Game of Thrones (season 6)
The sixth season of the fantasy drama television series Game of Thrones premiered on HBO on April 24, 2016, and concluded on June 26, 2016. It consists of ten episodes, each of approximately 50–60 minutes long. Much of the season is made up of content not yet found in George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, although a significant amount of material was used from A Feast for Crows, A Dance with Dragons and the upcoming sixth novel The Winds of Winter, which Martin outlined to the show-runners. The series was adapted for television by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. HBO ordered the season on April 8, 2014, together with the fifth season, which began filming in July 2015 primarily in Northern Ireland, Spain, Croatia, Iceland and Canada. The entire season cost over $100 million to produce.
The season follows the continuing struggle among the noble families of Westeros for the Iron Throne. The Starks and allies defeat the Bolton forces in the "Battle of the Bastards", culminating with Sansa Stark feeding her tormenting husband, Ramsay Bolton, — who had murdered his father, Roose; his stepfamily; and Rickon Stark — to his starving hounds, and Jon Snow is proclaimed the King in the North. Tyrion rules Meereen while Daenerys is held captive by the Dothraki. At King's Landing, Margaery capitulates to the High Sparrow, who becomes more powerful by influencing King Tommen. But on the day of Cersei's trial, Cersei destroys the Great Sept with wildfire, killing the Sparrows, her uncle, and the Tyrells. Tommen commits suicide, and Cersei is crowned Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. Ellaria Sand and Oberyn Martell's daughters kill Doran and Trystane Martell and seize control of Dorne. Arya Stark finishes her assassin training, escapes Essos, and returns to Westeros to resume her revenge list. Bran Stark becomes the Three-Eyed Raven, escapes the White Walkers, and returns to the Wall. Daenerys Targaryen burns the Khals, emerges from the flames of their temple alive, and the Dothraki pledge her their loyalty. Yara Greyjoy fails to be chosen queen of the Iron Islands, so she and Theon ally with Daenerys. Varys secures an alliance for Daenerys with Olenna and the Dornish.
Game of Thrones features a large ensemble cast, including Peter Dinklage, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Lena Headey, Emilia Clarke, and Kit Harington. The season introduced new cast members, including Max von Sydow, Pilou Asbæk, and Essie Davis.
Critics praised its production values, writing, plot development, and cast. Game of Thrones received the most nominations for the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards, with 23 nominations, and won twelve, including that for Outstanding Drama Series for the second year in a row. U.S. viewership rose compared to the previous season, and by approximately 13% over its course, from 7.9 million to 8.9 million by the finale.
Episodes
Cast
Main cast
Guest cast
The recurring actors listed here are those who appeared in season 6. They are listed by the region in which they first appear:In the North, including the Wall
- Daniel Portman as Podrick Payne
- Natalia Tena as Osha
- Art Parkinson as Rickon Stark
- Owen Teale as Alliser Thorne
- Ben Crompton as Eddison Tollett
- Brenock O'Connor as Olly
- Charlotte Hope as Myranda
- Elizabeth Webster as Walda Bolton
- Paul Rattray as Harald Karstark
- Dean Jagger as Smalljon Umber
- Tim McInnerny as Robett Glover
- Bella Ramsey as Lyanna Mormont
- Sean Blowers as Wyman Manderly
- Tom Varey as Cley Cerwyn
- Richard Rycroft as Maester Wolkan
- Michael Condron as Bowen Marsh
- Brian Fortune as Othell Yarwyck
- Ian Whyte as Wun Wun
- Murray McArthur as Dim Dalba
Beyond the Wall
- Max von Sydow as the Three-eyed Raven
- Ellie Kendrick as Meera Reed
- Kristian Nairn as Hodor
- Joseph Mawle as Benjen Stark
- Kae Alexander as Leaf
- Vladimir "Furdo" Furdik as the Night King
In the Riverlands
- David Bradley as Walder Frey
- Clive Russell as Brynden Tully
- Tobias Menzies as Edmure Tully
