Emmy Award nominations 2018: Game of Thrones to compete with The Handmaid’s Tale for best drama

Game of Thrones leads nominations for this year’s Emmy Awards, while streaming service Netflix knocked HBO off its 17-year pedestal as the network with the most nods.

A slew of first time Emmy contenders included Sandra Oh as the first Asian-American lead comedy actress nominee for her role in quirky spy series Killing Eve, and Rachel Brosnahan’s 1950s housewife turned comedian in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

Female-led shows and stories also did well as television continued to lead the way in reflecting social change, while the likes of Donald Glover, Tracee Ellis-Ross, Penelope Cruz, Antonio Banderas, Issa Rae, Regina King, and John Legend headed a racially diverse acting line-up.

Games of Thrones, a worldwide hit, got 22 nods, including for the top prize of best drama series.

It was followed by NBC’s sketch show Saturday Night Live and HBO’s sci-fi series Westworld with 21 nominations each, and Hulu’s dystopian vision The Handmaid’s Tale with 20.

Just five years after the launch of its first original series, House of Cards, Netflix ended HBO’s 17-year streak as the most Emmy-nominated network.

Netflix gathered 112 nods for shows that ranged from supernatural drama Stranger Things and British royal show The Crown to female wrestling comedy GLOW, new Western drama Godless and reality makeover series Queer Eye.

HBO, which was recently acquired by wireless carrier AT&T Inc, has 108 nominations, and noted in a statement that it was the eighth year it had gathered 100 nominations or more. NBC shows earned 78 nods.

Netflix campaigned heavily for the Emmy s, the highest honors in television, and says it has budgeted $8 billion for programming in 2018.

Stranger Things executive producer and director Shawn Levy said the streaming service was a joy to work with.

“They follow our lead and they don’t make us live inside a box either creatively or financially, and that is almost unheard of among networks and movie studios,” Levy said on Thursday.

The Emmy awards will be handed out in Los Angeles on September hosted by Saturday Night Live cast members Michael Che and Colin Jost.

Game of Thrones will compete for best drama with last year’s Emmy champion, Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale, which also won nods for actresses Elisabeth Moss, Alexis Bledel, Samira Wiley, Ann Dowd and Yvonne Strahovski.

Bruce Miller, executive producer of The Handmaid’s Tale, acknowledged that the show’s vision of a theocracy where women are treated as property was hard to watch.

“You are basically writing a show about the way you pray that the world won’t go, and then it starts going that way. We sit around and pray for irrelevance,” Miller said.

Other best drama contenders include The Crown, NBC’s family drama This Is Us, Cold War spy series The Americans on FX and Westworld.

Game of Thrones was out of the running in 2017 because the show aired later than usual.

In the comedy categories, hip-hop themed FX show Atlanta is up against Amazon’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, ABC’s black-ish, GLOW, Curb Your Enthusiasm, quirky comedy Barry, tech comedy Silicon Valley and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

FX’s true crime dramatization The Assassination of Gianni Versace led the limited series category with 18 nominations, including a best actor nod for Darren Criss who plays the killer of the gay Italian fashion designer.

Creator Ryan Murphy said it was a “heartbreaking story to tell, made more so by the fact that we continue as a culture to grapple with homophobia and shame and intolerance.”

Full list of nominations

Outstanding Drama Series

The Americans (FX)

The Crown (Netflix)

Game of Thrones (HBO)

The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)

Stranger Things (Netflix)

This Is Us (NBC)

Westworld (HBO)

Outstanding Comedy Series

Atlanta (FX)

black-ish (ABC)

Barry (HBO)

Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)

GLOW (Netflix)

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)

Silicon Valley (HBO)

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix)

Outstanding Limited Series

The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)

Godless (Netflix)

The Alientist (TNT)

Genius: Picasso (National Geographic)

Patrick Melrose (Showtime)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Claire Foy, The Crown (Netflix)

Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)

Sandra Oh, Killing Eve (BBC America)

Keri Russell, The Americans (FX)

Evan Rachel Wood, Westworld (HBO)

Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black (BBC America)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us (NBC)

