After a year of being ineligible, Game of Thrones came back in a big way in the Emmy nominations announcement on Friday, earning 22 nods, including best drama series, bringing its lifelong total to a whopping 129.
Saturday Night Live and Westworld, the two shows that dominated last year's Emmys, trailed close behind, earning 21 nominations each, followed by Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale with 20.
Another big winner was Netflix, which earned 112 nominations, breaking HBO's 17-year streak of dominating the nods. The streaming service's total includes 13 for The Crown, 12 each for Godless and Stranger Things, 10 for GLOW and four for Queer Eye. Notably, the platform's dystopian drama Black Mirror earned seven nominations for a single episode, USS Callister.
Surprises include the snubbing of Modern Family, which earned no nominations. The long-running ABC comedy won the Emmy for best comedy five years in a row, and has earned 80 nominations throughout its eight seasons. This will be the first year since 2009 that a comedy other than Modern Family or Veep takes the crown.
The final season of Veep was delayed while star Julia Louis-Dreyfus was treated with cancer, opening up the lead actress in a comedy series, which she's won each of the past six years. Competing in the category are Pamela Aldon of Better Things, Rachel Brosnahan of Amazon's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Allison Janney for Mom, Issa Rae of Insecure and Lily Tomlin, who has earned her 25th Emmy nod, this time for Grace and Frankie.
Anthony Bourdain, who passed away in June, received a posthumous nomination for hosting his CNN travelogue show Parts Unknown, which earned six total nods.
The Emmy Awards air September 17 on NBC, hosted by Saturday Night Live stars Michael Che and Colin Jost.
Nominations for the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards
Nominations by network:
Netflix: 112
HBO: 108
NBC: 78
FX: 50
CBS: 34
ABC: 31
Hulu: 27
Amazon: 22
Showtime: 21
National Geographic: 17
Fox: 16
VH1: 12
CNN: 10
Outstanding comedy series:
The Marvelous Mrs. MaiselÂ
BlackishÂ
GLOWÂ
AtlantaÂ
BarryÂ
Silicon ValleyÂ
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Immediate reaction: After being crowned best comedy at the Golden Globes, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel makes its Emmy debut. It faces some tough competition with fellow newcomers, critical favourites Barry and GLOW. While the old favorites inevitably show up (really, Curb Your Enthusiasm?), one significant series got knocked off the list: Former champ Modern Family wasn't nominated for the first time in nine seasons.
Outstanding drama series:
The Handmaid's TaleÂ
Game of Thrones
Stranger ThingsÂ
The AmericansÂ
This Is UsÂ
The CrownÂ
Westworld
Immediate reaction: This category played out almost exactly as prognosticators expected, including the reigning champ, Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale. Of course, Game of Thrones is back on the list, and This Is Us is keeping broadcast TV in the game with the category's only non-cable or streaming nominee. The only one missing that will break the hearts of some TV critics? Killing Eve, the addictive BBC America drama that aired this spring and accomplished the rare feat of gaining more viewers every week.
Outstanding lead actress in a comedy series:
Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. MaiselÂ
Tracee Ellis Ross, BlackishÂ
Allison Janney, MomÂ
Lily Tomlin, Grace and FrankieÂ
Pamela Adlon, Better ThingsÂ
Issa Rae, Insecure
Immediate reaction: With perennial favorite Julia Louis-Dreyfus out of the running this year, this category had room for newcomers Rachel Brosnahan and Issa Rae. Brosnahan took home a surprise Golden Globe for her snappy performance as a housewife turned unlikely stand-up comedian in Amazon's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. And it's so refreshing to see Rae (a two-time Golden Globe nominee) get recognised by the academy for her funny-yet-vulnerable run as a heightened version of herself in her HBO dramedy, which she co-created with Larry Wilmore.
Outstanding lead actor in a comedy series:
Donald Glover, AtlantaÂ
Bill Hader, BarryÂ
Anthony Anderson, Blackish
William H. Macy, ShamelessÂ
Larry David, Curb Your EnthusiasmÂ
Ted Danson, The Good Place
Immediate reaction: Donald Glover, who took home the Emmy last year for his role as Earn Marks in FX's arresting dramedy Atlanta (which he also created and occasionally directs) is the one to beat here. Could Bill Hader, who has been praised for his at-once comedic and dark turn as a hitman turned actor in HBO'sBarry, be up for the challenge? You might also put your money on Ted Danson, for his wickedly funny role in NBC's The Good Place, or Larry David, who returns to the race after Curb Your Enthusiasm's long hiatus.