- Richard Dormer as Beric Dondarrion
- Paul Kaye as Thoros of Myr
- Tim Plester as Black Walder Rivers
- Daniel Tuite as Lothar Frey
- Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson as Lem
- Ricky Champ as Gatins
- Ian Davies as Morgan
- Ian McShane as Brother Ray
On the Iron Islands
- Gemma Whelan as Yara Greyjoy
- Patrick Malahide as Balon Greyjoy
- Pilou Asbæk as Euron Greyjoy
- Michael Feast as Aeron Greyjoy
In Dorne
- Alexander Siddig as Doran Martell
- Toby Sebastian as Trystane Martell
- Jessica Henwick as Nymeria Sand
- Keisha Castle-Hughes as Obara Sand
- Rosabell Laurenti Sellers as Tyene Sand
- DeObia Oparei as Areo Hotah
In King's Landing
- Diana Rigg as Olenna Tyrell
- Julian Glover as Grand Maester Pycelle
- Finn Jones as Loras Tyrell
- Anton Lesser as Qyburn
- Roger Ashton-Griffiths as Mace Tyrell
- Eugene Simon as Lancel Lannister
- Ian Gelder as Kevan Lannister
- Hannah Waddingham as Septa Unella
- Nell Tiger Free as Myrcella Baratheon
- Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson as Gregor Clegane
- Josephine Gillan as Marei
- Nathanael Saleh as Arthur
- Annette Hannah as Frances
In the Vale
- Lino Facioli as Robin Arryn
- Rupert Vansittart as Yohn Royce
In Braavos
- Faye Marsay as the Waif
- Richard E. Grant as Izembaro
- Essie Davis as Lady Crane
- Leigh Gill as Bobono
- Eline Powell as Bianca
- Rob Callender as Clarenzo
- Kevin Eldon as Camello
In Meereen
- Jacob Anderson as Grey Worm
- George Georgiou as Razdal mo Eraz
- Eddie Jackson as Belicho Paenymion
- Enzo Cilenti as Yezzan zo Qaggaz
- Ania Bukstein as Kinvara
- Gerald Lepkowski as Zanrush
- Meena Rayann as Vala
In Vaes Dothrak
- Joe Naufahu as Khal Moro
- Andrei Claude as Khal Rhalko
- Tamer Hassan as Khal Forzho
- Staz Nair as Qhono
- Chuku Modu as Aggo
- Deon Lee-Williams as Iggo
- Souad Faress as the High Priestess
- Hannah John-Kamen as Ornella
In the Reach
- James Faulkner as Randyll Tarly
- Samantha Spiro as Melessa Tarly
- Freddie Stroma as Dickon Tarly
- Rebecca Benson as Talla Tarly
In flashbacks
- Robert Aramayo & Sebastian Croft as Eddard Stark
- Matteo Elezi as Benjen Stark
- Aisling Franciosi & Cordelia Hill as Lyanna Stark
- Wayne Foskett as Rickard Stark
- Fergus Leathem as Rodrik Cassel
- Annette Tierney as Old Nan
- Sam Coleman as Hodor
- Leo Woodruff as Howland Reed
- Luke Roberts as Arthur Dayne
- Eddie Eyre as Gerold Hightower
- David Rintoul as Aerys II Targaryen
Production
Crew
The writing staff for the sixth season includes executive producers and showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, producer Bryan Cogman, and Dave Hill. Author George R. R. Martin, who had written one episode for each of the first four seasons, did not write an episode for the sixth season, as he was working to finish writing the sixth A Song of Ice and Fire novel, The Winds of Winter. The directing staff for the sixth season was Jeremy Podeswa, Daniel Sackheim, Jack Bender, Mark Mylod, and Miguel Sapochnik. Sackheim and Bender were first-time Game of Thrones directors, with the rest each having directed two episodes in the previous season.Writing
With the end of the fifth season, the content of the show has reached the plot of the latest novel in Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, A Dance with Dragons. Season 6 director Jeremy Podeswa said in August 2015, "Right now in season six, what we're shooting currently isn't based on anything in the book. It's fully based on discussions the writers have had with George Martin, because the series has now surpassed the books in terms of what's available." Actress Natalie Dormer, who plays Margaery Tyrell, later added that the show's writers "know where it's got to go and what 's intentions for the characters are. But they are just filling in the gaps."The season premiere starts off right where the fifth season ended. A plot from The Winds of Winter regarding a traveling theater troupe located in Braavos that stages a play called "The Bloody Hand", about the events that have taken place in King's Landing since the beginning of the series, is included in the sixth season.
