The 2019 Emmy Awards nominees were announced this week and three of the five most nominated shows are available to binge now on Showmax:
Game of Thrones
Based on George R. R. Martin’s A Song Of Fire and Ice novels, this fantasy series revolves around the power struggles to sit on the Iron Throne. First available to stream on Showmax in South Africa, the final season played against fantasy tropes to the dismay of many fans, but The Academy Of Television Arts and Sciences recognised it for the landmark, record-breaking show it is.
Nominations: 32, including Best Drama, Best Actor (Kit Harington as Jon Snow), Best Actress (Emilia Clarke), Best Supporting Actor (Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister, and Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister) and four of the six Best Supporting Actress nominations (Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister, Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark, Maisie Williams as Arya Stark, and Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth).
Emmy history: It’s won Best Drama the last three times it entered and Best Supporting Actor three times for Peter Dinklage. 2019 marks the first nominations for Sophie Turner, Alfie Allen, and Gwendoline Christie.
All 8 seasons are available to stream on Showmax.
Chernobyl
First available on Showmax, Chernobyl dramatizes the true story of the 1986 nuclear accident, one of the worst man-made catastrophes in history, and of the brave men and women who made incredible sacrifices to save Europe from unimaginable disaster.
Nominations: 19, including Best Limited Series, Best Actor (Jared Harris as Valery Legasov), Best Supporting Actor (Stellan Skarsgård as Boris Shcherbina), and Best Supporting Actress (Emily Watson as Ulana Khomyuk).
Emmy history: Jared Harris was nominated as Best Supporting Actor in 2012 as Lane Pryce in Mad Men. 2019 marks the first nominations for Stellan Skarsgård and Emily Watson.
The mini-series is available to stream on Showmax.
Barry
First screened on Showmax in South Africa, Barry tells the story of a depressed war vet-turned-hitman who finds passion and romance in a local acting class while on a job in LA. As Season 2 opens, Barry tries to extricate himself from a violent criminal triangle involving the Chechen, Bolivian and Burmese underworld – not to mention some deeply suspicious LA detectives and Monroe Fuches, Barry’s former boss, who has found it exceedingly difficult to hire a replacement as capable as his onetime ace assassin.
Nominations: 17, including Best Comedy, Best Actor (Bill Hader as Barry), Best Supporting Actress (Sarah Goldberg as Sally), and three of the six Best Supporting Actor nominees (Anthony Carrigan as NoHo Hank, Stephen Root as Fuches, and Henry Winkler as Gene Cousineau).
Emmy history: Last year, for Season 1, Bill Hader and Henry Winkler took home Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor Emmys respectively, while Barry also won Best Sound Mixing. 2019 marks the first nominations for Sarah Goldberg, Anthony Carrigan, and Stephen Root.
Both seasons are available to stream on Showmax.