‘Game of Thrones’ leads all series with 32 nominations.

“Game of Thrones” demolished an Emmys record on Tuesday, picking up 32 nominations, the highest total for any show in a single year. The final season of the HBO series beat out “NYPD Blue,” which had 26 nominations in 1994.

A three-time winner for best drama, “Game of Thrones” is the favorite to win the category once again when the envelopes are unsealed at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sept. 22. A fourth win for the show would tie an Emmy record.

While the record number of nominations augurs well, the eighth and final season of “Game of Thrones,” which had its finale on May 19, proved a bit much for some fans and critics. Some complained about what they perceived as hairpin narrative turns and sudden character flip-flops as the show raced ahead of the narrative provided by the still-unfinished series of novels it is based on, “A Song of Ice and Fire,” by George R. R. Martin .

If “Game of Thrones” fails to pull off a best drama win on Emmy night, a newcomer could find itself in the role of spoiler. Of last year’s nominees, only “Game of Thrones” and “This Is Us” have a crack at the big prize this time around. Other contenders for best drama include five first-timers in the category: BBC America’s “Killing Eve,” HBO’s “Succession,” FX’s “Pose,” and a pair of Netflix shows, “Bodyguard” and “Ozark.” The other best drama nominee, “Better Call Saul,” was last nominated in 2017.