It was a British invasion at the 71st Emmy awards, with Game of Thrones taking home the prize for best drama and Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Fleabag sweeping most of the comedy awards in a night that saw numerous nods to stars from across the pond. The biggest question heading into the night was whether Emmy voters would reward perennial juggernaut Game of Thrones for its divisive final season.
The show was nominated for 32 awards – the most for any single season of television ever – and had already won 10 Creative Arts Emmys last week. Game of Thrones took home the night's final prize for outstanding drama series and a best supporting actor nod for American star Peter Dinklage – bringing its total to 12 awards and breaking its own 2015 record for the most awards given to a series – but was otherwise shut out of the telecast.
Instead, Fleabag emerged as the night's big winner, upstaging Veep, HBO's other Emmys mainstay in its final season, and last year's darling The Marvelous Mrs Maisel. Fleabag, which originated as Waller-Bridge's one-woman show at the Edinburgh festival fringe, took home the awards for outstanding writing, best comedy series and best directing.
