Game of Thrones earns a leading 23 Emmy Award nominations

Power-and-blood fantasy saga Game of Thronesruled 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.

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.

Anthony Anderson loses it over his Emmy nomination

8 years ago

Duration 1:00

Blackish star goes nuts when his name is called and again when show gets the nod

"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, Calif., 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 #OscarsSoWhitethis year.

Viola Davis, the How to Get Away with Murderstar, who last year became the first woman of colour to win a best dramaactress trophy, was nominated again. So was EmpirestarTarajiP.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 Boator other Asian-American actors, or for Latinos, which has been a recurrent Emmy pattern.

An ever-shifting TV landscape

Networks have reason for concern as well. In the increasingly crowded TV universe, traditional broadcasts again lost Emmy ground to emerging platforms, including streaming servicesNetflixand 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 Thronesand Mr. Robotwill compete with Better Call Saul,Homeland,House of Cards, The AmericansandDownton Abbey,the last a nod for its farewell season. But the final season of The Good Wifewas not recognized, and star Julianna Marguliesalso was snubbed.

For StephenColbert, it was the inaugural season of his CBS late-night show that was overlooked, while network colleague James Corden earned a best varietytalk series bid for his Late Late Show.

AzizAnsarireceived 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.RamiMalek, 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 dramahonours.

The Americans,which gained in attention last season, also earned bids for its stars, Keri Russell and MatthewRhys.

Besides Russell, Davis andHenson, lead drama actress bids went to Claire Danes for Homeland and Tatiana Maslany for Orphan Black.

MalekandRhyswill be competing with KevinSpaceyfor House of Cards,Kyle Chandler for Bloodline, Bob Odenkirk forBetter Call SaulandLievSchreiber for Ray Donovan.

The ensemble cast of Game of Thronesfound leading bids elusive. PeterDinklage, named last year's best supporting actor, will defend his title, with a nod also going to KitHarington, who plays fanfavouriteJon Snow.EmiliaClarke and LenaHeadeyearned supporting actress bids in a year that the show's female characters gained the upper hand.

On the comedy side, Veep,Black-ishand Master of Nonewill tussle for the trophy with five-time champ Modern Family,Transparent,Silicon Valleyand UnbreakableKimmySchmidt.

A top acting nod for Veepstar JuliaLouis-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 withEllie Kemper inUnbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,LaurieMetcalfin Getting On,AmySchumerin Inside AmySchumerand LilyTomlinin Grace and Frankie.

Black-ishstar Anderson, who got his second nod, will be competing with last year's winner, JeffreyTamborof Transparent,along withAnsari, Will Forte for The Last Man on Earth,William H.Macyfor Shamelessand ThomasMiddleditchfor 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 a number of acting awards for its cast's portrayal of well-known figures.

Lead nominations went to CubaGoodingJr. as Simpson, Courtney B. Vance as defence attorneyJohnnieCochran and Sarah Paulson as prosecutor Marcia Clark. Supporting bids were given to Sterling K. Brown as prosecutor ChristopherDarden, DavidSchwimmeras Simpson friend RobertKardashian patriarch of the now-famous family and JohnTravoltaas defense attorney RobertShapiro.

Goodingand Vance will compete with Bryan Cranston as PresidentLyndonB. Johnson in All The Way, BenedictCumberbatchin Sherlock: The Abominable Bride,IdrisElba in Lutherand TomHiddlestonin 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 ofDarden.

"I jumped up and down .... more about that than about my own," Paulson said. "I owe my performance, whatever it is,to him."

Canadians earn kudos

Canadian Orphan BlackactressMaslany's nodisher second career Emmy Award nomination. TheRegina star earneda best lead actress in a drama nod Thursdayfor playing multiple clones in the sci-fi thriller, which airs on Space and BBC America.Maslany was nominated for an Emmy last year and a Golden Globe in 2014.

Nelson, B.C.'sMiddleditch was among the first-time Emmy contenders, in the running in thelead actor in a comedy categoryfor the HBO series Silicon Valley.

Toronto's SamanthaBee earned her first career Emmy nomination for writing on her variety series Full Frontal with Samantha Bee,which airs on TBS and the Comedy Network.Actors Michael J.Fox and Molly Parker are up for trophies for guest roles Edmonton-bornFox for The Good Wifeand Parker, who hails from Maple Ridge, B.C.,for House of Cards.

Ellen Page is also up for her first Emmy, as executive producer on Viceland's Gaycation With Ellen Page,which is nominated for best unstructured reality program.