Matthew Rhys, The Americans (FX)

Milo Ventimiglia, This Is Us (NBC)

Jeffrey Wright, Westworld (HBO)

Jason Bateman, Ozark (Netflix)

Ed Harris, Westworld (HBO)

The Handmaid’s Tale Hulu

Outstanding Lead Actress in Comedy Series

Pamela Adlon, Better Things (FX)

Tracee Ellis Ross, black-ish (ABC)

Lily Tomlin, Grace and Frankie (Netflix)

Issa Rae, Insecure (HBO)

Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)

Allison Janney, Mom (CBS)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Anthony Anderson, black-ish (ABC)

Bill Hader, Barry (HBO)

Donald Glover, Atlanta (FX)

Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)

Ted Danson, The Good Place (NBC)

William H. Macy, Shameless (Showtime)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie

Jessica Biel, The Sinner (USA Network)

Laura Dern, The Tale (HBO)

Michelle Dockery, Godless (Netflix)

Sarah Paulson, American Horror Story: Cult (FX)

Edie Falco, Law & Order: True Crime The Menendez Murders (NBC)

Regina King, Seven Seconds (Netflix)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie

Antonio Banderas, Genius: Picasso (National Geographic)

Darren Criss, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)

Benedict Cumberbatch, Patrick Melrose (Showtime)

Jeff Daniels, The Looming Tower (Hulu)

John Legend, Jesus Christ Superstar (NBC)

Jesse Plemons, Black Mirror, “USS Callister” (Netflix)

This Is Us Season 3NBC

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Alexis Bledel, The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)

Millie Bobby Brown, Stranger Things (Netflix)

Ann Dowd, The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)

Lena Headey, Game of Thrones (HBO)

Thandie Newton, Westworld (HBO)

Yvonne Strahovski, The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)

Vanessa Kirby, The Crown (Netflix)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Game of Thrones (HBO)

Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones (HBO)

Joseph Fiennes, The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)

David Harbour, Stranger Things (Netflix)

Mandy Patinkin, Homeland (Showtime)

Matt Smith, The Crown (Netflix)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Zazie Beetz, Atlanta (FX)

Alex Borstein, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)

Aidy Bryant, Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Betty Gilpin, GLOW (Netflix)

Leslie Jones, Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Laurie Metcalf, Roseanne (ABC)

Megan Mullally, Will & Grace (NBC)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Brian Tyree Henry, Atlanta (FX)

Louie Anderson, Baskets (FX)

Alec Baldwin, Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Tituss Burgess, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix)

Henry Winkler, Barry (HBO)

Kenan Thomspon, Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Tony Shalhoub, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie

Sara Bareilles, Jesus Christ Superstar Live In Concert (NBC)

Penélope Cruz, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)

Judith Light, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)

Adina Porter, American Horror Story: Cult (FX)

Merritt Wever, Godless (Netflix)

Letitia Wright, “Black Museum,” Black Mirror (Netflix)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie

Jeff Daniels, Godless (Netflix)

Brandon Victor Dixon, Jesus Christ Superstar (NBC)

John Leguizamo, Waco (Paramount Network)

Ricky Martin, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)

Edgar Ramírez, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)

Michael Stuhlbarg, The Looming Tower (Hulu)

Finn Wittrock, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX)

Penelope Cruz, American Crime Story FX Networks

Outstanding Reality Competition

The Amazing Race (CBS)

The Voice (NBC)

Top Chef (Bravo)

American Ninja Warrior (NBC)

RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)

Project Runway (Lifetime)

Outstanding Variety Talk Series

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (HBO)

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (CBS)

Jimmy Kimmel Live! (ABC)

The Late Late Show With James Corden (CBS)

Full Frontal With Samantha Bee (TBS)

The Daily Show With Trevor Noah (Comedy Central)

Outstanding Variety Sketch Series

At Home with Amy Sedaris (TruTV)

Drunk History (Comedy Central)

I Love You America With Sarah Silverman (Hulu)

Portlandia (IFC)

Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Tracey Ullman’s Show (HBO)

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series

Viola Davis, Scandal (ABC)

