HBO (Home Box Office) is an American pay television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.
In 2004, HBO became the first cable network to win Outstanding Drama Series for the 56th Primetime Emmy Awards with The Sopranos in its fifth season. The network continued its success in the category with wins for Six Feet Under in 2001 and True Blood in 2009. Boardwalk Empire followed with nominations in 2011 and 2012.
HBO's Game of Thrones made a significant impact, winning the Outstanding Drama Series award four times in 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2019. The network's innovative approach to television continued with Westworld, which received its first nomination in 2017, and Succession, which won the award for its second, third and fourth seasons in 2020, 2022 and 2023.
In 2001, HBO's Sex and the City became the first comedy series from the network to win Outstanding Comedy Series. In 2015, Veep won Outstanding Comedy Series, and it continued its winning streak with additional awards in 2017. Chernobyl won Outstanding Limited Series at 71st Primetime Emmy Awards and the network continued to dominate in the category with wins for Watchmen and The White Lotus in 2020 and 2022 respectively.
In total, HBO has received over 1,500 Primetime Emmy nominations across its productions and has secured more than 220 awards. The network set an all-time record with 137 nominations in 2019,[1] highlighting its continued influence and success in television.
Drama
Drama series
In 1999, The Sopranos made history as the first cable TV series to receive a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series. It was nominated in every year it was eligible—1999, 2000, 2001, and 2003—finally winning in 2004 and again in 2007. Six Feet Under earned nominations for its first four seasons in 2002, 2003, and 2004. Deadwood was nominated in 2005 for its second season. The third season of Big Love and the second season of True Blood received nominations in 2009 and 2010, respectively.
Boardwalk Empire and Game of Thrones were both nominated for their first seasons in 2011 and their second seasons in 2012. Game of Thrones went on to win the award in 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2019. Westworld debuted in the category in 2017. Succession was nominated for its first season in 2019 and won for its second and third seasons in 2020 and 2022.
In 2021, Lovecraft Country was nominated, followed by Euphoria in 2022. At the 2023 ceremony, House of the Dragon, The White Lotus, and The Last of Us received nominations, with Succession winning for its final season. In 2024, The Gilded Age made its debut in the category.
Comedy series
In 1993, The Larry Sanders Show became the first cable TV series to receive a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series. It was nominated every year it was eligible and secured its final nomination in 1998. Sex and the City followed, earning nominations for its first season in 1999 and continuing through to its final season in 2004, winning the award in 2001.
Curb Your Enthusiasm received its first nomination in 2002 and continued to be a regular nominee over the years, with nominations spanning multiple seasons. Entourage was nominated for the award for its second season in 2006 and continued receiving nominations through 2009.
Girls made its debut in the category in 2013 and received nominations for its first two seasons. Veep started its streak in 2012 and won the award three times consecutively from 2015 to 2017, marking a significant achievement in the comedy genre.
Silicon Valley was first nominated in 2014 and continued to receive nominations for five consecutive seasons until 2018. Barry was nominated for its first season in 2018 and continued receiving nominations for subsequent seasons. Insecure received its first nomination in 2020.
Lead Actor / Actress
- Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Limited Series / Movie
- Limited or Anthology Series
Television Movie
Lead Actor / Actress
- Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
See also
References
- John Koblin. Game of Thrones and HBO Dominate 2019 Emmy Nominations The New York Times, July 16, 2019, retrieved July 18, 2019^
- Outstanding Drama Series - 1999 Academy of Television Arts & Sciences^
- Outstanding Drama Series - 2000