Filming
Filming for season six began in July 2015 and ended on December 17, 2015. The budget for the sixth season increased compared to the previous seasons as each episode cost over $10 million, totaling over $100 million for the full season and setting a new high for the series. The season filmed in five different countries: Northern Ireland, Spain, Croatia, Iceland, and Canada.Like the previous seasons, a large amount of production took place in Northern Ireland, mainly in Belfast and on the Causeway Coast, including film locations in the Binevenagh, Magilligan area, which was used to film scenes for the Dothraki Grasslands, and Larrybane Quarry and Ballintoy Harbour, both used for scenes in the Iron Islands. For the siege of Riverrun, the small village of Corbet was used. As in previous seasons, some of Castle Black was set at the abandoned Magheramorne quarry.
From September 3 to October 23, 2015, the show also filmed in Spain, specifically in Girona, Navarre, Peniscola, and Almería. Some filming locations in Spain included the Castle of Zafra in Guadalajara, the Bardenas Reales Natural Park in Navarre, the Alcazaba in Almería, and the Castle of Santa Florentina in Canet de Mar.
In August 2015, HBO announced that for the first time since season 1 the show would not be filming any scenes in Croatia. The Croatian city of Dubrovnik has stood in for King's Landing since the beginning of season 2; nearby cities such as Klis, Split and Šibenik have been used to depict various other locations. Contradicting the statement by HBO, cast of the show were seen in costume in Dubrovnik in October 2015.
Only a very small portion of the season was filmed in Canada : the scenes featuring Jon Snow's wolf, Ghost. However, some of the special effects were created at Montreal's Rodeo FX studios which has won Emmy Awards previously for its work on the series.
Casting
The sixth season saw the return of Isaac Hempstead Wright as Bran Stark, Kristian Nairn as Hodor, Ellie Kendrick as Meera Reed, Gemma Whelan as Yara Greyjoy, and Rory McCann as Sandor "The Hound" Clegane, who did not appear in the fifth season. Clive Russell, Tobias Menzies, Patrick Malahide, Richard Dormer, and Paul Kaye also returned to the show as Brynden Tully, Edmure Tully, Balon Greyjoy, Beric Dondarrion, and Thoros of Myr after not appearing since the third season. Jonathan Pryce as the High Sparrow was added to the series main cast after appearing in a recurring role in the previous season.Across the Narrow Sea, Melanie Liburd plays a Red priestess from Asshai who is in R'hllor's service. At the Reach, House Tarly is introduced, with Freddie Stroma joining the cast as Samwell Tarly's brother Dickon Tarly, a character who was mentioned in the novels but has yet to appear in them. Other members of House Tarly that were introduced were Randyll Tarly, played by James Faulkner; Melessa Tarly, played by Samantha Spiro; and Talla Tarly, who was portrayed by Rebecca Benson.
Veteran actor Max von Sydow was cast to play the Three-Eyed-Raven, who is training Bran. The character was previously played by Struan Rodger in the fourth-season finale, "The Children". David Bradley confirmed in August 2015 that he would be returning to the show as Walder Frey after last appearing in the third-season finale, "Mhysa", but he did not confirm when he would be returning. After the second official trailer was released, it was confirmed that Bradley would appear in the sixth season. Danish actor Pilou Asbæk joins the show as Theon Greyjoy's uncle, pirate captain Euron Greyjoy. Ricky Champ played Gatins, an outlaw who is a part of a band using religion to justify extorting the people of the countryside. A young Ned Stark was portrayed by Sebastian Croft in a flashback scene.