Outstanding lead actor in a drama series:
Sterling K. Brown, This Is UsÂ
Matthew Rhys, The AmericansÂ
Milo Ventimiglia, This Is UsÂ
Jason Bateman, Ozark
Jeffrey Wright, WestworldÂ
Ed Harris, Westworld
Immediate reaction: Sterling K. Brown, who never fails to make us ugly cry while watching This Is Us, is the reigning champion here, but don't discount Matthew Rhys, who consistently delivered in his final season of FX's suspenseful spy drama. The absence of disgraced House of Cards actor Kevin Spacey, long an academy favorite, and other category staples including Liev Schreiber and Bob Odenkirk (of Better Call Saul, which is ineligible this year) made room for two newcomers: Westworld's Jeffrey Wright and Ed Harris.
Outstanding lead actress in a drama series:
Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid's Tale
Keri Russell, The Americans
Sandra Oh, Killing Eve
Claire Foy, The Crown
Evan Rachel Wood, Westworld
Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black
Immediate reaction: It seems like Orphan Black went off the air ages ago (in reality, it was just last summer), but we're glad to see Tatiana Maslany, the 2016 Emmy winner, make a triumphant return after being ineligible last year. Amid requisite nods for Claire Foy, Elisabeth Moss and Keri Russell (fresh off her stunning performance in the final bow of FX's The Americans), the big news here is Sandra Oh, who is the first Asian woman to get a lead actress nod in the drama category. The nomination itself isn't surprising - her turn as an MI5 spy mutually obsessed with a fugitive and psychopathic assassin has garnered widespread critical acclaim. And if you ask Grey's Anatomy fans, the academy's recognition is long overdue.
Outstanding lead actor in a limited series or a movie:
Benedict Cumberbatch, Patrick Melrose
Jeff Daniels, The Looming Tower
Darren Criss, The Assassination of Gianni Versace
Antonio Banderas, Genius: Picasso
John Legend, Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert
Jesse Plemons, Black Mirror: USS Callister
Immediate reaction: There are a few surprises here: R&B crooner John Legend got a nod for NBC's live production of Jesus Christ Superstar, which the Television Academy seemed to really like. And Jesse Plemons, who played a real jerk in a dark, Star Trek-inspired installment of Netflix's Black Mirror, also was recognized. Not surprising: the Academy's love for Benedict Cumberbatch's titular role in Showtime's Patrick Melrose, which Washington Post TV critic Hank Stuever called "the Cumberbatch-iest show ever made." We were also expecting to see Darren Criss get this nod for his strong (and creepy) performance as serial killer Andrew Cunanan in FX's "The Assassination of Gianni Versace."
Outstanding lead actress in a limited series or a movie:
Laura Dern, The Tale
Michelle Dockery, Godless
Sarah Paulson, American Horror Story: Cult
Jessica Biel, The Sinner
Edie Falco, Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders
Regina King, Seven Seconds
Immediate reaction: Jessica Biel lands her first Emmy nomination alongside multiple academy favorites, so this category is anyone's guess - but a good rule of thumb is to never count out Laura Dern or Sarah Paulson for anything. And while pay cable networks usually rule the limited series categories, Edie Falco's performance in NBC's Law & Order spinoff managed to sneak through.
Outstanding reality-competition program:
RuPaul's Drag Race
The Voice
The Amazing Race
Top Chef
Project Runway
American Ninja Warrior
Immediate reaction: A carbon copy of last year's nominees. Only three shows have ever won this prize: Top Chef, Amazing Race and The Voice, the winner every year since 2015. Although we think this should be the year they could stand to mix it up a little, Emmy voters might feel differently.
Outstanding variety sketch series:
Saturday Night Live
Portlandia
Drunk History
Tracey Ullman's Show
I Love You, America with Sarah Silverman
At Home with Amy Sedaris
Immediate reaction: This star-studded category has an array of the usual suspects - and some newcomers (hello, Sarah Silverman and Amy Sedaris). But SNL looms large in the wake of last year's victory, and a season that had no shortage of topical political comedy.
