Emmys: Best drama race is a blood bath

Samira Wiley in a scene from The Handmaid's Tale, one of seven shows in the running for a best drama nod at the Emmys. Photo/AP

The real heat at this year's Emmy's is in the race for best drama, with seven shows vying for the top award.

It's nearly impossible to predict a winner. HBO's Westworld is in the running for the Outstanding Drama Series prize, along with four other new shows, Stranger Things, The Handmaid's Tale, The Crown and This Is Us, as well as returning nominees House of Cards and Better Call Saul.

Game of Thrones - which has scooped the Outstanding Drama Series Emmy for the last two years - was ineligible for any nominations because of its later start date this year, while Orphan Black actress Tatiana Maslany will be unable to defend her Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series crown for the same reason.

Thandie Newton in a scene from, Westworld.

Fantasy drama Westworld also scored nods for stars Evan Rachel Wood and Sir Anthony Hopkins in the Outstanding Lead Actress and Actor in a Drama Series categories.

Following behind SNL and Westworld in the nomination stakes are Stranger Things and Feud: Better and Joan with 18 nods, with Veep close behind with 17.

Meanwhile, 42-year-old comedy sketch show Saturday Night Live is in the running for 22 honours at this year's ceremony, including Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy for Alec Baldwin, thanks to his portrayal of President Donald Trump, while Melissa McCarthy - who generated headlines for her impersonation of White House press secretary Sean Spicer - is up for Guest Actress in a Comedy.

The Outstanding Comedy Series category will see last year's winner Veep vying against Blackish, Atlanta, Master of None, Silicon Valley, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Modern Family to retain its crown, while Outstanding Limited Series sees The Night Of, Big Little Lies, Fargo, Feud: Better and Joan, and Genius on the shortlist.

HBO lead the networks with a total of 110 nominations, with Netflix close behind with 91.

The Emmy Awards will take place at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles on September 17.

Stephen Colbert will host this year's ceremony, and the awards show will be broadcast by CBS.

Selected Nominations for the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards:

Outstanding Drama Series:
The Crown (Netflix)
The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu)
Westworld (HBO)
Stranger Things (Netflix)
This Is Us (NBC)
Better Call Saul (AMC)
House of Cards (Netflix)

Outstanding Comedy Series:
Blackish (ABC)
Atlanta (FX)
Veep (HBO)
Master of None (Netflix)
Silicon Valley (HBO)
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix)
Modern Family (ABC)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series:
Claire Foy, 'The Crown' (Netflix)
Keri Russell, 'The Americans' (FX)
Elisabeth Moss, 'The Handmaid's Tale' (Hulu)
Viola Davis, 'How to Get Away with Murder' (ABC)
Robin Wright, 'House of Cards' (Netflix)
Evan Rachel Wood, 'Westworld' (HBO)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series:
Sterling K. Brown, 'This Is Us' (NBC)
Matthew Rhys, 'The Americans' (FX)
Kevin Spacey, 'House of Cards' (Netflix)
Liev Schreiber, 'Ray Donovan' (Showtime)
Anthony Hopkins, 'Westworld' (HBO)
Milo Ventimiglia, 'This Is Us' (NBC)
Bob Odenkirk, 'Better Call Saul' (AMC)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series:
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, 'Veep' (HBO)
Tracee Ellis Ross, 'Blackish' (ABC)
Lily Tomlin, 'Grace and Frankie' (Netflix)
Jane Fonda, 'Grace and Frankie' (Netflix)
Ellie Kemper, 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt' (Netflix)
Allison Janney, 'Mom' (CBS)
Pamela Adlon, 'Better Things' (FX)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series:
Donald Glover, 'Atlanta' (FX)
Anthony Anderson, 'Blackish' (ABC)
Jeffrey Tambor, 'Transparent' (Amazon)
Aziz Ansari, 'Master of None' (Netflix)
William H. Macy, 'Shameless' (Showtime)
Zach Galifianakis, 'Baskets' (FX)

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or a Movie:
Nicole Kidman, 'Big Little Lies' (HBO)
Reese Witherspoon, 'Big Little Lies' (HBO)
Jessica Lange, 'Feud: Bette and Joan' (FX)
Susan Sarandon, 'Feud: Bette and Joan' (FX)
Carrie Coon, 'Fargo' (FX)
Felicity Huffman, 'American Crime' (ABC)

