Last night's 67th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards saw HBO’s fantasy drama series Game of Thrones (USA) earn an unheard of number of awards and yet another Guinness World Records title for the Most Emmy Awards won by a television series in one season.
The American television series (adapted by HBO from George R. R. Martin's series of novels) was nominated for 24 awards and managed to secure a total of 12 wins for its fifth season, breaking a record that had been held for 15 years by NBC’s The West Wing (USA), which earned nine Emmys back in 2000.
The stack of awards included the prestigious Outstanding Drama Series, which Game of Thrones achieved for the first time since its debut in 2011. The hugely popular programme beat off strong competition from Mad Men, Better Call Saul, Downton Abbey, Homeland, House of Cards and Orange is the New Black to the sought after top award.
Other significant awards picked up on the night included Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (for David Benioff and D.B. Weiss) and Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series (for David Nutter).
Peter Dinklage, who plays one of the drama’s most popular characters Tyrion Lannister, earned an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor.
After becoming the Most pirated television programme the show came up with a cunning plan to thwart pirates for their fifth season by creating the Largest TV drama simulcast: The second episode of season five of the fantasy epic was broadcast in a staggering 173 countries simultaneously earlier this year.
This incredible record earned the show a place in Guinness World Records 2016, out now, with Masie Williams (who plays AyraStark) accepting a certificate on the show’s behalf.
