HBO’s “Game of Thrones” made television history at the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, winning for best drama series and tying the record for the most wins in that prestigious category with predecessors like “The West Wing,” “L.A. Law,” “Mad Men” and “Hill Street Blues.”
The sprawling fantasy series, which had its finale in May after eight seasons of blood and intrigue, won 12 Emmys for its swan-song season, adding to its record total for the most wins of any television drama ever.
The night was also huge for Amazon, which won the best comedy award thanks to “Fleabag,” a series that grew out of a 2014 one-woman show by its creator, Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
Waller-Bridge won three Emmys on the night, including for best actress in a comedy, a win that came as an upset. The much-decorated Julia Louis-Dreyfus, the star of “Veep,” failed to win that award for the first time in the show’s seven seasons. Waller-Bridge also won in the category of best writing for a comedy series.
“Well, this is just getting ridiculous,” Waller-Bridge said, laughing, after taking center stage at the Microsoft Theater to accept her third Emmy on the night, the award for best comedy series.
She has said that the show’s second season would be its last — and seemed to be sticking with her decision to end it. “To be honest, this feels like the most beautiful way to say goodbye,” she said after the ceremony, when asked if her Emmy success would make her reconsider.
As if to emphasize Amazon’s strong performance, even Alexa made an appearance, announcing the name of the nominees for best actress in a comedy as part of a bit put on by Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel, who were presenters.
Last year’s winner for best comedy was also from Amazon, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” a show that won two awards on Sunday, with Alex Borstein winning for best supporting actress and Tony Shalhoub taking the prize for best supporting actor.
In keeping with Emmy tradition, HBO had a strong night over all, taking three of the top series awards, including a victory for a frequent winner, “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver,” as the year’s best talk show. The network also won in the category of best limited series for “Chernobyl,” which won 10 awards altogether.
For his work on “Game of Thrones,” Peter Dinklage won — for the fourth time — the award for best supporting actor in a drama. In his acceptance speech, he paid tribute to the show’s top producers, David Benioff and Dan Weiss.
“Dave and Dan, we literally walked through fire and ice for you,” Dinklage said. “And I would do it again in a heartbeat.”
HBO has undergone executive-suite changes since last year’s Emmys: Richard Plepler, the network’s former chief executive, stepped down in February. He was thanked by Weiss and Benioff, as well as by Oliver and by Jesse Armstrong, the creator of the corporate drama “Succession,” who won in a writing category.
The night also represented something of a defeat for Netflix, which went away empty-handed in the biggest categories.
It was the seventh consecutive year that Netflix was nominated for best drama — this time for “Bodyguard” and “Ozark” — and failed to win. Likewise, Netflix has never won in the best comedy category in six tries.
The full list of Emmy winners can be read below.
OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
Better Call Saul
Bodyguard
Game of Thrones
Killing Eve
Ozark
Pose
Succession
This Is Us
OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
Barry
Fleabag
The Good Place
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Russian Doll
Schitt’s Creek
Veep
LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jason Bateman — Ozark
Sterling K. Brown — This Is Us
Kit Harington — Game of Thrones
Bob Odenkirk — Better Call Saul
Billy Porter — Pose
Milo Ventimiglia —This Is Us
LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Emilia Clarke — Game of Thrones
Jodie Comer — Killing Eve
Viola Davis — How to Get Away with Murder
Laura Linney — Ozark
Mandy Moore — This Is Us
Sandra Oh — Killing Eve
Robin Wright — House of Cards
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jonathan Banks — Better Call Saul
Giancarlo Esposito — Better Call Saul
Alfie Allen — Game of Thrones
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau — Game of Thrones
Peter Dinklage — Game of Thrones
Michael Kelly — House of Cards
Chris Sullivan — This Is Us
SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Gwendoline Christie — Game of Thrones
Lena Headey — Game of Thrones
Sophie Turner — Game of Thrones
Maisie Williams — Game of Thrones
Fiona Shaw — Killing Eve
Julia Garner — Ozark
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
Game Of Thrones — “The Iron Throne,” David Benioff and D.B. Weiss
Game Of Thrones — “The Last Of The Starks,” David Nutter
Game Of Thrones — “The Long Night” Miguel Sapochnik
The Handmaid’s Tale — “Holly,” Daina Reid
Killing Eve — “Desperate Times,” Lisa Brühlmann
Ozark — “Reparations,” Jason Bateman
Succession — “Celebration,” Adam McKay
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
Better Call Saul — “Winner,” Peter Gould and Thomas Schnauz
Bodyguard — “Episode 1,” Jed Mercurio
Game Of Thrones — “The Iron Throne,” David Benioff and D.B. Weiss
The Handmaid’s Tale — “Holly,” Bruce Miller and Kira Snyder
