Emmys 2016: Cable, SVOD Services Dominate Top Emmy Categories

Cable and online subscription video on demand services dominated nominations for many of the major Emmy Award categories announced Thursday morning. 

Cable networks and streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon virtually swept the best drama and best comedy categories for the 68th annual Emmy Awards, according to the Television Academy. PBS’ Downton Abby in its final year of eligibility was the only broadcast network nominated in a list that included last year’s winner HBO’ Game Of Thrones, FX’s The Americans, AMC’s Better Call Saul, Showtime’s Homeland, Netflix’s House of Cards and USA’s Mr. Robot.

On the comedy side, ABC’s Black-ish and Modern Family will battle Netflix’s Master of None and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, HBO’s Silicon Valley and Veep, and Amazon’s Transparent.

Cable also had a strong showing on the limited series front with FX’s Fargo, History’s Roots, AMC’s The Night Manager, and FX’s The People Vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story all garnering nominations. ABC's American Crime rounded out the list. 

Overall, HBO generated 94 nominations to lead all distributors, followed by FX with 56 nominations and Netflix with 54 nods. NBC pulled in 41 nominations, while fellow broadcasters ABC and CBS earned 35 nominations each. Pay TV network Showtime garnered 22 nominations, according to the Academy.

HBO's Game of Thrones tallied the most show nominations with 23, while FX's The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story and Fargo received 22 nominations and 18 nominations respectively, according to the Academy.    

A list of nominations in major Emmy Categories is as follows:

Best Drama

The Americans (FX)

Better Call Saul (AMC)

Downton Abbey (PBS)

Game of Thrones (HBO)

Homeland (Showtime)

House of Cards (Netflix)

Mr. Robot (USA)

Best Comedy

black-ish (ABC)

Master of None (Netflix)

Modern Family (ABC)

Silicon Valley (HBO)

Transparent (Amazon)

Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix)

Veep (HBO)

Best Actor, Drama

Kyle Chandler, Bloodline (Netflix)

Rami Malek, Mr. Robot (USA Network)

Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul (FX)

Matthew Rhys, The Americans (FX)

Kevin Spacey, House of Cards (FX)

Liev Schreiber, Ray Donovan (Showtime)

Best Actress, Drama

Claire Danes, Homeland (Showtime)

Viola Davis, How to Get Away With Murder (ABC)

Taraji P. Henson, (Empire) Fox

Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black (BBC America)

Keri Russell, The Americans (FX)

Robin Wright, House of Cards (Netflix)

Best Actor, Comedy

Anthony Anderson, black-ish (ABC)

Aziz Ansari, Master of None (Netflix)

Will Forte, The Last Man on Earth (Fox)

William H. Macy, Shameless (Showtime)

Thomas Middleditch, Silicon Valley (HBO)

Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent (Amazon)

Best Actress, Comedy

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep (HBO)

Ellie Kemper, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix)

Laurie Metcalf, Getting On (HBO)

Tracee Ellis Ross, black-ish (ABC)

Amy Schumer, Inside Amy Schumer (Netflix)

Lily Tomlin, Grace and Frankie (Netflix)

Best Limited Series

American Crime (ABC)

American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson (FX)

Fargo (FX)

The Night Manager (AMC)

Roots (History)

Best Actor, Limited Series or TV Movie

Bryan Cranston, All the Way (HBO)

Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock: The Abominable Bride (PBS)

Idris Elba, Luther (BBC America)

Cuba Gooding Jr., American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson (FX)

Tom Hiddleston, The Night Manager (AMC)

Courtney B. Vance, American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson (FX)

Best Actress, Limited Series or TV Movie

Kirsten Dunst, Fargo (FX)

Felicity Huffman, American Crime (ABC)

Audra McDonald, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill (HBO)

Sarah Paulson, American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson: (FX)

Lili Taylor, American Crime (ABC)

Kerry Washington, Confirmation (HBO)

Outstanding Variety Talk Series

Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee (Crackle)

Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC)

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (HBO)

Real Time With Bill Maher (HBO)

The Late, Late Show With James Corden (CBS)

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC)

Outstanding Sketch Series

Documentary Now! (IFC)

Drunk History (Comedy Central)

Inside Amy Shumer (Comedy Central)

Key & Peele (Comedy Central)

Portlandia (IFC)

Saturday Night Live (NBC)

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.