
Viola Davis, “How to Get Away with Murder” (ABC)
Taraji P. Henson, “Empire” (Fox)
Tatiana Maslany, “Orphan Black” (BBC America)
Robin Wright, “House of Cards” (Netflix)
Keri Russell, “The Americans” (FX)
Immediate reaction: This category is almost an exact replication of last year’s nominees, although the departure of “Mad Men” means Keri Russell was able to swoop in and take over Elisabeth Moss’s spot. The bigger news here is the lack of recognition for Julianna Margulies on the final season of “The Good Wife.”
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a Movie
Courtney B. Vance, “The People v. O.J. Simpson” (FX)
Tom Hiddleston, “The Night Manager” (AMC)
Idris Elba, “Luther” (BBC America)
Bryan Cranston, “All the Way” (HBO)
Benedict Cumberbatch, “Sherlock: The Abominable Bride” (PBS)
Cuba Gooding Jr., “The People v. O.J. Simpson” (FX)
Immediate reaction: The limited series category is the “People v. O.J. Simpson’s” time to shine — sure enough, Courtney B. Vance (whose excellent portrayal of defense attorney Johnnie Cochran made headlines all season) and Cuba Gooding Jr. (the titular O.J.) made the list. The surprise here is Gooding Jr., as he was often considered the weak spot in a star-studded cast of actors. Though we expect Vance to take it, he’ll have some competition against TV academy favorite Bryan Cranston as Lyndon B. Johnson in “All the Way.” Meanwhile, Tom Hiddleston’s nom for “The Night Manager” only means one thing: Taylor Swift is going to the Emmys!
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or a Movie
Sarah Paulson, “The People v. O.J. Simpson” (FX)
Kerry Washington, “Confirmation” (HBO)
Audra McDonald, “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill” (HBO)
Lili Taylor, “American Crime” (ABC)
Felicity Huffman, “American Crime” (ABC)
Immediate reaction: Again, “The People v. O.J. Simpson” should rule here, as Sarah Paulson has long been considered a lock with her performance as beleaguered Los Angeles prosecutor Marcia Clark. Kerry Washington as Anita Hill is another to look out for, as HBO’s “Confirmation” got lots of attention. And two nods for “American Crime” is a nice boost for the low-rated but critically-acclaimed ABC series, which was renewed for a third season.
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
William H. Macy, “Shameless” (Showtime)
Jeffrey Tambor, “Transparent” (Amazon)
Anthony Anderson, “Black-ish” (ABC)
Will Forte, “Last Man on Earth” (Fox)
Aziz Ansari, “Master of None” (Netflix)
Thomas Middleditch, “Silicon Valley” (HBO)
Immediate reaction: The mix of shows here just proves the many different tastes of the Emmy voters in the Peak TV era. William H. Macy, Jeffrey Tambor, Will Forte and Anthony Anderson are all repeats, and Aziz Ansari and Thomas Middleditch replace old favorites like Louis C.K. and Don Cheadle. One notable surprise is Ansari, who broke through in a tough category, especially given the acting wasn’t the strongest part of the much-praised comedy.
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep” (HBO)
Amy Schumer “Inside Amy Schumer” (Comedy Central)
Lily Tomlin “Grace and Frankie” (Netflix)
Ellie Kemper, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” (Netflix)
Tracee Ellis Ross, “Black-ish” (ABC)
Laurie Metcalf, “Getting On” (HBO)
Immediate reaction: Tracee Ellis Ross and Ellie Kemper got well-deserved nods for their relatively new shows, but as everyone knows, this is Julia Louis Dreyfus’s category and it’s unlikely that will ever change.
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Jonathan Banks, “Better Call Saul” (AMC)
Ben Mendelsohn, “Bloodline” (Netflix)
Jim Carter, “Downton Abbey” (PBS)
Peter Dinklage, “Game Of Thrones” (HBO)
Kit Harington, “Game Of Thrones” (HBO)
Michael Kelly “House Of Cards” (Netflix)
Jon Voight, “Ray Donovan” (Showtime)
Immediate reaction: Cable dramas rule this category, and newcomer Kit Harington and not-exactly-a-lock Jon Voight squeezed out a final nomination for Alan Cumming (nominated three times for the role of Eli Gold) in one of his strongest years on “The Good Wife.”
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Maura Tierney, “The Affair” (Showtime)
Maggie Smith, “Downton Abbey” (PBS)
Lena Headey, “Game Of Thrones” (HBO)
Emilia Clarke, “Game Of Thrones” (HBO)
Maisie Williams, “Game of Thrones” (HBO)
Constance Zimmer, “UnREAL” (Lifetime)
Immediate reaction: Watching Maura Tierney trying to move on after her husband’s infidelity on “The Affair” last year, you could practically see her Emmy acceptance speech already. And although the acclaimed “UnREAL” was left off the best drama list and star Shiri Appleby was snubbed for best actress, Constance Zimmer got a nod for her portrayal of a truly diabolical reality TV producer. And never count out the many noms for “Game of Thrones.”
