“Game of Thrones” has a boatload of Emmys, but the top prize at other award shows have been hard to come by. It will never win the Golden Globe for Best Drama Series and it has yet to win the Screen Actors Guild Award for drama ensemble. But it still has one last shot at the latter. Unlike the Globes, which snubbed the show in drama series, the SAG Awards nominated “Thrones” in drama ensemble alongside “Big Little Lies,” “The Crown,” “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Stranger Things.”
The fantasy epic has never won a non-stunt SAG Award, even at the height of its popularity with a populist group like SAG-AFTRA, so history is not exactly on its side here. This being the final chance for voters to award it could help — if everyone didn’t hate the final season. Plus, you can argue that the series is more of an achievement as a technical spectacle than as an acting powerhouse. (And yes, the show got 10 acting Emmy nominations this year, but once again, Peter Dinklage was the only actor to win.)
This is “Thrones'” seventh nomination in the category, having only been snubbed for the second of its eight seasons. The show is now tied with “ER” and “The Sopranos” at seven bids, the second most in the category, behind nine-time nominee “Law & Order.” Luckily for “Thrones,” even if it falls short again, it can take solace in the fact that it won’t be the category’s biggest loser since “Law & Order” never managed to prevail. The procedural racked up eight consecutive nominations during the first eight years of the SAG Awards; it was dropped at the ninth ceremony in 2003, but returned with one final bid the following year.
“Thrones,” which is basically guaranteed an eighth stunt ensemble win, also netted a sixth drama actor nomination for Dinklage. But a loss for Dinklage would lead to a dubious record: He’d tie Jon Hamm for the most losses.
“Thrones” is currently in third place in our odds, which are topped by “The Crown.” “Big Little Lies” is in second, with “Stranger Things” and “The Handmaid’s Tale” in fourth and fifth, respectively.
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