Game of Thrones Sets New Record with Emmy Awards Success

Game of Thrones has scored a record-breaking awards haul at this year's Emmy ceremony. The hugely popular HBO fantasy show picked up 12 prizes, including Best Drama Series for the first time.

The show had already started the race with 24 nominations, more than any other in 2015, and the number of wins is the highest ever for a single series in one year. The success is particularly notable because fantasy and sci-fi shows have been notably under-represented at the Emmys over the years. Prior to last night's victory, the only genre show in the entire 67-year history of the awards to win the Outstanding Drama Series statuette was Lost in 2005.

As well as taking home the top prize, Game of Thrones also won Best Writing (showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss), Best Directing (David Nutter), and Best Supporting Actor for Peter Dinklage, a previous winner. These four key awards are in addition to the eight it claimed last week at the Creative Arts Emmys, which included prizes for editing, sound mixing, make-up, and visual effects.

The Game of Thrones haul means that HBO took home no fewer than 41 awards, with political comedy Veep and miniseries Olive Kitteridge also victorious. Elsewhere, Jon Hamm won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for the final season of Mad Men, while Viola Davis became the first African-American woman to win an Emmy for Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series, collecting the statuette for How to Get Away With Murder.

For the full list of nominees and winners, click here.