The first season of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms enjoyed some success with the recent Emmy nominations announcement.
The premiere season of the newest HBO adaptation of George R. R. Martin's work earned 9 total nominations, including a well-deserved nod for Best Drama Series. As such, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms joins its two predecessors, Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, in earning the prestigious nomination for its freshman outing and keeps the franchise's Emmy track record strong. In fact, every season of a Westeros show, save House of the Dragon season 2, has now been nominated for Best Drama Series.
However, despite A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' Emmy love, the show missed out on a few key categories. The season did not receive any nominations for its directing, writing, or acting. As such, one iconic Game of Thrones star gets to keep his unique Emmy record for a little while longer.
A Lannister always wins his awards
Peter Dinklage, who played Tyrion Lannister throughout all eight seasons of Game of Thrones, wound up taking home four Emmy awards for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal. Dinklage won for his work in Seasons 1, 5, 7, and 8, setting the all-time record for most wins in the category for the same character.
Anyone who's seen Game of Thrones knows how well-deserved Dinklage's awards are. His performance throughout the series remains superb, establishing Tyrion as a well-rounded, multi-dimensional character. Tyrion remains a massive fan favorite to this day, and Dinklage's take on the character is a huge part of why his popularity endures.
However, Dinklage is the only actor to ever win an Emmy for Game of Thrones. A plethora of other talented performers earned nominations for the series, including Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen), Diana Rigg (Olenna Tyrell), Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister), Kit Harington (Jon Snow), Maisie Williams (Arya Stark), Max von Sydow (The Three-Eyed Raven), Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister), Alfie Allen (Theon Greyjoy), Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark), Gwendoline Christie (Brienne of Tarth), and Carice van Houten (Melisandre). However, every one of them wound up losing their categories, save for Dinklage.
Ironically, despite its controversial status among fans, season 8 ended up earning more acting nominations than any other Game of Thrones season. It marked Dinklage's final win for the series, while Harington, Clarke, Allen, Coster-Waldau, Christie, Headey, Turner, Williams, and van Houten all received nominations, with Allen, Turner, Christie, and van Houten's nods marking their first for Game of Thrones. This showcases how the series' acting never went downhill, even as many other elements of the show received harsh criticisms from fans and critics alike.
Additionally, House of the Dragon has never even scored an Emmy nomination for acting, even though the first season received a nod for Best Drama Series. Many fans felt shocked by the snubs, expecting several cast members, including Paddy Considine (Viserys Targaryen), Matt Smith (Daemon Targaryen), and Emma D'Arcy (Rhaenyra Targaryen), to break through. The entire cast also missed out on nominations for Season 2, which seems to be the least favorite season among Emmy voters, as it failed to receive the coveted Best Drama Series nod.
Now, with A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms' acting snubs, Dinklage is guaranteed at least another year as the only actor to ever win an Emmy for a Westeros show. While his performance is fantastic, the franchise is filled to the brim with Emmy-worthy acting, so hopefully, he won't hold this record for much longer.
Who will be the next Game of Thrones star to win an Emmy?
There is a distinct possibility that Peter Dinklage will remain the only actor to win an Emmy for a George R. R. Martin adaptation for the foreseeable future. However, the franchise has continued to produce high-quality shows, and the acting remains a high point. As such, another performer could hypothetically earn an Emmy for their work in Westeros sometime soon.
The snubs of Peter Claffey (Ser Duncan the Tall) and Dexter Sol Ansell (Aegon "Egg" Targaryen) could result in an overdue narrative for future seasons of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, leading to nods for their performances in season 2 and beyond. Many fans expected nominations for the duo in the Best Leading Actor and Best Supporting Actor categories, respectively, so their noticeable absence from this year's nominees could help them build up traction for nominations going forward.
Additionally, Emma D'Arcy has been receiving rave reviews for their work in the currently airing third season of House of the Dragon. Perhaps this could finally be their year. Or maybe the reduced role of Rhys Ifans (Otto Hightower) could lead to some love in the Best Guest Actor category.
Regardless of their statuses as award winners and nominees, fans of Westeros are lucky that so many strong performers are bringing their favorite characters to life.
For more from the world of Westeros, make sure to tune into House of the Dragon season 3, airing on Sundays on HBO Max.
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