GoT hails at Emmy once again, with 23 nominations

The fantasy epic of HBO which is about noble families who are competing for the control of the Iron Throne will be competing in 23 different categories, including the eminent award of outstanding drama series, for which Game of Thrones is nominated for the fifth successive year.

“Black-ish”, which tested the Emmy waters last year with a nomination for male lead Anthony Anderson, has been shortlisted in all three top comedy categories this year including best comedy series, lead actor and lead actress for Tracee Ellis Ross.

Prominent on the Emmy diversity front is the FX miniseries “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story”, a critically acclaimed docudrama re-creating the murder trial of former football legend O.J. Simpson.

“It is a serious understatement to say that I am somewhat stunned”, Harington told Entertainment Weekly of his reaction after learning that he’s up for an Emmy this year.

Jimmy Kimmel will host the 68th annual awards from Los Angeles on September 18. In the Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series category, the heartbreaking The Door and the rousing The Battle of the Bastards were both nominated. 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.

Speaking as he completed a Star Trek mural in Clerkenwell in London, he said: “I wasn’t expecting that”.

Other nominations vary from Best Drama to best director, writing, cinematography, costumes, visual effects, production design, stunts, editing, hairstyling, make-up and casting. (The series and several of its stars won nominations this year as well.) That same year, the Web series “The Lizzie Bennet Diaries” also won an Emmy for creative achievement in interactive media, the first time a YouTube series won that kind of traditional accolade.

The final season of Downton Abbey managed to pick up 10 nominations, including best drama.

Girls isn’t the only former Emmy favourite which has been given the cold shoulder this year.

Nominees for outstanding lead actress in a limited series or movie are: Felicity Huffman, American Crime; Lili Taylor, American Crime; Kerry Washington, Confirmation; Kirsten Dunst, Fargo; Audra McDonald, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill; and Sarah Paulson, The People vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story.

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”.