The show closes out its controversial eighth season by scoring 32 Emmy nominations.
Game of Thrones’ staggering 32 Emmy nominations — yes, 32 — has blown past the previous record for total Emmy nominations received in a single year. That honor previously belonged to the groundbreaking drama NYPD Blue, which snagged 26 nominations in 1994.
Game of Thrones’ accolades included a nomination for Outstanding Drama — an award it’s won three times already — as well as for cinematography, editing, directing, and many acting nods. The show’s record-breaking season crowned a stellar year for HBO, which racked up 137 nominations overall for acclaimed limited series like Chernobyl and Sharp Objects, popular comedies like Veep and Barry, and dramas like Succession.
As dazzling as those numbers are, however, Game of Thrones fans might not want to celebrate prematurely: After all, NYPD Blue only took home six awards on Emmy night. And while Game of Thrones presides over an interestingly sparse drama race — several acclaimed dramas seemed to choose not to compete against it — it will be hard for Emmy voters to overlook the amount of fan backlash and critical disappointment that the show’s final season brought with it.
Credit: Vox
