Netflix dominated the 72nd Emmy Award nominations on Tuesday, breaking the record for the most nominations ever. And a newcomer to the streaming universe, Disney+, scored a nomination in a big category for The Mandalorian.
This is yet another sign of the growing importance of digital technology to Hollywood.
A longtime Emmy champion, HBO, remained a force. Watchmen, the cable network’s innovative spin on a difficult-to-adapt superhero graphic novel, led all shows with 26 nominations. Amazon’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, an Emmy favourite, came in second, with 20.
Netflix smashed the record for most Emmy nominations of any network, studio or streaming platform, with 160 nominations in total; breaking the record set last year by HBO. HBO came in second, with 107 nominations. The next closest competitor, NBC, had 47.
Netflix and HBO have waged hard-fought battles against each other at the Emmys in recent years. The Tuesday announcement marked the second time that Netflix had bested HBO in the total number of nominations.
Considering that fantasy drama series Game of Thrones, HBO’s prime contender for multiple nominations, ended last year; Netflix is taking full advantage of the gap left. More recently, the two entertainment giants are competing even more directly; now that HBO’s parent company, AT&T, unveiled the ambitious streaming service, HBO Max, in May.