HBO bests Netflix in Creative Arts Emmy race

HBO and Netflix faced off at the Creative Arts Emmys, where the AT&T-owned Game of Thrones network narrowly edged out the streaming giant with 17 wins.

The awards – which honour artistic and technical achievement in television and were presented across two nights – saw HBO pick up Best Writing for a Variety Series for Last Week Tonight with John Oliver; Best Documentary or Non-Fiction Special for The Zen Diaries of Gary Shandling; and Best Special Effects for Game of Thrones.

Game of Thrones, which is returning for its eighth and final series next year, was the most lauded programme of the awards alongside NBC’s Saturday Night Live, with seven prizes including Best Prosthetic Makeup; Best Music Composition for a Series; Best Stunt Coordination; and Best Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes.

Netflix came away with 16 awards, including Best Documentary or Non-Fiction Series for the Marc and Jay Duplass exec-produced Wild Wild Country; Exceptional Merit in Doc Filmmaking for Strong Island; and Best Structured Reality Programme for Queer Eye, which also won Best Picture Editing for a Structured Reality Programme and Best Casting for a Reality Programme.

Queer Eye, The Crown and Black Mirror (USS Callister) earned three awards apiece for Netflix.

Left Bank’s The Crown picked up Best Casting for a Drama Series; Best Period Costumes; and Best Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series.

Meanwhile, Black Mirror won Best Sound Editing for a Limited Series; Best Single-Camera Picture Editing; and Best TV Movie.

The HBO and Netflix Emmy race is being closely watched this year, after the SVoD bested the network for Primetime Emmy nods in July – the first time HBO had been surpassed in nominations.

Rounding out the top Creative Arts Emmy winners was US broadcaster NBC, which took home 15 awards, including Best Directing for a Variety Series for Saturday Night Live; Best Original Music and Lyrics for Saturday Night Live; and Best Live Variety Special for Jesus Christ Superstar Live In Concert.

CNN’s Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown received five awards, and an additional prize for its digital spin-off Anthony Bourdain: Explore Parts Unknown, with the wins coming three months after the presenter’s death.

The Primetime Emmy Awards will air on Monday (17 September).