The 78th Primetime Emmy Award ceremony took place on Monday, September 14. It was an exciting day for A Song of Ice and Fire fans, as the first season of the newest show in the franchise, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, was nominated for the big prize, Outstanding Drama Series. Additionally, the show earned nominations for eight awards at last week's Creative Arts Emmys, taking home a well-deserved trophy for Outstanding Stunt Performance.
In addition to A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' nominations, the Emmys featured several other shoutouts to the A Song of Ice and Fire universe through bits, sketches, presenters, and more. In doing so, the Emmys reminded audiences of Game of Thrones' place in television history.
You know nothing, Mariska Hargitay
The first mention of Game of Thrones at this year's Emmys came in the form of a bit with host Mariska Hargitay. While clad in a Jon Snow-inspired cloak which she quipped was "hot as balls" and wielding a sword which looked a great deal like Jon's iconic Valyrian steel blade Longclaw, Hargitay acknowledged the iconic fantasy series, which itself had been an Emmy darling. Thrones took home a whopping 59 Emmys throughout its eight seasons, a record-setting total for a drama series, including four trophies for Outstanding Drama Series and four for Supporting Actor for Peter Dinklage's portrayal of Tyrion Lannister.
Next, Hargitay introduced two presenters who might look familiar to ASOIAF fans: Emilia Clarke, who was nominated for four Emmys for her take on Daenerys Targaryen, and Emma D'Arcy, who may well become an awards contender themselves at next year's show for their incredible performance as Rhaenyra Targaryen on House of the Dragon. Clarke and D'Arcy jokingly read their category's introduction in High Valyrian, with Clarke lengthily riffing in a speech which sounds somewhat like her High Valyrian from the show, and D'Arcy simply translating it as "Good evening."
Game of Thrones' presence at the Emmys meant more than just a silly joke for fans of the show. In recent years, the Emmys have aimed to honor iconic TV shows by calling attention to their anniversaries, reuniting cast members as presenters, or doing funny bits to pay homage. In including Game of Thrones at this year's ceremony, the Emmys elevates its cultural status by listing it among some all-time iconic TV series.
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms lost, but it might not stay down!
Unfortunately for fans of the series, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms did not take home the big prize. Instead, The Pitt, another HBO show which was wildly favored to win, ended up victorious for the second year in a row. In addition to Outstanding Drama Series, The Pitt also won for its leading man, Noah Wyle.
However, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' Emmy trials are far from over. As a freshman series making it into the main category, it's likely to stay, as the Emmys tend to nominate their favorite shows every year, and making it in for the first season can often be the biggest hurdle. Game of Thrones didn't even win for its first season, not taking home an Outstanding Drama Series trophy until season 5. Assuming the forthcoming A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 2 keeps up its quality, there's a change Emmy voters will embrace it even further.
That said, an A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' Emmy victory this year always felt like a long shot. While the show racked up an impressive nine total nominations, it missed out on several key categories, including for directing, writing, and lead and supporting actor for its two main stars, Peter Claffey (Ser Duncan the Tall/"Dunk") and Dexter Sol Ansell (Prince Aegon Targaryen/"Egg"). Despite some stiff competition from the other nominees across all Drama categories, both actors, as well as the show's writers and directors, should have at least earned nominations for their fantastic work this season. That said, even if A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms had earned spots in those categories, The Pitt, speculated to have been a far and away frontrunner for the top prize, still may have been unbeatable this year.
Still, there is precedence for a series to receive more and more nominations as it progresses. For example, recent Emmy juggernaut Succession, which won Outstanding Drama Series for its second, third, and fourth seasons, wasn't represented by any acting nominations for season 1. However, by the time of season 4, its final season, the show pulled off a near sweep, winning for Series, Directing, Writing, and three Acting prizes. Perhaps A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms will similarly improve in Emmy voters' minds, and follow in Game of Thrones' footsteps by eventually taking home a few more trophies.
Oh, and for all those wondering, per photographs of the event, Dexter Sol Ansell's Emmy wish to meet Zendaya apparently came true!
Dexter Sol Ansell finally got his wish of meeting Zendaya in-person last night while at the Emmys. 🥹 pic.twitter.com/7yHIeckcju
— Complex Pop Culture (@ComplexPop) September 15, 2026
Make sure to stream the Emmy-winning A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms season 1 on HBO Max.
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