The sixth season also included a traveling theater troupe located in Braavos that stages a play called "The Bloody Hand", about the events that have taken place in King's Landing since the beginning of the series. Essie Davis and Kevin Eldon joined the cast in this theater troupe, portraying actors playing Cersei Lannister and Ned Stark, respectively, while Richard E. Grant was cast as the troupe's manager. Members of Icelandic indie band Of Monsters and Men appear as the musicians of the Braavos theatre group.
Music
The soundtrack for the season was digitally released on June 24, 2016, and was released on CD on July 29, 2016. The album reached on the Billboard 200, on Soundtrack chart and on the Canadian Albums chart on its digital release, with the track from the season finale "Light of the Seven" reaching on Billboards Spotify Viral 50 chart.Reception
Critical response
The season received highly positive reviews, with special praise directed at the episodes "The Door", "Battle of the Bastards", and "The Winds of Winter". On Metacritic, the season has a score of 73 out of 100 based on 9 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". On Rotten Tomatoes, the sixth season has a 94% approval rating from 35 critics with an average rating of 8.28 out of 10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Bloody and captivating as always, Game of Thrones plunges back into the midst of a world touched by grief, dread, and precarious sexuality."Ratings
The season finale had 8.89 million viewers on its initial airing on HBO, up ten percent from the previous season's finale, which was the most-watched episode prior to this episode. The average gross viewing figure per episode for the show, which includes streaming, DVR recordings, and repeat showings, reached over 25 million for this season, and it was described as the last consensus show on television. The figure went up by 25% compared to the previous year, and viewing figures of the show for this season on its on demand services HBO Now and HBO Go went up by over 90%, which were new records for HBO. Almost 40% of viewers of the show watched this season on HBO digital platforms. The show also broke records on pay television channels in 2016 in the United Kingdom with an average audience of more than five million across all platforms and in Australia with a cumulative average audience of 1.2 million viewers.Live +7 ratings were not available, so Live +3 ratings have been used instead.
Accolades
For the 32nd TCA Awards, the series was nominated for Program of the Year and Outstanding Achievement in Drama. For the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards, the series received 23 nominations, the most of any series. It won 12 awards, including Outstanding Drama Series, David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for "Battle of the Bastards", and Miguel Sapochnik for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for "Battle of the Bastards". For the 7th Critics' Choice Television Awards, the series won for Best Drama Series.| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result | |
| 2016 | AFI Awards | AFI TV Award | Game of Thrones | ||
| 2016 | 32nd TCA Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Drama | Game of Thrones | ||
| 2016 | 32nd TCA Awards | Program of the Year | Game of Thrones | ||
| 2016 | TV Choice Awards | Best International Show | Game of Thrones | ||
| 2016 | Dragon Awards | Best Science Fiction or Fantasy TV Series | Game of Thrones | ||
| 2016 | Gold Derby TV Awards 2016 | Best Drama Series | Game of Thrones | ||
| 2016 | Gold Derby TV Awards 2016 | Ensemble of the Year | The cast of Game of Thrones | ||
| 2016 | Gold Derby TV Awards 2016 | Best Drama Supporting Actor | Kit Harington | ||
| 2016 | Gold Derby TV Awards 2016 | Best Drama Supporting Actress | Lena Headey | ||
| 2016 | Gold Derby TV Awards 2016 | Best Drama Guest Actor | Ian McShane | ||
| 2016 | Gold Derby TV Awards 2016 | Best Drama Guest Actor | Max von Sydow | ||
| 2016 | Gold Derby TV Awards 2016 | Best Drama Episode | "Battle of the Bastards" | ||
| 2016 | Gold Derby TV Awards 2016 | Best Drama Episode | "The Winds of Winter" | ||
