'Game of Thrones' tops Emmy nods, but streaming makes gains

LOS ANGELES -- The Emmy Awards nominations told us what is already evident -- the power and reputation of streaming services Netflix and Amazon are on the rise, and broadcast networks and even longtime premium cable star HBO are paying the price.

In Thursday's announcement of prime-time Emmy contenders, television academy voters also signaled their regard for what people of color are bringing to the industry table: Each of the top acting categories included at least one minority nominee. It's a reality the Oscars have yet to embrace.

In this image, Sarah Paulson portrays Marcia Clark, left, and Sterling K. Brown portrays Christopher Darden in a scene from "The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story." On Thursday, Brown was nominated for outstanding supporting actor in a limited series or movie for his role.Ray Mickshaw ~ FX via AP

Although HBO claimed the most nominations and the top nominee with fantasy epic "Game of Thrones," the channel's tally dropped from last year's 126 nods to 94, a stunning change in what had been a steadily upward trajectory since its salad days of "Sex and the City" and "The Sopranos."

Of the four major broadcast networks, ABC, CBS and Fox saw a drop in their positive Emmy feedback -- with the exception, NBC, only holding year-to-year ground with 41 nominations.

In contrast, Netflix looked like a thoroughbred just starting to show what it can do. With buzz-provoking critically acclaimed series' including political drama "House of Cards" and documentary series "Making a Murderer," the service grabbed 54 nods, compared to 34 last year.

Amazon collected fewer accolades but still made gains, with 16 nods this year versus 12 in 2015. The groundbreaking transgender-themed comedy "Transparent" is its Emmy standard-bearer with 10 nominations, including best comedy series and best lead actor, Jeffrey Tambor, who won the trophy last year.

In this image, Judith Light, left, and Jeffrey Tambor appear in a scene from "Transparent." The program was nominated for outstanding comedy series on Thursday. Tambor also was nominated for best actor in a comedy series.Jennifer Clasen ~ Amazon via AP

Broadcast and cable are far from irrelevant. ABC's "black-ish," which brought the African-American family comedy back to network TV with a sharply relevant edge, received a best comedy nod and recognition for its stars, Tracee Ellis Ross and Anthony Anderson. He helped announce the awards live and read his show's name with relish.

"I'm on cloud nine right now," Anderson said afterward. "When hope becomes reality, that's what it is. I was just a 9-year-old kid growing up in Compton, California, with a dream, and this is the dream that I had."

Other minority actors recognized by TV academy voters include Viola Davis, the "How to Get Away with Murder" star who last year became the first woman of color to win a best drama-actress trophy and was nominated again. So was "Empire" star Taraji P. Henson, while Aziz Ansari's freshman comedy "Master of None" earned a top series nod and an acting nomination for him.

But there were no major nods for the stars of "Fresh Off the Boat" or other Asian-American actors, or for Latinos, which has been a recurrent Emmy pattern.

In this image, Julia Louis-Dreyfus appears in a scene from the comedy series "Veep." On Thursday, Louis-Dreyfus was nominated for outstanding actress in a comedy for her role in the series.Lacey Terrell ~ HBO via AP

Making a stand for basic cable, FX's "The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story," proved the second-most nominated show with 22 bids. It recounts the football legend's sensational, racially charged trial for the slayings of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ron Goldman.

It's a best limited-series nominee in the strong field that includes "Fargo," "Roots," "American Crime" and "The Night Manager," and it earned six lead and supporting acting bids for its cast's portrayal of well-known figures, including Courtney B. Vance as Johnnie Cochran, Sarah Paulson as Marcia Clark and Sterling K. Brown as prosecutor Christopher Darden.

In a phone interview, Paulson said despite joy over her recognition, she was happiest to learn Brown was nominated for his portrayal of Darden.

"I jumped up and down ... more about that than about my own," Paulson said. "I owe my performance, whatever it is, to him."

"Game of Thrones," which won a record 12 Emmys last fall including best drama, gets the chance to claim its second top award. "Veep," last year's best comedy series winner, also will get another shot at holding office and, with 17 nominations, was the comedy leader.

"Game of Thrones" and "Mr. Robot" will compete with "Better Call Saul," "Homeland," "House of Cards," "The Americans" and "Downton Abbey," the last a nod for its farewell season. But the final season of "The Good Wife" was not recognized, and star Julianna Margulies also was snubbed.

"The Americans," which gained in attention last season, also earned top bids for its stars, Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys.

The ensemble cast of "Game of Thrones" found leading bids elusive. Peter Dinklage, honored as last year's best supporting actor, will defend his title, with a nod also going to Kit Harington as fan favorite Jon Snow. Emilia Clarke, Lena Headey and Maisie Williams earned supporting-actress bids in a year when the show's female characters gained the upper hand.

On the comedy side, "Veep," "black-ish" and "Master of None" will tussle for the trophy with five-time champ "Modern Family," "Transparent," "Silicon Valley" and "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt."

A top acting nod for "Veep" star Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who plays a U.S. vice president now elevated to the Oval Office, gives her the chance to score her fifth consecutive win and set a record.

The 68th prime-time Emmy show will be broadcast live on ABC from 7 to 10 p.m. Sept. 18, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel.

AP Entertainment writers Mike Cidoni Lennox and Anthony McCartney contributed to this report.

Online: http://www.emmys.org

Lynn Elber can be reached at lelber(at)ap.org and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lynnelber .