HBO Max, both the network and the streamer, has been a frontrunner in the landscape of modern prestige television, massively influencing other projects with landmark series likeGame of ThronesandSuccession. And the company is definitely a winner already at the 2025 Emmy Awards, breaking its own previous record and proving that it is still a contender.
While the two aforementioned TV shows have wrapped up their runs — one with its best season and another with its worst —HBO still currently has multiple ongoing respected and popular series,telling intense and nuanced stories, most of them having already secured renewals with new seasons coming in the next few years.
PerVariety,HBO Max garnered the most nominations of any network for this year’s Emmy Awards, with 142 nods in total.This is accounted for by several acclaimed shows, includingThe Last of Us, The Penguin, The White Lotus, andHacks, thus its nominations span multiple genres and showcase talent in a variety of capacities.
What 142 Emmy Nominations Mean for HBO Max
HBO Can Still Compete In Today’s TV Landscape
HBO Max’s previous record for Emmy nominations in a given year was 140 in 2022, signaling its improvement in a variety of quality content. However, there is no doubt that other streamers and networks are catching up in the prestige drama game, andHBO producing the best TV is not so much a given anymore.
Apple TV+‘sSeveranceis walking away with the most nominations of any show this time around, with 27 in total, and is potentially providing HBO with some of its toughest competition in acting. However, with so many nominations spread out across several awards, a few HBO stars will likely win.
142 nominations prove that HBO is still a force to be reckoned with,even afterGame of Thrones’downfall andSuccession’s ending. The network may have to fight harder for its wins and may not have the absolute best show out there, but it is still the producer of TV shows worthy of the golden age of television.
Our Take On HBO Max Leading In Emmy Nominations
Some Fan Favorites Are Competing For Emmys
Although HBO Max is perhaps still a step ahead in fantasy-leaning properties, with the success of the zombie-apocalypse seriesThe Last of Usand superhero-inspiredThe Penguin. Surprisingly,House of the Dragonisn’t even competing this record-breaking year.However, Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Colin Farrell, and Cristin Milioti are all long-time fan-favorite stars whom many are surely rooting for.
But I would guess thatSeveranceis going to be tough to beat across the board. Such is the current plight ofHBO Max, where the executives may have to be satisfied with such a vast number of nominations when the show that is the clear frontrunner may not be theirs.
