Which Game of Thrones cast and crew members were snubbed by the Emmys?
By Dan Selcke
Sophie Turner for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama
In a year when the Emmys finally acknowledged Maisie Williams for her work as Arya Stark, it was odd that Sophie Turner, who’s played Arya’s older sister Sansa for six seasons running, wasn’t on the ballot. In many ways, Season 6 was the season of Sansa. Viewers had been waiting a long time for the demure, naive girl we met in Season 1 to show some backbone, and this year, it finally happened. It was very satisfying to watch her blossom into a force to be reckoned with, all the more so because we’d seen what she had to endure to get to this point.
Turner handled the material with aplomb—watching her steely-eyed gaze, you got the idea that she’d been waiting just as eagerly as the viewers to get to this leg of Sansa’s journey. She also showed us that Sansa’s newfound confidence came with a price. Sansa’s not only done trusting people who mean her harm—she may be done trusting anyone. Turner’s performance was balanced, nuanced, and layered. In other words, it was Emmy-worthy.
And yet she was left off of the Outstanding Supporting Actress bill, which, to be fair, is chock-a-block with actors from Game of Thrones. In addition to Williams, both Lena Headey (Cersei) and Emilia Clarke (Daenerys) are also on the ballot. But if I could choose one actor from Season 6 to nominate in this category, it would be Turner.
I’m not alone, either. Many fans are up in arms about Turner’s exclusion, and even George R.R. Martin wishes she’d been included. Assuming her performance stays consistent, hopefully the Television Academy will remember her next year.