Game of Thrones sets record for most Emmys won in a single year

It was a banner night for Game of Thrones at the 67 annual Emmy Awards. Not only did the show take home more Primetime Emmy Awards than it ever had before, it broke the record for most Emmy Awards won by a show in one year. The record was previously held be The West Wing, which won nine in a single year. Game of Thrones blew right past it to earn 12.

It won most of those at the Creative Arts Emmys, where it took home prizes for Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series, Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series, Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series, and five other technically focused awards. Tonight, it won these four biggees:

• OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES 
  • David Benioff and Dan Weiss, Game of Thrones—”Mother’s Mercy”

This was the first of two awards the show won for “Mother’s Mercy,” the show’s fifth season finale, and the first it’s ever won for writing.

• OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
  • David Nutter, Game of Thrones—“Mother’s Mercy”

This was the second Emmy win of David Nutter’s career (he previously won for directing Band of Brothers, also for HBO), and a nice feather in the cap of one of the show’s most reliable directors. Jeremy Podeswa was also nominated in this category for directing “Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken.” Now that Nutter has opened the door for Game of Thrones directors, perhaps he can take home an Emmy next year.

• OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
  • Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones

This was the only acting award the show took home tonight, although Lena Headey and Emilia Clarke were both nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama (Uzo Aduba of Orange is the New Black took home the award), while Diana Rigg was nominated for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama.

This is a big vindication for Dinklage, who also won this award for his performance as Tyrion Lannister following the first season of the show back in 2011. He remains the only actor from the show’s vast ensemble to take home an Emmy for their work on Game of Thrones. Now he has two.

• OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
  • Game of Thrones

After being nominated in this category every year since Season 1, Game of Thrones finally won the Emmy’s biggest honor, despite stiff competition from the likes of Mad Men, which wrapped up its seven-season run this year. David Benioff put it nicely. “Thanks again, HBO, for believing in dragons.”

So basically, Game of Thrones swept the Emmys. Previously, the show had always made waves at the Creative Arts Emmys, but hadn’t made much of a splash when it came to the primetime show. Tonight’s showing leaves no doubt that Game of Thrones has been accepted by the television elite, even though its fifth season was probably the most harshly criticized year of the show among pundits and critics. Whatever the complaints, we congratulate David Benioff, Dan Weiss, Peter Dinklage, and David Nutter on their wins. Great work, guys.

Serendipitously, today is George R.R. Martin’s 67th birthday. Happy birthday, George! Hopefully the massive pile of Emmy wins made for a nice present.

Next: Starks everywhere! Filming for a big battle scene continues in Saintfield