Outstanding variety talk series:
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
Jimmy Kimmel Live
The Late Late Show with James Corden
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
Immediate reaction: For the first time since Jon Stewart left to go live under Stephen Colbert's Late Showdesk (that's what he does now, right?), The Daily Show is back in the category with Trevor Noah's first nomination. Last Week Tonight has won for two consecutive years and is poised to do it again, though it's a tough race - there wasn't even enough room for Seth Meyers, whose Late Night was predicted to be in the running.
Outstanding limited series:
The Assassination of Gianni Versace
Godless
Patrick Melrose
The Alienist
Genius: Picasso
Immediate reaction: Luckily for these series, Big Little Lies isn't around this year to steal their thunder in this category. No huge surprises here, though The Alienist got the nod over a few other more likely nominees, such as Hulu's The Looming Tower and Sundance TV's Top of the Lake: China Girl."
Outstanding supporting actress in a drama series:
Ann Dowd, The Handmaid's Tale
Millie Bobby Brown, Stranger Things
Thandie Newton, Westworld
Alexis Bledel, The Handmaid's Tale
Lena Headey, Game of Thrones
Yvonne Strahovski, The Handmaid's Tale
Vanessa Kirby, The Crown
Immediate reaction: The Handmaid's Tale, not surprisingly, dominates this category with Ann Dowd, who took home the trophy last year, getting a repeat nod. Also making a repeat appearance: Westworld's Thandie Newton and Stranger Things wunderkind Millie Bobby Brown. The Academy smartly chose to honor The Crown standout Vanessa Kirby for her performance as headstrong Princess Margaret. The show's timeline is jumping ahead several decades, so Kirby's role (and other's including Claire Foy's Queen Elizabeth) will be recast. One name you don't see here is Samira Wiley, who got another nomination for her role as Moira in The Handmaid's Tale - this year in the guest actress category.
Outstanding supporting actor in a drama series:
David Harbour, Stranger Things
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Mandy Patinkin, Homeland
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Game of Thrones
Joseph Fiennes, The Handmaid's Tale
Matt Smith, The Crown
Immediate reaction: While this category doesn't necessarily have new faces, it looks much different than last year, as the only holdovers are Mandy Patinkin and David Harbour. Naturally, two-time winner Peter Dinklage is back for the Game of Thrones return. And Joseph Fiennes gets an honor for playing pure evil on The Handmaid's Tale.
Outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series:
Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live
Aidy Bryant, Saturday Night Live
Leslie Jones, Saturday Night Live
Alex Borstein, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Megan Mullally, Will and Grace
Laurie Metcalf, Roseanne
Betty Gilpin, GLOW
Zazie Beetz, Atlanta
Immediate reaction: This will be a hard category to predict, given its many newcomers, including two we're especially (and pleasantly) surprised to see: Saturday Night Live's Aidy Bryant and Atlanta's Zazie Beetz. For the past two years, this category has belonged to Bryant's co-star Kate McKinnon, but look out for Laurie Metcalf and Megan Mullally, two longtime Academy favorites who return to this list thanks to rebooted versions of the shows that made them famous.
Outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series:
Tony Shalhoub, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Tituss Burgess, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Louie Anderson, Baskets
Alec Baldwin, Saturday Night Live
Brian Tyree Henry, Atlanta
Henry Winkler, Barry
Kenan Thompson, Saturday Night Live
Immediate reaction: Well, hello, Kenan Thompson, and welcome to your first acting Emmy nomination (he was previously nominated for co-writing a song). Although some might tell you that Alec Baldwin is an easy guess to earn his second award in a row for playing President Donald Trump on SNL, we think that he might have some serious competition in the form of Henry Winkler, who stole nearly every episode of Barry.
