The nominations for the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards were announced in Los Angeles Thursday, and streaming services — or at least two of them — made their presence known. Netflix had a big day, continuing its upward trajectory by topping last year’s record of 31 nominations with three more, while Amazon went from zero to hero with its first nominations ever, totalling 12 in all.
Netflix’s jump from 31 to 34 wasn’t quite as sharp as last year’s (when the streamer doubled its nods), but 34 is more than respectable. House of Cards led the way with 11 nominations, continuing its impressive trend (or should we say habit by now?) of being nominated for Outstanding Drama Series, Lead Actor, and Lead Actress. Since its debut in 2013, it’s the only show to have had a constant presence in each of those three categories. Orange Is the New Black and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt both had strong showings as well, earning four and seven nominations, respectively.
This year might be an even bigger win for Amazon, however, as Netflix finally has to share its nomination glory with another streaming service. Bursting onto the scene with its first-ever nominations, Amazon’s 12 nods came up two shy of Netflix’s first breakthrough in 2013, yet critical darling Transparent fared just as well as the formidable House of Cards and AMC’s Mad Men with 11 nominations on its own.
Streaming services still haven’t caught up in nominations with major networks like ABC (42), NBC (41), and CBS (41), but the gap is clearly narrowing. These accolades are a testament to the money, time, and effort that Netflix and Amazon have invested in original content and also serve as positive reinforcement for their continued expansion into the realm. (The many, many hours fans have spent binge-watching their shows have been another obvious indicator of their work, but critical acclaim never hurts, either.)
HBO’s brimming bounty of 126 nominations (24 from Game of Thrones alone) may still be years away, but both Netflix and Amazon have proven that they’re treading the right path.