Kelly Jenrette, The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)

Cherry Jones, The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)

Diana Rigg, Game of Thrones (HBO)

Cicely Tyson, How to Get Away With Murder (ABC)

Samira Wiley, The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series

F. Murray Abraham, Homeland (Showtime)

Cameron Britton, Mindhunter (Netflix)

Matthew Goode, The Crown (Netflix)

Ron Cephas Jones, This Is Us (NBC)

Gerald McRaney, This Is Us (NBC)

Jimmi Simpson, Westworld, (HBO)

Evan Rachel Wood, James Mardsen, WestworldHBO

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series

Tina Fey, Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Tiffany Haddish, Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Jane Lynch, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)

Maya Rudolph, The Good Place (NBC)

Molly Shannon, Will & Grace (NBC)

Wanda Sykes, black-ish (ABC)

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

Sterling K. Brown, Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX)

Bryan Cranston, Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)

Donald Glover, Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Bill Hader, Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Lin-Manuel Miranda, Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)

Katt Williams, Atlanta (FX)

Outstanding Television Movie

Fahrenheit 451 (HBO)

Flint (Lifetime)

Paterno (HBO)

The Tale (HBO)

Black Mirror: “USS Callister” (Netflix)

Outstanding Structured Reality Program

Antiques Roadshow (PBS)

Fixer Upper (HGTV)

Lip Sync Battle (Paramount Network)

Queer Eye (Netflix)

Shark Tank (ABC)

Who Do You Think You Are? (TLC)

Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program

Born This Way (A&E)

Deadliest Catch (Discovery)

Intervention (A&E)

Naked and Afraid (Discovery Channel)

RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked (VH1)

United Shades of America With W. Kamau Bell (CNN)

Queer EyeNetflix

Outstanding Host For a Reality or Reality-Competition Program

W. Kamau Bell, United Shades of America With W. Kamau Bell (CNN)

Ellen DeGeneres, Ellen’s Game of Games (NBC)

RuPaul, RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)

Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn, Project Runway (Lifetime)

Jane Lynch, Hollywood Game Night (NBC)

Outstanding Short Form Comedy Or Drama Series

aka Wyatt Cenac (Topic.com)

An Emmy For Megan (anemmyformegan.com)

Grey’s Anatomy: B Team (ABC)

James Corden’s Next James Corden (CBS)

The Walking Dead: Red Machete (AMC)

Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series

Diarra Kilpatrick, American Koko

Megan Amram, An Emmy For Megan

Christina Pickles, Break A Hip

Lee Garlington, Broken

Naomi Grossman, Ctrl Alt Delete

Kelli O’Hara , The Accidental Wolf

Outstanding Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series

Miles Tagtmeyer, Broken

DeStorm Power, Caught the Series

Alexis Denisof, I Love Bekkah & Lucy

James Corden, James Corden’s Next James Corden

Melvin Jackson Jr., This Eddie Murphy Role Is Mine, Not Yours

Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction Or Reality Series

Anthony Bourdain: Explore Parts Unknown (CNN.com)

Jay Leno’s Garage (NBC.com)

The Americans: The Final Season (FX)

The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story: America’s Obsessions (FX)

Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen (Bravotv.com)

Outstanding Short Form Variety Series

Between The Scenes—The Daily Show (thedailyshow.com)

Carpool Karaoke: The Series (Apple Music)

Creating Saturday Night Live (NBC.com)

Gay Of Thrones (Funny or Die)

Honest Trailers (YouTube)

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon—Cover Room (NBC.com)

ESC: Emilia Clarke, Game of ThronesMacall B.Polay/HBO

Outstanding Directing For a Comedy Series

Atlanta, “FUBU” (FX)

Atlanta, “Teddy Perkins” (FX)

Barry, “Chapter One: Make Your Mark” (HBO)

Glow, “Pilot” (Netflix)

Silicon Valley “Initial Coin Offering” (HBO)

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel “Pilot” (Amazon)

The Big Bang Theory “The Bow Tie Symmetry” (CBS)

Outstanding Directing For a Variety Series

Full Frontal With Samantha Bee “Episode 2061” (TBS)