| 2016 | Artios Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Television Series Drama | Nina Gold, Robert Sterne, Carla Stronge | ||
| 2016 | EWwy Award | Best Supporting Actress, Drama | Sophie Turner | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Drama Series | Game of Thrones | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Kit Harington as Jon Snow | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Maisie Williams as Arya Stark | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series | Jack Bender for "The Door" | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series | Miguel Sapochnik for "Battle of the Bastards" | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series | David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for "Battle of the Bastards" | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series | Nina Gold, Robert Sterne, and Carla Stronge | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series | Max von Sydow as Three-Eyed Raven | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series | Gregory Middleton for Home | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Costumes for a Fantasy Series | Michele Clapton, Chloe Aubry, Sheena Wichary for The Winds of Winter | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Hairstyling for a Single-Camera Series | Kevin Alexander, Candice Banks, Nicola Mount, Laura Pollock, Gary Machin, Rosalia Culora for The Door | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Make-up for a Single-Camera Series | Jane Walker, Kate Thompson, Nicola Mathews, Kay Bilk, Marianna Kyriacou, Pamela Smyth for "Battle of the Bastards" | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Production Design for a Fantasy Program | Deborah Riley, Paul Ghirardani, Rob Cameron for Blood of My Blood, The Broken Man, and No One | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series | Jane Walker, Sarah Gower, Emma Sheffield, Tristan Versluis, Barrie Gower for The Door | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama series | Tim Porter for Battle of the Bastards | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama series | Katie Weiland for Oathbreaker | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series | Tim Kimmel, Tim Hands, Paul Bercovitch, Paula Fairfield, Bradley C. Katona, Michael Wabro, David Klotz, Brett Voss, Jeffrey Wilhoit, Dylan Tuomy-Wilhoit for The Door | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Series | Ronan Hill, Richard Dyer, Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters for Battle of the Bastards | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Special Visual Effects | Steve Kullback, Joe Bauer, Adam Chazen, Derek Spears, Eric Carney, Sam Conway, Matthew Rouleau, Michelle Blok, Glenn Melenhorst for Battle of the Bastards | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Series | Rowley Irlam | ||
| 2016 | 68th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Interactive Program | Game of Thrones Main Titles 360 Experience | ||
| 2016 | Hollywood Professional Alliance | Outstanding Sound | Tim Kimmel, Paula Fairfield, Mathew Waters, Onnalee Blank, Bradley Katona, Paul Bercovitch for "Battle of the Bastards" | ||
| 2016 | Hollywood Professional Alliance | Outstanding Editing | Tim Porter for "Battle of the Bastards" | ||
| 2016 | Hollywood Professional Alliance | Outstanding Visual Effects | Joe Bauer, Eric Carney, Derek Spears, Glenn Melenhorst, Matthew Rouleau for "Battle of the Bastards" | ||
| 2016 | Australian Production Design Guild | Production Design for a Television Drama | Deborah Riley | ||
| 2016 | Australian Production Design Guild | 3D Award for Visual Effects Design | Iloura for "Battle of the Bastards" | ||
| 2016 | British Society of Cinematographers | Best Cinematography in a Television Drama | Fabian Wagner for "The Winds of Winter" | ||
| 2016 | British Society of Cinematographers | ACO/BSC/GBCT Operators TV Drama Award | Sean Savage, David Morgan & John Ferguson for "Battle of the Bastards" | ||
| 2016 | American Society of Cinematographers | Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Regular Series | Fabian Wagner for "Battle of the Bastards" | ||
| 2016 | American Society of Cinematographers | Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Regular Series | Anette Haellmigk for "Book of the Stranger" | ||