Meanwhile, TV veteransLorneMichaels and Paul Shaffer earned nominations again: the formerfor writing onSaturday Night Live and the latter for hismusic direction on A Very Murray Christmas.

Other homegrown talent up for Emmys this year include:

• Elisabeth Williams of Montreal, for production design on the Alberta-shotFargo
• Shirley Inget, also for production design on Fargo
• Shane Smith in the outstanding informational series or special category for the HBO series Vice

Beyonc, Adele score Emmy nods

Beyonc's Lemonade,her album that was accompanied with an HBO special featuring music videos for each track, earned nominations for outstanding variety special and outstanding directing for a variety special. She shares those nominations with co-director Khalil Joseph.

Lemonadeis also up for outstanding picture editing fora variety special and production design for a variety, nonfiction,event or award special.

Adele Live In New York Citywill also compete for outstanding variety special. It aired on NBC last year and featured live performances of songs from her earth-shattering comeback album, 25.Adele's special, which taped at Radio City Music Hall, is also nominated for several other awards, including outstanding directing for a variety special and lighting direction for a variety special.

The Sept. 18 Emmy show will be broadcast live on ABC from 8-11 p.m. EDT, hosted by JimmyKimmel.

Partial list of 2016 Emmy nominees:

Best drama series

• Better CallSaul
• DowntonAbbey
• Game Of Thrones
• Homeland
• House Of Cards
• Mr. Robot
• The Americans

Bestcomedy series

• Black-ish
• Master Of None
• Modern Family
• Silicon Valley
• Transparent
• UnbreakableKimmySchmidt
• Veep

Lead actress, drama series

• ClaireDanes,Homeland
• ViolaDavis,How to Get AwaywithMurder
• TarajiP.Henson,Empire
• TatianaMaslany,OrphanBlack
• Keri Russell,The Americans
• Robin Wright,House of Cards

Lead actor, drama series

• Kyle Chandler,Bloodline
• RamiMalek,Mr. Robot
• BobOdenkirk,Better CallSaul
• MatthewRhys,The Americans
• LievSchreiber,Ray Donovan
• KevinSpacey,House of Cards

Lead actor, comedy series

• Anthony Anderson,Blackish
• AzizAnsari, Master of None
• Will Forte, Last Man on Earth
• WilliamH. Macy, Shameless
• Thomas MIccleditch, Silicon Valley
• Jeffery Tambor, Transparent

Lead actress, comedy series

• Ellie Kemper, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
• Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
• Laurie Metcalf, Getting On
• Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish
• Amy Schumer, Inside Amy Schumer
• Lily Tomlin, Grace and Frankie

Lead actor, limited series or movie

• Bryan Cranston, All the Way
• Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock
• Idris Elba, Luther
• Cuba Gooding, Jr., The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
• Tom Hiddleston, The Night Manager
• Courtney B. Vance, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story

Lead actress, limited series or movie

• Kirsten Dunst, Fargo
• Felicity Huffman, American Crime
• AudraMcDonald, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill
• Sarah Paulson,The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
• Lily Taylor, American Crime
• KerryWashington, Confirmation

Supporting actor, drama series

• Jonathan Banks, Better Call Saul
• Ben Mendelsohn, Bloodline
• Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
• Kit Harington, Game of Thrones
• Michael Kelly, House of Cards
• Jon Voight, Ray Donovan

Supporting actress, drama series:

• Maura Tierney, The Affair
• Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
• Lena Headey, Game of Thrones
• Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones
• Maisie Williams, Game of Thrones

Supporting actor, comedy series

• Louie Anderson, Baskets
• Andre Braugher, Brooklyn Nine-Nine
• Keegan-Michael Key, Key & Peele
• Ty Burrell, Modern Family
• Tituss Burgess, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
• Tony Hale, Veep

Supporting actress, comedy series

• Niecy Nash, Getting On
• Allison Janney, Mom
• Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live
• Judith Light, Transparent
• Gaby Hoffmann, Transparent
• Anna Chlumsky, Veep

Reality competition

• Amazing Race
• American NinjaWarrior
• Dancing withthe Stars
• Project Runway
• Top Chef
• The Voice

Variety talk series

• Comedian inCars Getting Coffee
• Jimmy KimmelLive
• Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
• The Late Late Show with JamesCorden
• Real Time with Bill Maher
• The Tonight Show starringJimmy Fallon

Outstanding TVmovie

• A Very Murray Christmas
• All the Way
• Confirmation
• Luther
• Sherlock

Limited series

• American Crime
• Fargo
• The Night Manager
• The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story
• Roots