Outstanding supporting actress in a limited series or a movie:
Penelope Cruz, Assassination of Gianni Versace
Merritt Wever, Godless
Judith Light, Assassination of Gianni Versace
Sara Bareilles, Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert
Adina Porter, American Horror Story: Cult
Letitia Wright, Black Mirror: Black Museum
Immediate reaction: The nods in this category reflect the exciting diversity of this year's Emmys race with Ryan Murphy favorite Adina Porter and Black Panther MVP Letitia Wright scoring surprising but welcome nominations. Another surprise: Sara Bareilles, proving again that the Academy really enjoyed Jesus Christ Superstar.
Outstanding supporting actor in a limited series or a movie:
Jeff Daniels, Godless
Edgar RamÃrez, Assassination of Gianni Versace
Ricky Martin, Assassination of Gianni Versace
Michael Stuhlbarg, The Looming Tower
Brandon Victor Dixon, Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert
John Leguizamo, Waco
Finn Wittrock, Assassination of Gianni Versace
Immediate reaction: FX's The Assassination of Gianni Versace dominates this category, thanks to somewhat surprising nods for Finn Wittrock and Ricky Martin, who played the slain designer's longtime partner, Antonio D'Amico. Brandon Victor Dixon landed the one Jesus Christ Superstar nomination we saw coming. And fans of Paramount Network's easy-to-miss Waco are probably glad to see John Leguizamo make the cut.
Outstanding TV movie:
The Tale
USS Callister: Black Mirror
Paterno
Fahrenheit 451
Flint
Immediate reaction: The eclectic mix here includes dramatizations of recent events (Paterno, Flint), the searing The Tale and the Ray Bradbury adaptation Fahrenheit 451. Netflix's USS Callister is the only episode of a TV show to be nominated (yes, it still counts as a movie, since each episode of Black Mirror is a separate story), which could help set it apart from the others.
Outstanding reality host:
RuPaul Charles, RuPaul's Drag Race
Jane Lynch, Hollywood Game Night
Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn, Project Runway
Ellen DeGeneres, Ellen's Game of Games
W. Kamau Bell, United Shades of America
Immediate reaction: Let us extend our condolences to anyone who was hoping to see Queer Eye's Fab Five get a nomination here (the show did get a nod for best structured reality program). That would have been a refreshing addition to a fairly stale category.
Outstanding guest actress in a drama series:
Viola Davis, Scandal
Kelly Jenrette, The Handmaid's Tale
Cherry Jones, The Handmaid's Tale
Diana Rigg, Game Of Thrones
Cicely Tyson, How To Get Away With Murder
Samira Wiley, The Handmaid's Tale
Outstanding guest actor in a drama series:
F. Murray Abraham, Homeland
Cameron Britton, Mindhunter
Matthew Goode, The Crown
Ron Cephas Jones, This Is Us
Gerald McRaney, This Is Us
Jimmi Simpson, Westworld
Outstanding guest actress in a comedy series:
Tina Fey, Saturday Night Live
Tiffany Haddish, Saturday Night Live
Jane Lynch, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Maya Rudolph, The Good Place
Molly Shannon, Will & Grace
Wanda Sykes, Blackish
Outstanding guest actor in a comedy series:
Sterling K. Brown, Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Bryan Cranston, Curb Your Enthusiasm
Donald Glover, Saturday Night Live
Bill Hader, Saturday Night Live
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Curb Your Enthusiasm
Katt Williams, Atlanta
Outstanding structured reality program:
Antiques Roadshow
Fixer Upper
Lip Sync Battle
Queer Eye
Shark Tank
Who Do You Think You Are?
Outstanding unstructured reality program:
Born This Way
Deadliest Catch
Intervention
Naked And Afraid
RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked
United Shades Of America With W. Kamau Bell
Outstanding variety special (live):
The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards
60th Annual Grammy Awards
Jesus Christ Superstar Live In Concert
Night Of Too Many Stars: America Unites For Autism Programs
The Oscars
Outstanding variety special (prerecorded):
Carol Burnett Show 50th Anniversary Special
Carpool Karaoke Primetime Special 2018
Dave Chappelle: Equanimity
Full Frontal With Samantha Bee Presents: The Great American* Puerto Rico (*It's Complicated)
Steve Martin & Martin Short: An Evening You Will Forget For The Rest Of Your Life
Informational series or special:
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown
Leah Remini: Scientology And The Aftermath
My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman
StarTalk With Neil deGrasse Tyson
Vice
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