Killing Eve — “Nice And Neat,” Emerald Fennell
Succession — “Nobody Is Ever Missing,” Jesse Armstrong
LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Anthony Anderson — Black-ish
Don Cheadle — Black Monday
Ted Danson — The Good Place
Michael Douglas — The Kominsky Method
Bill Hader — Barry
Eugene Levy — Schitt’s Creek
LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Christina Applegate — Dead To Me
Rachel Brosnahan — The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Julia Louis-Dreyfus — Veep
Natasha Lyonne — Russian Doll
Catherine O’Hara — Schitt’s Creek
Phoebe Waller-Bridge — Fleabag
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Stephen Root — Barry
Henry Winkler — Barry
Anthony Carrigan — Barry
Alan Arkin — The Kominsky Method
Tony Shalhoub — The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Tony Hale — Veep
SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Sarah Goldberg — Barry
Sian Clifford — Fleabag
Olivia Colman — Fleabag
Betty Gilpin — GLOW
Kate McKinnon — Saturday Night Live
Alex Borstein — The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Marin Hinkle — The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Anna Chlumsky — Veep
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
Barry — “The Audition,” Alec Berg
Barry — “ronny/lily,” Bill Hader
The Big Bang Theory — “The Stockholm Syndrome,” Mark Cendrowski
Fleabag — “Episode 1,” Harry Bradbeer
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel — “All Alone,” Amy Sherman-Palladino
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel — “We’re Going To The Catskills!” Daniel Palladino
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
Barry — “ronny/lily,” Alec Berg and Bill Hader
Fleabag — “Episode 1,” Phoebe Waller-Bridge
The Good Place — “Janet(s),” Josh Siegal and Dylan Morgan
PEN15 — “Anna Ishii-Peters,” Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle
Russian Doll — “Nothing In This World Is Easy,” Leslye Headland, Natasha Lyonne and Amy Poehler
Russian Doll — “A Warm Body,” Allison Silverman
Veep — “Veep,” David Mandel
OUTSTANDING TELEVISION MOVIE
Bandersnatch
Brexit
Deadwood
King Lear
My Dinner with Hervé
OUTSTANDING LIMITED SERIES
Chernobyl
Escape at Dannemora
Fosse/Verdon
Sharp Objects
When They See Us
LEAD ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE
Mahershala Ali — True Detective
Benicio Del Toro — Escape at Dannemora
Hugh Grant — A Very English Scandal
Jared Harris — Chernobyl
Jharrel Jerome — When They See Us
Sam Rockwell — Fosse/Verdon
LEAD ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE
Amy Adams — Sharp Objects
Patricia Arquette — Escape at Dannemora
Aunjanue Ellis — When They See us
Joey King — The Act
Niecy Nash — When They See Us
Michelle Williams— Fosse/Verdon
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE
Ben Whishaw — A Very English Scandal
Stellan Skarsgard — Chernobyl
Paul Dano — Escape at Dannemora
John Leguizamo — When They See Us
Michael K. Williams — When They See Us
Asante Blackk — When They See Us
SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE
Emily Watson — Chernobyl
Margaret Qualley — Fosse/Verdon
Patricia Clarkson — Sharp Objects
Patricia Arquette — The Act
Marsha Stephanie Blake — When They See Us
Vera Farmiga — When They See Us
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A LIMITED SERIES, MOVIE OR DRAMATIC SPECIAL
Chernobyl — Johan Renck
Escape At Dannemora — Ben Stiller
Fosse/Verdon — “Glory,” Jessica Yu
Fosse/Verdon — “Who’s Got The Pain,” Thomas Kail
A Very English Scandal — Stephen Frears
When They See Us — Ava DuVernay
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A LIMITED SERIES, MOVIE OR DRAMATIC SPECIAL
Chernobyl — Craig Mazin
Escape At Dannemora — “Episode 6,” Brett Johnson, Michael Tolkin and Jerry Stahl
Escape At Dannemora — “Episode 7,” Brett Johnson and Michael Tolkin
Fosse/Verdon — “Providence,”Steven Levenson and Joey Fields
A Very English Scandal — Russell T. Davies
When They See Us — “Part Four,” Ava DuVernay and Michael Starrbury
OUTSTANDING REALITY COMPETITION SERIES
Amazing Race
American Ninja Warrior
Nailed It
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Top Chef
The Voice
OUTSTANDING VARIETY TALK SERIES
The Daily Show
Full Frontal
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
The Late Late Show With James Corden
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
OUTSTANDING VARIETY SKETCH SERIES
At Home With Amy Sedaris
Documentary Now!
Drunk History
I Love You, America With Sarah Silverman
Saturday Night Live
Who Is America?
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY SERIES
Documentary Now! — “Waiting For The Artist,” Alex Buono and Rhys Thomas
Drunk History — “Are You Afraid Of The Drunk?” Derek Waters
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver — “Psychics,” Paul Pennolino
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert — “Live Midterm Election Show,” Jim Hoskinson
Saturday Night Live — “Host : Adam Sandler,” Don Roy King
Who Is America? — “Episode 102,” Sacha Baron Cohen, Nathan Fielder, Daniel Gray Longino and Dan Mazer
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A VARIETY SERIES
Documentary Now!
Full Frontal With Samantha Bee
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
Late Night With Seth Meyers
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
Saturday Night Live
