'Game Of Thrones' Unfazed By Controversy, Gains 24 Emmy Award Nominations

The hit HBO series “Game of Thrones” has been embroiled in controversy right from its first season, but the 2015 Primetime Emmy Award nominations announced Thursday proves the Television Academy is unfazed by it all. After completing its fifth highly popular season, “Game of Thrones” gained a whopping 24 nods for Emmys this year.

Some of the most controversial scenes in the history of the series were shown during the recently concluded Season 5, but the episodes with these very same scenes were given nominations. The rape of Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) by her new husband Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon) prompted massive outrage that led some to call for a boycott of the show.

There were other controversial scenes during the latest season that dealt with violence against women and children. Shireen Baratheon (Kerry Ingram) was burned alive, while Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) was publicly shamed while naked. Throughout all five seasons of the series, incest, prostitution and violence have been recurring themes.

As reported by Time, the Television Academy appeared undaunted by these issues, as it nominated the show for 24 awards. The episode containing Sansa’s rape scene, titled “Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken,” got a nod for best direction, while the season finale containing Cersei’s shaming scene, titled “Mother’s Mercy,” was nominated for best writing and best direction.

The actresses who play two of the series’ main female characters were each nominated for the award as best supporting actress: Headey will be competing against Emilia Clarke, who plays Daenerys Targaryen. Despite the controversies surrounding their show, both actresses are thrilled by their own nominations, as well as the nominations of other cast members and the show itself.

“It’s wonderfully mad, because you do something like this and certain people will love it, but it seems to attract a diverse, huge group of people,” Headey told Variety.

Meanwhile, Clarke told the show-business publication, “It’s so wonderful to see the impact the show has because when you really get to the nuts and bolts how many people are involved and what they do and how hard they work, it really is mind-boggling ... it’s just so wonderful to see that it’s recognized.”

The 2015 Primetime Emmy Awards presentation will be shown on Fox Sunday, Sept. 20, at 8 p.m. EDT.