Game of Thrones Receives 12 Emmy Awards

The fifth season of the series 'Game of Thrones' set a new record by receiving 12 awards at the Emmy ceremony, known as the Oscars of American television. The winners of the 67th Emmy Awards, considered the most prestigious television awards in the U.S., were announced on Sunday night, September 20, early Monday morning Iran time, at a ceremony held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. The fifth season of 'Game of Thrones,' produced by HBO and leading with 24 nominations, won 12 awards including Best Drama Series, Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Peter Dinklage), Best Directing for a Drama Series (David Nutter), and Best Writing for a Drama Series, thus achieving the record for the most awards won by a series at the Emmys. 'Game of Thrones,' which has been among the most-watched and popular television series worldwide in recent years, is based on the fantasy book series by George R.R. Martin and tells the story of seven legendary kingdoms warring for the throne. 'Game of Thrones' is one of HBO's most expensive series and the most-watched series in the network's history, having won numerous awards at previous Emmy ceremonies, but it has only been nominated twice for Best Drama Series at the Golden Globes, winning one award for Best Supporting Actor. So far, five seasons of the series have aired on HBO, with the sixth season set to premiere in April 2016. In the Best Drama Series category, 'Game of Thrones' competed against 'Better Call Saul,' 'Downton Abbey,' 'House of Cards,' 'Homeland,' 'Mad Men,' and 'Orange is the New Black.' In the Best Comedy Series category, the political comedy 'Veep,' another HBO production, won the Emmy. Other nominees in this category included 'Louie,' 'Modern Family,' 'Parks and Recreation,' 'Silicon Valley,' 'Transparent,' and 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.' The miniseries 'Olive Kitteridge,' another HBO production, also won six awards including Best Limited Series, Best Actor in a Limited Series or Movie (Richard Jenkins), Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie (Frances McDormand), Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie (Bill Murray), Best Directing for a Limited Series or Movie (Lisa Cholodenko), and Best Writing for a Limited Series or Movie (Jane Anderson). This four-hour series is based on a novel by Elizabeth Strout and tells the story of a retired teacher in the coastal town of Crosby and her relationships with her husband, son, and those around her. 'Olive Kitteridge' was nominated in 13 categories at the Emmys. Meanwhile, Jon Hamm won the Best Actor in a Drama Series award for his role in 'Mad Men.' Jeffrey Tambor also received the Best Comedy Actor award for his role in 'Transparent.' The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences awards the Emmy each year to the best in television across various categories including drama, comedy, limited series, television movies, live programs, and several others. The Emmy nominees for 2015 were selected from hundreds of English-language television programs that aired from June 1, 2014, to May 31, 2015, on various television networks worldwide. You can view the complete list of nominees and winners of the 67th Emmy Awards here.