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Andre Braugher, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” Fox
Keegan-Michael Key, “Key & Peele” (Comedy Central)
Ty Burrell, “Modern Family” (ABC)
Tituss Burgess, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” (Netflix)
Tony Hale, “Veep” (HBO)
Louie Anderson, “Baskets” (FX)
Matt Walsh, “Veep” (HBO)
Immediate reaction: Again, almost an exact replicate of last year’s list (Ty Burrell of “Modern Family” will forever be nominated) although Adam Driver apparently isn’t funny enough on “Girls” anymore. Taking his place is Matt Walsh of “Veep” and Louie Anderson on FX’s bizarro comedy “Baskets,” though they don’t seem like serious competition against longtime favorites.
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Niecy Nash, “Getting On” (HBO)
Allison Janney, “Mom” (CBS)
Kate McKinnon, “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
Gaby Hoffmann “Transparent” (Amazon)
Judith Light, “Transparent” (Amazon)
Anna Chlumsky, “Veep” (HBO)
Immediate reaction: After six years of nominations (and two wins), “Modern Family’s” Julie Bowen was finally knocked out of the category, as the voters continue to love Amazon’s groundbreaking “Transparent.” Either way, will Allison Janney make it three wins in a row for Chuck Lorre’s “Mom”?
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Movie
Jesse Plemons, “Fargo” (FX)
Bokeem Woodbine, “Fargo” (FX)
John Travolta, “The People v. O.J. Simpson” (FX)
Sterling K. Brown, “The People v. O.J. Simpson” (FX)
David Schwimmer, “The People v. O.J. Simpson” (FX)
Hugh Laurie, “The Night Manager” (AMC)
Immediate reaction: FX got the most nominations in its history (56 in all), and almost ten percent of them were this category. John Travolta’s scenery-chewing take on famed defense attorney Robert Shapiro had people talking, though in terms of actual acting gravitas, no one really holds a candle to Sterling K. Brown’s portrayal of prosecutor Chris Darden during the maddening O.J. Simpson trial. Although we will give points to David Schwimmer as Robert Kardashian, if only for that scene where he teaches all the mini Kardashians about the perils of fame.
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or a Movie
Sarah Paulson, “American Horror Story: Hotel” (FX)
Kathy Bates, “American Horror Story: Hotel” (FX)
Jean Smart, “Fargo” (FX)
Olivia Colman, “The Night Manager” (AMC)
Regina King, “American Crime” (ABC)
Melissa Leo, “All the Way” (HBO)
Immediate reaction: It’s always interesting to see whether a performer in a TV movie can overtake one who worked on a multi-episode series, especially on one as beloved by voters as “American Horror Story.” Though Melissa Leo is a movie star in an HBO movie, so it was pretty much a given that she would get a nomination — and she should prove tough competition.
Outstanding Reality-Competition Program
“The Amazing Race” (CBS)
“Dancing With the Stars” (ABC)
“Project Runway” (Lifetime)
“Top Chef” (Bravo)
“The Voice” (NBC)
“American Ninja Warrior” (NBC)
Immediate reaction: Welcome to the party, “American Ninja Warrior” — not only did you get a nomination, but you beat out the final season of “American Idol,” which many predicted would get a farewell nod. Still, the prize will probably go to “The Amazing Race” or “The Voice,” as it has in every year of the category’s existence except for 2010, when “Top Chef” won.
Outstanding Variety Talk Series
“Last Week Tonight With John Oliver” (HBO)
“Late Late Show With James Corden” (CBS)
“Jimmy Kimmel Live” (ABC)
“The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (NBC)
“Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” (Crackle)
“Real Time With Bill Maher” (HBO)
Immediate reaction: Well, it should be a little awkward at CBS today — James Corden’s “Late Late Show” landed a nod in a category that overlooked Stephen Colbert, the highly-hyped replacement for David Letterman on “The Late Show.” While it’s no secret that Corden has become a viral sensation while Colbert has yet to really make an impact, that still stings for the more prestigious late-night show.
Outstanding TV Movie
“Luther” (BBC America)
“All the Way” (HBO)
“Confirmation” (HBO)
“Sherlock: The Abominable Bride” (PBS)
“A Very Murray Christmas” (Netflix)
Immediate reaction: We just knew voters wouldn’t be able to overlook the celebrity extravaganza of “A Very Murray Christmas,” starring Bill Murray and all his Hollywood pals. A much more likely winner is either “Confirmation” or “All the Way” — HBO’s TV movies are made to dominate in this category.