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a Movie:
Riz Ahmed, 'The Night Of' (HBO)
John Turturro, 'The Night Of' (HBO)
Ewan McGregor, 'Fargo' (FX)
Robert De Niro, 'The Wizard of Lies' (HBO)
Benedict Cumberbatch, 'Sherlock: The Lying Detective' (PBS)
Geoffrey Rush, 'Genius' (National Geographic)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series:
Ann Dowd, 'The Handmaid's Tale' (Hulu)
Samira Wiley, 'The Handmaid's Tale' (Hulu)
Uzo Aduba, 'Orange is the New Black' (Netflix)
Millie Bobby Brown, 'Stranger Things' (Netflix)
Thandie Newton, 'Westworld' (HBO)
Chrissy Metz, 'This Is Us' (NBC)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series:
Jonathan Banks, 'Better Call Saul' (AMC)
John Lithgow, 'The Crown' (Netflix)
Mandy Patinkin, 'Homeland' (Showtime)
Michael Kelly, 'House Of Cards' (Netflix)
David Harbour, 'Stranger Things' (Netflix)
Ron Cephas, 'This Is Us' (NBC)
Jeffrey Wright, 'Westworld' (HBO)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series:
Vanessa Bayer, 'Saturday Night Live' (NBC)
Leslie Jones, 'Saturday Night Live' (NBC)
Kate McKinnon, 'Saturday Night Live' (NBC)
Kathryn Hahn, 'Transparent' (Amazon)
Judith Light, 'Transparent' (Amazon)
Anna Chlumsky, 'Veep' (HBO)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series:
Louie Anderson, 'Baskets' (FX)
Ty Burrell, 'Modern Family (ABC)
Alec Baldwin, 'Sat urday Night Live' (NBC)
Tituss Burgess, 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt' (Netflix)
Tony Hale, 'Veep' (HBO)
Matt Walsh, 'Veep' (HBO)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or a Movie:
Regina King, 'American Crime' (ABC)
Laura Dern, 'Big Little Lies' (HBO)
Shailene Woodley, 'Big Little Lies' (HBO)
Judy Davis, 'Feud: Bette and Joan' (FX)
Jackie Hoffman, 'Feud: Bette and Joan' (FX)
Michelle Pfeiffer, 'The Wizard of Lies' (HBO)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or a Movie:
Alexander Skarsgard, 'Big Little Lies' (HBO)
David Thewlis, 'Fargo' (FX)
Alfred Molina, 'Feud: Bette and Joan' (FX)
Stanley Tucci, 'Feud: Bette and Joan' (FX)
Bill Camp, 'The Night Of' (HBO)
Michael Kenneth Williams, 'The Night Of' (HBO)

Outstanding Reality-Competition Program:
'The Voice' (NBC)
'The Amazing Race' (CBS)
'Top Chef' (Bravo)
'Project Runway' (Lifetime)
'RuPaul's Drag Race' (Logo)
'American Ninja Warrior' (NBC)

Outstanding Variety Talk Series:
'Late Show with Stephen Colbert' (CBS)
'Last Week Tonight with John Oliver' (HBO)
'Jimmy Kimmel Live' (ABC)
'Full Frontal with Samantha Bee' (TBS)
'Late Late Show with James Corden' (CBS)
'Real Time with Bill Maher' (HBO)

Outstanding Limited Series:
'The Night Of' (HBO)
'Big Little Lies' (HBO)
'Fargo' (FX)
'Feud: Bette and Joan' (FX)
'Genius' (National Geographic)
Outstanding TV Movie:
'Black Mirror' (Netflix)
'Dolly Parton's Christmas Of Many Colors: Circle Of Love' (NBC)
'Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks' (HBO)
'Sherlock: The Lying Detective' (PBS)
'The Wizard of Lies' (HBO)

Outstanding Variety Sketch Series:
'Billy on the Street' (truTV)
'Documentary Now!' (IFC)
'Drunk History' (Comedy Central)
'Portlandia' (IFC)
'Saturday Night Live' (NBC)
'Tracey Ullman's Show' (HBO)

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series:
Wanda Sykes, 'Blackish' (ABC)
Carrie Fisher, 'Catastophe' (Amazon)
Becky Ann Baker, 'Girls' (HBO)
Angela Bassett, 'Master Of None' (Netflix)
Kristen Wiig, 'Saturday Night Live' (NBC)
Melissa McCarthy, 'Saturday Night Live' (NBC)

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy:
Riz Ahmed, 'Girls' (HBO)
Matthew Rhys, 'Girls' (HBO)
Dave Chappelle, 'Saturday Night Live' (NBC)
Lin-Manuel Miranda, 'Saturday Night Live' (NBC)
Tom Hanks, 'Saturday Night Live' (NBC)
Hugh Laurie, 'Veep' (HBO)

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series:
Alison Wright, 'The Americans' (FX)
Alexis Bledel, 'The Handmaid's Tale' (Hulu)
Cicely Tyson, 'How to Get Away with Murder' (ABC)
Ann Dowd, 'The Leftovers' (HBO)
Laverne Cox, 'Orange is the New Black' (Netflix)
Shannon Purser, Stranger Things' (Netflix)

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series:
Ben Mendelsohn, 'Bloodline' (Netflix)
BD Wong, 'Mr. Robot' (USA)
Hank Azaria, 'Ray Donovan' (Showtime)
Denis O'Hare, 'This Is Us' (NBC)
Brian Tyree Henry, 'This Is Us' (NBC)
Gerald McRaney, 'This Is Us' (NBC)

Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program:
Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg, 'Martha & Snoop's Potluck Dinner Party' (VH1)
Gordon Ramsay, 'Masterchef Junior' (Fox)
Alec Baldwin, 'Match Game' (ABC)
Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn, 'Project Runway' (Lifetime)
RuPaul Charles, 'RuPaul's Drag Race' (Logo)
W. Kamau Bell, 'United Shades of America' (CNN)

Outstanding Variety Special:
'Carpool Karaoke Primetime Special 2017' (CBS)
'Full Frontal With Samantha Bee Presents Not The White House Correspondents' Dinner' (TBS)
'Louis C.K. 2017' (Netflix)
'Sarah Silverman: A Speck Of Dust' (Netflix)
'Stephen Colbert's Live Election Night Democracy's Series Finale: Who's Going To Clean Up This S**t?' (Showtime)

Outstanding Special Class Program:
'Hairspray Live!' (NBC)
'The Oscars' (ABC)
'Super Bowl LI Halftime Show Starring Lady Gaga' (FOX)
'70th Annual Tony Awards' (CBS)

Sky TV will be screening the 2017 Emmys live on Monday September 18 from 12pm on Vibe.

- Bang! Showbiz