Blessed be: The Handmaid's Tale, already an awards darling after its first season won best drama series honors at the 2017 Emmys, is once again a pack-leader for the 2018 ceremony.

The Hulu drama earned 20 nominations for its second season, which concluded this week with a finale that set the stage for a more rebellious third season. Handmaid's Tale is once again up for best drama series, as well as eight different acting categories: series lead Elisabeth Moss ("Offred"), Alexis Bledel ("Emily"), Yvonne Strahovski ("Serena"), Ann Dowd ("Aunt Lydia"), Joseph Fiennes ("Commander Waterford"), Cherry Jones ("Holly Osborne"), Kelly Jenrette ("Annie") and Samira Wiley ("Moira").

"I am overjoyed," Fiennes tells The Hollywood Reporter about his reaction to his nomination. "There are so many talented, amazing actors out there, and I feel very lucky to have made this list — and a little bit dumbstruck!"

Additional Handmaid's Tale nominations include a directing nod for Kari Skogland, the only woman nominated in her category, responsible for helming "After," as well as three other episodes of the Hulu drama's second season: "Baggage," "Other Women" and "Women's Work." In the writing category, series creator Bruce Miller was nominated for "June," the season premiere, which answered a cliffhanger readers of Margaret Atwood's original novel have been left dwelling upon for decades.

"I think we're still riding on Margaret's coattails," Miller tells The Hollywood Reporter, reacting to the show's many nominations. "She's our guiding light, and the book and the world she created. The audience might feel we're moving off of that central story, but we've spent so much time talking about the things that happened in the book, and what are the next things that might happen. I personally still feel so connected to the book and Margaret's world, and guided by her, that any recognition we get is a testament to what she did and the relevance it can have, 30 years after the book was published. That's a miracle of literary genius that we can't even approach."

See the full list of The Handmaid's Tale's nominations below.

Drama series

Writing, Bruce Miller (season two, episode one, "June")

Directing, Kari Skogland (season two, episode seven, "After")

Lead actress, Elisabeth Moss ("Offred")

Supporting actress, Alexis Bledel ("Emily")

Supporting actress, Ann Dowd ("Aunt Lydia")

Supporting actress, Yvonne Strahovski ("Serena Joy")

Supporting actor, Joseph Fiennes ("Commander Waterford")

Guest actress, Cherry Jones ("Holly Osborne")

Guest actress, Kelly Jenrette ("Annie")

Guest actress, Samira Wiley ("Moira")

Casting for a Drama Series

Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (One Hour)

Fantasy/Sci-Fi Costumes

Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic)

Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary Program (One Hour or More)

Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary Program (One Hour or More)

Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series

Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour)

Special Visual Effects in a Supporting Role