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Game of Thrones tipped to make history with Emmy Awards tally

Kristofer Hivju as Tormund and Kit Harington as Jon Snow in Game of Thrones. Picture by HBO 
Kristofer Hivju as Tormund and Kit Harington as Jon Snow in Game of Thrones. Picture by HBO  Kristofer Hivju as Tormund and Kit Harington as Jon Snow in Game of Thrones. Picture by HBO 

GAME Of Thrones, which is mostly filmed in Northern Ireland, could make television history at the Emmy Awards, where a host of British stars have been recognised with nominations.

The Sky Atlantic fantasy, which won 12 awards in 2015, needs just three more wins to become the most-awarded narrative show in Emmy history - beating Frasier's record of 37.

The series based on George RR Martin's novels has already won nine Creative Emmys this year for technical achievement and will compete with Downton Abbey for outstanding drama series.

At an Emmy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles last weekend, Northern Ireland's creative talent won several top awards.

Belfast make-up artist Pamela Smyth, who helped transform the team of actors, extras and stuntmen for Game of Throne's Season Six infamous Battle of the B******s episode clinched an Emmy for Outstanding Make-up in a single camera TV series.

And her Game of Thrones colleague Ronan Hill, from Ballycastle, was part of a team who won a gong for Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama series for their work on the HBO show.

Meanwhile, British actors Idris Elba, Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hiddleston are all nominated for best lead actor in a limited series or movie, while James Corden's Late, Late Show is up for the outstanding variety talk series prize.

Hiddleston is nominated for his role in the popular BBC series The Night Manager, while his co-stars Hugh Laurie and Olivia Colman have earned nods in the supporting role categories.

The People vs OJ Simpson: American Crime Story, which aired on BBC Two in the UK, dominates nominations in the acting categories this year.

Cuba Gooding Jr, who played OJ Simpson, and Courtney B Vance, who portrayed Simpson's lawyer Johnnie Cochran, are both up for best lead actor in a limited series. Sarah Paulson is nominated for best lead actress in a limited series for her role as prosecutor Marcia Clark.

David Schwimmer, who played Simpson's lawyer and friend Robert Kardashian, John Travolta, who portrayed defence lawyer Robert Shapiro, and Sterling K Brown (prosecutor Christopher Darden) are also nominated for best supporting actor in a limited series.

A host of stars from Game Of Thrones are also up for acting awards.

Kit Harington and Peter Dinklage are nominated for best supporting actor in a drama series, while Maisie Williams, Lena Headey and Emilia Clarke are nominated for best supporting actress in a drama series.

Welsh actor Matthew Rhys is in contention for the best drama actor award for his role as a KGB spy in The Americans. Meanwhile, Dame Maggie Smith is up for best supporting actress in a drama series for her performance in Downton Abbey.

Corden's Late Late Show will take on Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Real Time with Bill Maher, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and Jerry Seinfield's Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee for outstanding talk series.

Hiddleston will compete for the best lead actor in a limited series award against Elba, who is nominated for Luther, and Cumberbatch, who has been recognised for Sherlock. Bryan Cranston is also nominated for his role as former US president Lyndon B Johnson in Sky Atlantic's film All The Way.

Game Of Thrones and Downton Abbey are nominated for the outstanding drama series award along with Better Call Saul, Homeland, House Of Cards, Mr Robot and The Americans.

The Night Manager is up for best limited television series against Fargo, The People v OJ Simpson: American Crime Story, Roots and American Crime.

Kevin Spacey is nominated for best actor in a drama series for his role as Frank Underwood in House Of Cards, while Claire Danes (Homeland), Viola Davis (How To Get Away With Murder) and Robin Wright (House Of Cards) are among the nominations for best actress in a drama series.

Sherlock: The Abominable Bride (Masterpiece) and Luther are nominated for outstanding television movie.

Veep, the US version of The Thick Of It, has earned a string of nominations including best comedy series, best lead actress in a comedy series for its star Julia-Louis Dreyfuss and and outstanding direction in a comedy series for British comedian Chris Addison.

US talk show host Jimmy Kimmel will present the 68th Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles at 5pm local time (Monday from 1am BST).