HBO’s Game of Thrones on Tuesday slashed its way to a record-setting 32 Emmy nominations 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 successfully defends it best drama series title and claims a fourth trophy, it would join the quartet of most-honored dramas that includes Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, The West Wing and Mad Men.
The Emmy voters’ acclaim stands in sharp contrast to fan reaction to the show’s last hurrah, which included howls of laughter for a to-go coffee cup inadvertently included in one scene and a finale that detractors called unsatisfying.
However, the show’s ratings never faltered for the series based on George R.R. Martin’s novels, setting new highs for HBO.
A wealth of recognition for the cast and guest stars — including the show’s only previous winner, Peter Dinklage with three awards — helped Game of Thrones add to its already record haul of nominations, now at 160 total.
Series star Emilia Clarke’s decision to seek a best actress nomination after a series of supporting actress bids paid off.
She is competing in a category that is notable for its diversity, including past winner Viola Davis for How to Get Away with Murder and repeat nominee Sandra Oh for Killing Eve.
In the overall tally contest among outlets, HBO on Tuesday received a whopping 137 nominations, riding the dragon wings of Game of Thrones and the big tallies for Chernobyl and Barry.
Netflix, which last year ended HBO’s 17-year reign to win the most Emmy nominations, was bumped to second this year with 117.
Amazon’s Prime Video was second to Netflix among streamers with 47 nominations.
Broadcast networks, steadily eclipsed by the rise of cable and now streaming, were far behind, with NBC getting 58 nods to top CBS’ 43, ABC’s 26 and Fox’s 18.
SEEKING CHANGE: A hospital worker said she did not vote in previous elections, but ‘now I can see that maybe my vote can change the system and the country’ Voting closed yesterday across the Solomon Islands in the south Pacific nation’s first general election since the government switched diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to Beijing and struck a secret security pact that has raised fears of the Chinese navy gaining a foothold in the region. The Solomon Islands’ closer relationship with China and a troubled domestic economy weighed on voters’ minds as they cast their ballots. As many as 420,000 registered voters had their say across 50 national seats. For the first time, the national vote also coincided with elections for eight of the 10 local governments. Esther Maeluma cast her vote in the
Nearly half of China’s major cities are suffering “moderate to severe” levels of subsidence, putting millions of people at risk of flooding, especially as sea levels rise, according to a study of nationwide satellite data released yesterday. The authors of the paper, published by the journal Science, found that 45 percent of China’s urban land was sinking faster than 3mm per year, with 16 percent at more than 10mm per year, driven not only by declining water tables, but also the sheer weight of the built environment. With China’s urban population already in excess of 900 million people, “even a small portion
UNSETTLING IMAGES: The scene took place in front of TV crews covering the Trump trial, with a CNN anchor calling it an ‘emotional and unbelievably disturbing moment’ A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former US president Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said yesterday. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) said the man was declared dead by staff at an area hospital. The man was in Collect Pond Park at about 1:30pm on Friday when he took out pamphlets espousing conspiracy theories, tossed them around, then doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire, officials and witnesses said. A large number of police officers were nearby when it happened. Some officers and bystanders rushed
HYPOCRISY? The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday asked whether Biden was talking about China or the US when he used the word ‘xenophobic’ US President Joe Biden on Wednesday called for a hike in steel tariffs on China, accusing Beijing of cheating as he spoke at a campaign event in Pennsylvania. Biden accused China of xenophobia, too, in a speech to union members in Pittsburgh. “They’re not competing, they’re cheating. They’re cheating and we’ve seen the damage here in America,” Biden said. Chinese steel companies “don’t need to worry about making a profit because the Chinese government is subsidizing them so heavily,” he said. Biden said he had called for the US Trade Representative to triple the tariff rates for Chinese steel and aluminum if Beijing was