The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced this year’s nominations for the Emmy Awards this morning, and HBO’s GAME OF THRONES led the way with a whopping TWENTY-FOUR nominations. More than <i>any other show this year</i>, in <i>any other category</i>, be it drama, comedy, reality, talk, movie, miniseries, variety, documentary, what have you. <br/><br/><img src=”http://georgerrmartin.com/notablog/wp-content/uploads/import/260405_800.jpg” alt=”” title=””><br/><br/>Congratulations are in order for David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, our showrunners, all our writers and directors and producers, our amazing cast and our incredible crew, and of course the good folks at Home Box Office, who made all this possible.<br/><br/>Here are this year’s nominations for GOT:<br/><br/><span style=”font-size: 1.4em”>Outstanding Drama Series</span><br/><br/><span style=”font-size: 1.4em”>Outstanding Supporting Actor</span><br/>Peter Dinklage !“ Tyrion Lannister<br/><br/><span style=”font-size: 1.4em”>Outstanding Supporting Actress</span><br/>Lena Headey !“ Cersei Lannister<br/>Emilia Clarke !“ Daenerys Targaryen<br/><br/><span style=”font-size: 1.4em”>Outstanding Guest Actress</span><br/>Diana Rigg !“ Lady Olenna Tyrell, the Queen of Thorns<br/><br/><span style=”font-size: 1.4em”>Outstanding Writing For A Drama Series</span><br/>David Benioff and D.B. Weiss !“ Mother’s Mercy<br/><br/><span style=”font-size: 1.4em”>Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series </span><br/>David Nutter !“ “Mother’s Mercy”<br/>Jeremy Podeswa !“ “Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken”<br/><br/>Outstanding Production Design For A Narrative Contemporary Or Fantasy<br/>Program (One Hour Or More) <br/>”High Sparrow”<br/>”Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken” <br/>”Hardhome” <br/>Deborah Riley, Production Designer<br/>Paul Ghirardani, Art Director<br/>Rob Cameron, Set Decorator<br/><br/><span style=”font-size: 1.4em”>Outstanding Casting For A Drama Series</span><br/>Nina Gold, CSA, Casting Director<br/>Robert Sterne, Casting Director<br/>Carla Stronge, Casting Director<br/><br/><span style=”font-size: 1.4em”>Outstanding Cinematography For A Single-Camera Series</span> <br/>”Hardhome” (Fabian Wagner, BSC, Director of Photography_<br/>”Sons Of The Harpy” (Anette Haellmigk, Director of Photography)<br/>”The Dance Of Dragons” (Rob McLachlan, ASC, CSC, Director of Photography)<br/>”Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken” (Greg Middleton, CSC, Director of Photography)<br/><br/><span style=”font-size: 1.4em”>Outstanding Costumes For A Period/Fantasy Series, Limited Series Or Movie</span><br/>”The Dance Of Dragons”<br/>Michele Clapton, Costume Designer<br/><br/><span style=”font-size: 1.4em”>Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing For A Drama Series</span><br/>”Hardhome” (Tim Porter, Editor)<br/>”The Dance Of Dragons” (Katie Weiland, Editor)<br/><br/><span style=”font-size: 1.4em”>Outstanding Hairstyling For A Single-Camera Series</span><br/>”Mother’s Mercy”<br/>Kevin Alexander, Department Head Hairstylist<br/>Candice Banks, Department Head Hairstylist<br/>Rosalia Culora, Hairstylist<br/>Gary Machin, Hairstylist<br/>Laura Pollock, Hairstylist<br/>Nicola Mount, Hairstylist<br/><br/><span style=”font-size: 1.4em”>Outstanding Makeup For A Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic)</span><br/>”Mother’s Mercy” <br/>Jane Walker, Department Head Makeup Artist<br/>Nicola Matthews, Makeup Artist<br/><br/><span style=”font-size: 1.4em”>Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup For A Series, Limited Series, Movie Or A Special</span><br/>”Hardhome”<br/>Jane Walker, Department Head Makeup Artist<br/>Barrie Gower, Special Makeup Effects Department Head<br/>Sarah Gower, Special Makeup Effects Assistant<br/>Department Head<br/><br/><span style=”font-size: 1.4em”>Outstanding Sound Editing For A Series</span><br/>”Hardhome” <br/>Tim Kimmel, Supervising Sound Editor<br/>Paula Fairfield, Sound Designer<br/>Bradley C. Katona, Sound Effects Editor<br/>Peter Bercovitch, Supervising Dialogue Editor<br/>David Klotz, Music Editor<br/>Jeffrey Wilhoit, Foley Artist<br/>Dylan T. Wilhoit, Foley