Outstanding Limited Series
“The People v. O.J. Simpson” (FX)
“Fargo” (FX)
“The Night Manager” (AMC)
“Roots” (History)
“American Crime” (ABC)
Immediate reaction: This is “The People v. O.J. Simpson’s” to lose, regardless of how much the voters love “Fargo.” (And they really love “Fargo.”)
Outstanding Variety Sketch Series
“Drunk History” (Comedy Central)
“Inside Amy Schumer” (Comedy Central)
“Key & Peele” (Comedy Central)
“Portlandia” (IFC)
“Documentary Now!” (IFC)
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Michael J. Fox, “The Good Wife” (CBS)
Max Von Sydow, “Game of Thrones” (HBO)
Reg E. Cathey, “House of Cards” (Netflix)
Mahershala Ali, “House of Cards” (Netflix)
Paul Sparks, “House of Cards” (Netflix)
Hank Azaria, “Ray Donovan” (Showtime)
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Larry David, “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
Tracy Morgan, “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
Bradley Whitford, “Transparent” (Amazon)
Bob Newhart, “The Big Bang Theory” (CBS)
Martin Mull, “Veep” (HBO)
Peter MacNicol, “Veep” (HBO)
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Ellen Burstyn, “House of Cards” (Netflix)
Carrie Preston, “The Good Wife” (CBS)
Laurie Metcalfe, “Horace and Pete”
Allison Janney, “Masters of Sex” (Showtime)
Margo Martindale, “The Americans” (FX)
Molly Parker, “House of Cards” (Netflix)
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
Christine Baranski, “The Big Bang Theory” (CBS)
Laurie Metcalf, “The Big Bang Theory” (CBS)
Melissa McCarthy, “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
Amy Schumer, “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
Melora Hardin, “Transparent” (Amazon)
Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program
Ryan Seacrest, “American Idol” (NBC)
Tom Bergeron “Dancing With the Stars” (ABC)
Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn “Project Runway” (Lifetime)
Jane Lynch “Hollywood Game Night” (NBC)
RuPaul Charles, “RuPauls Drag Race” (Logo)
Steve Harvey, “Little Big Shots starring Steve Harvey” (NBC)
Outstanding Variety Special
“Adele Live In New York City” (NBC)
“Amy Schumer: Live At The Apollo” (HBO)
“The Kennedy Center Honors” (CBS)
“The Late Late Show Carpool Karaoke Prime Time Special” (CBS)
Outstanding Structured Reality Program
“Antiques Roadshow” (PBS)
“Lip Sync Battle” (Spike TV)
“MythBusters” (Discovery Channel)
“Shark Tank” (ABC)
“Undercover Boss” (CBS)
“Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives” (Food Network)
Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program
Born This Way (A&E)
Deadliest Catch (Discovery Channel)
Gaycation With Ellen Page (Viceland)
Project Greenlight (HBO)
United Shades Of America (CNN)
Outstanding Special Class Program
“The 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards” (NBC)
“Grease: Live” (FOX)
“The Oscars” (ABC)
“Super Bowl 50 Halftime Show” (CBS)
“69th Annual Tony Awards” (CBS)
Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special
“Becoming Mike Nichols” (HBO)
“Everything Is Copy – Nora Ephron: Scripted & Unscripted” (HBO)
“Listen To Me Marlon” (Showtime)
“Mapplethorpe: Look At The Pictures” (HBO)
“What Happened, Miss Simone?” (Netflix)
Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Series
“American Masters” (PBS)
“Chef’s Table” (Netflix)
“Making A Murderer” (Netflix)
“The Seventies” (CNN)
“Woman With Gloria Steinem” (Viceland)
Outstanding Informational Series Or Special
“Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown” (CNN)
“Inside The Actors Studio” (Bravo)
“Star Talk With Neil deGrasse Tyson” (National Geographic Channel)
“The Story Of God With Morgan Freeman” (National Geographic Channel)
“Vice” (HBO)
Exceptional Merit In Documentary Filmmaking
“The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution (Independent Lens)” (PBS)
“Cartel Land” (A&E)
“The Hunting Ground” (CNN)
“Jim: The James Foley Story” (HBO)
“Racing Extinction” (Discovery Channel)
“Winter On Fire: Ukraine’s Fight For Freedom” (Netflix)
Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series
Rob Delaney, Sharon Horgan, “Catastrophe,” Episode 1 (Amazon)
Aziz Ansari, Alan Yang, “Master Of None,” Parents (Netflix)
Dan O’Keefe, “Silicon Valley,” Founder Friendly (HBO)
Alec Berg, “Silicon Valley,” The Uptick (HBO)
David Mandel, “Veep,” Morning After (HBO)
Alex Gregory, Peter Huyck, “Veep,” Mother (HBO)
Nominations by network:
HBO – 94 nominations
FX – 56 nominations
NBC – 41 nominations
ABC – 35 nominations
CBS – 35 nominations
FOX – 29 nominations