In the battle for supremacy between HBO and Netflix, the streaming giant came out on top following Tuesday’s nominations for the 72nd Emmy Awards.
For the second time ever, Netflix was the most nominated platform, easily besting HBO with 160 total nominations vs. 107 for the premium cable network. The streamer blew past last year’s haul (118), while the WarnerMedia-owned cabler dropped from last year’s leading 137 nominees as Emmy juggernaut Game of Thrones wrapped its run.
Netflix’s 160 total nominees were also enough to make Emmy history, with the Reed Hastings- and Ted Sarandos-led streamer snapping HBO’s 2019 mark of the most nominations in a single year.
In a sign of its diverse array of nominees, Netflix was nominated in 10 of the 11 major categories that were unveiled during the TV Academy’s live-stream announcement Tuesday, collecting 16 mentions. HBO had 13 nominations across nine of the 11 major categories.
However, HBO still has bragging rights when it comes to the most nominated program. The Casey Bloys-led outlet again had the most nominated show of the year in Damon Lindelof’s timely take on Watchmen, which is competing in the limited series category and garnered 26 nods.
Amazon’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel finished second among the programs with 20, while Netflix’s Ozark was tied for third with HBO’s Succession. Disney+ had a strong Emmy showing in its first year out, with Star Wars series The Mandalorian tied for fourth place alongside Saturday Night Live and Pop’s Schitt’s Creek.
Heading into the nominations, HBO had led the pack in 19 of the previous 20 years, with Netflix edging the premium cable network in 2018 (112 vs. 108). That same year, the two powerhouses ended the race in a tie, taking home 23 statuettes apiece. Last year, HBO — thanks in large part to Game of Thrones and limited series Chernobyl — led Netflix both in total nominations (137 vs. 117) and overall wins (34 vs. 27). The final season of the fantasy drama led all programs with 12 wins, followed by Chernobyl with 10.
With both programs no longer eligible, this year’s Emmys nominations field was considered a more wide open race. The tally this year also was impacted by the TV Academy’s rule change that increased the number of nominees in a handful of categories based on the volume of programs competing for awards including best drama and comedy series.
Here’s a look at the nominees by outlet and by program.