Artist<br/><br/><span style=”font-size: 1.4em”>Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (One Hour)</span><br/>”Hardhome” <br/>Ronan Hill, C.A.S., Production Mixer<br/>Richard Dyer, Production Mixer<br/>Onnalee Blank, C.A.S., Re-Recording Mixer<br/>Mathew Waters, Re-Recording Mixer<br/><br/><br/><span style=”font-size: 1.4em”>Outstanding Special Visual Effects</span><br/>”The Dance Of Dragons”<br/>Steve Kullback, Visual Effects Producer<br/>Joe Bauer, Visual Effects Supervisor<br/>Adam Chazen, Visual Effects Associate Producer<br/>Jabbar Raisani, Visual Effects Plate Supervisor<br/>Eric Carney, Visual Effects Previs Lead<br/>Stuart Brisdon, Special Effects Supervisor<br/>Derek Spears, Lead CG Supervisor<br/>James Kinnings, Lead Animator<br/>Matthew Rouleau, CG Supervisor<br/><br/><span style=”font-size: 1.4em”>Outstanding Stunt Coordination For A Drama Series, Limited Series Or Movie</span><br/>Rowley Irlam, Stunt Coordinator<br/><br/>It’s an incredible list, I applaud everyone on it… and all of those who didn’t make it either. GAME OF THRONES is what it is because of the untiring efforts of the best cast and crew in television today. Many were recognized by the Academy today for their work… but others, equally dedicated and talented, were not. But the show would not the hit it is without their talent and dedication. <br/><br/>The 24 nominations garnered by GAME OF THRONES is not only the highest number of any show this year, but among the highest ever received by a single series for a single season in the entire history of television. (For numbers geeks, the record remains 27, garnered by <i><b><i><b>NYPD BLUE</b></i></b></i> in 1994).<br/><br/>Today is a day for celebrations and congratulations, for popping champagne corks and raising toasts and exchanging thanks… but before we do too many cartwheels, it would be wise to remember that GAME OF THRONES also led the Emmy nominations last year, with 19 nods, only to get skunked on the night of the televised awards. The same as the year before, and the year before that. Like many fantasy shows before us, GOT is often honored for our special effects, costumes, makeup, stuntwork, set design, and cinematography (this year, please note, we have four of five finalists for cinematography), but seldom for writing, directing, or acting. Peter Dinklage’s Emmy as Best Supporting Actor for season one remains the ONLY award the show has ever won in those categories, in fact. <br/><br/>Will that change this year? One can hope, I suppose.<br/><br/>But no matter what happens on Emmy Night, let me say once again that it truly is an honor to be nominated, especially given the competition. This truly is The Golden Age of Television, especially for drama. GAME OF THRONES faces the usual formidable competition for the “Big One,” the award for Best Dramatic Series… but as distinguished a list as that is, there are so many incredible shows that did NOT make the cut that it boggles the mind. It’s great to see BETTER CALL SAUL and ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK on this list, but where is MASTERS OF SEX? THE KNICK? HALT AND CATCH FIRE? How about THE VIKINGS? I really thought JUSTIFIED might make it, for its final season. And OUTLANDER, how in the world did they overlook OUTLANDER, with its music and its costumes and its cinematography and the incredible performances of its three leads (especially Tobias Menzies in his double role)? Why is Nick Offermann not on the ballot for PARKS AND RECREATION? How could BIG BANG THEORY possibly fall off? Truly, the Academy (of which I am a member) moves in mysterious ways.<br/><br/>Even where GOT itself is concerned… I am thrilled to see both Emilia Clarke and Lena Headey among the nominees, but I wanted Maisie Williams and Sophie Turner and Natalie Dormer as well… it’s great that two of our episodes got nominated for directing, but how did they overlook “Hardhome?”… and will Iain Glen and Conleth Hill and John Bradley West ever get any recognition, and… <br/><br/>Okay, okay, I know, I am being greedy, and every producer on every other show on television is probably saying the same things about his own cast just now. Let me just savor the moment. <br/><br/>GOT did good.