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver “Episode 421” (HBO)

Portlandia “Riot Spray” (IFC)

Saturday Night Live “Host: Donald Glover” (NBC)

The Late Late Show With James Corden “Episode 0416” (CBS)

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert “Episode 438” (CBS)

Outstanding Directing For a Drama Series

Game of Thrones, “Beyond The Wall” (HBO)

Game of Thrones, “The Dragon And The Wolf” (HBO)

Ozark, “The Toll” (Netflix)

Ozark, “Tonight We Improvise” (Netflix)

Stranger Things, “Chapter Nine: The Gate” (Netflix)

The Crown, “Paterfamilias” (Netflix)

The Handmaid’s Tale, “After” (Hulu)

Outstanding Directing For a Limited Series, Movie or Dramatic Special

Godless (Netflix)

Jesus Christ Superstar Live In Concert (NBC)

Paterno (HBO)

Patrick Melrose (Showtime)

The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story “The Man Who Would Be Vogue” (FX)

The Looming Tower, “9/11” (Hulu)

Twin Peaks (Showtime)

Outstanding Directing For a Variety Special

Dave Chappelle: Equanimity (Netflix)

Jerry Seinfeld: Jerry Before Seinfeld (Netflix)

Steve Martin & Martin Short: An Evening You Will Forget For The Rest Of Your Life (Netflix)

Super Bowl LII Halftime Show Starring Justin Timberlake (NBC)

The Oscars (ABC)

Outstanding Directing For a Reality Program

American Ninja Warrior, “Daytona Beach Qualifiers” (NBC)

RuPaul’s Drag Race, “10s Across The Board” (VH1)

Shark Tank, “Episode 903” (ABC)

The Amazing Race, “It’s Just A Million Dollars, No Pressure” (CBS)

The Voice, “Live Top 11 Performances” (NBC)

Outstanding Variety Special (Live)

60th Annual Grammy Awards (CBS)

Jesus Christ Live Superstar (NBC)

Night Of Too Many Stars: America Unites For Autism Programs (HBO)

The 75th Annual Golden Globes (NBC)

The Oscars (ABC)

Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded)

Carol Burnett Show 50th Anniversary Special (CBS)

Carpool Karaoke Primetime Special 2018 (CBS)

Dave Chappelle: Equanimity (Netflix)

Full Frontal With Samantha Bee Presents: The Great American* Puerto Rico (*It’s Complicated) (TBS)

Steve Martin & Martin Short: An Evening You Will Forget For The Rest Of Your Life (Netflix)

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series

Atlanta, “Barbershop” (FX)

Atlanta, “Alligator Man” (FX)

Barry, “Chapter One: Make Your Mark” (HBO)

Barry, “Chapter Seven: Loud, Fast and Keep Going” (HBO)

Silicon Valley, “Fifty-One Percent” (HBO)

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, “Pilot” (Amazon)

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series

Game of Thrones, “The Dragon and the Wolf” (HBO)

Killing Eve, “Nice Face” (BBC America)

Stranger Things, “Chapter Nine: The Gate” (Netflix)

The Americans, “Start” (FX)

The Crown, “Mystery Man” (Netflix)

The Handmaid’s Tale, “June” (Hulu)

Outstanding Writing For a Limited Series

American Vandal, “Clean Up” (Netflix)

Godless (Netflix)

Patrick Melrose (Showtime)

The Assassination Of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, “House By the Lake” (FX)

Twin Peaks (Showtime)

Black Mirror, “USS Callister” (Netflix)

Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series

Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (TBS)

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (HBO)

Late Night With Seth Meyers (NBC)

Saturday Night Live (NBC)

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (CBS)

Outstanding Writing for Variety Special

Full Frontal With Samantha Bee: The Great American* Puerto Rico (*It’s Complicated) (TBS)

John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous At Radio City (Netflix)

Michelle Wolf: Nice Lady (HBO)

Patton Oswalt: Annihilation (Netflix)

Steve Martin & Martin Short: An Evening You Will Forget For The Rest Of Your Life (Netflix)

Source: mirror.co.uk