| 2016 | 7th Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Drama Series | Game of Thrones | ||
| 2016 | 7th Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Peter Dinklage | ||
| 2016 | 7th Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Kit Harington | ||
| 2016 | 7th Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Emilia Clarke | ||
| 2016 | 7th Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series | Lena Headey | ||
| 2016 | 7th Critics' Choice Television Awards | Most Bingeworthy Show | Game of Thrones | ||
| 2016 | IGN Awards | Best TV Series | Game of Thrones | ||
| 2016 | IGN Awards | Best TV Episode | "The Winds of Winter" | ||
| 2016 | IGN Awards | Best TV Drama Series | Game of Thrones | ||
| 2016 | IGN People's Choice Award | Best TV Series | Game of Thrones | ||
| 2016 | IGN People's Choice Award | Best TV Episode | "The Winds of Winter" | ||
| 2016 | IGN People's Choice Award | Best TV Drama Series | Game of Thrones | ||
| 2016 | MTV Fandom Awards | Fan Freak Out of the Year | Game of Thrones – Resurrection of Jon Snow | ||
| 2016 | International Film Music Critics Association | Best Original Score for a Television Series | Ramin Djawadi | ||
| 2016 | International Film Music Critics Association | Film Music Composition Of The Year | Ramin Djawadi for "Light of the Seven" | ||
| 2016 | World Soundtrack Awards | Television Composer of the Year | Ramin Djawadi | ||
| 2017 | 43rd People's Choice Awards | Favorite Premium Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Show | Game of Thrones | ||
| 2017 | 43rd People's Choice Awards | Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy TV Actress | Emilia Clarke | ||
| 2017 | 44th Annie Awards | Outstanding Achievement, Character Animation in a Live Action Production | Nicholas Tripodi, Dean Elliott, James Hollingworth, Matt Weaver for "Battle of the Bastards" | ||
| 2017 | 74th Golden Globe Awards | Best Television Series – Drama | Game of Thrones | ||
| 2017 | 74th Golden Globe Awards | Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film | Lena Headey | ||
| 2017 | 21st Satellite Awards | Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film | Lena Headey | ||
| 2017 | 21st Satellite Awards | Best Television Series – Genre | Game of Thrones | ||
| 2017 | Writers Guild of America Awards 2016 | David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for "The Winds of Winter" | |||
| 2017 | Writers Guild of America Awards 2016 | David Benioff, Bryan Cogman, Dave Hill, D. B. Weiss | |||
| 2017 | 23rd Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Drama Series | Boian Anev, Kristina Baskett, Rachelle Beinart, Richard Bradshaw, Michael Byrch, Nick Chopping, Christopher Cox, Jake Cox, David Cronnelly, Matt Crook, Levan Doran, Bradley Farmer, Vladimir Furdik, Richard Hansen, Rob Hayns, Paul Howell, Rowley Irlam, Erol Ismail, Milen Kaleychev, Leigh Maddern, Jonathan McBride, Leona McCarron, Kim McGarrity, Richard Mead, Casey Michaels, Sian Milne, David Newton, Jason Otelle, Radoslav Parvanov, Ian Pead, Rashid Phoenix, Andy Pilgrim, Marc Redmond, Paul Shapcott, Jonny Stockwell, Ryan Stuart, Edward Upcott, Leo Woodruff | ||
| 2017 | 23rd Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by An Ensemble in a Drama Series | Alfie Allen, Jacob Anderson, Dean Charles Chapman, Emilia Clarke, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Liam Cunnungham, Peter Dinklage, Nathalie Emmanuel, Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Conleth Hill, Kristofer Hivju, Michiel Huisman, Faye Marsay, Jonathan Pryce, Sophie Turner, Carcie Van Houten, Gemma Whelan, Maisie Williams, | ||
| 2017 | 23rd Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series | Peter Dinklage | ||
| 2017 | American Cinema Editors Awards 2017 | Best Edited One-Hour Series For Non-Commercial Television | Tim Porter for "Battle of the Bastards" | ||
| 2017 | Art Directors Guild Awards 2016 | One-Hour Single Camera Period Or Fantasy Television Series | Deborah Riley for "Blood of My Blood", "The Broken Man" and "No One" | ||
| 2017 | Producers Guild of America Awards 2016 | The Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama | David Benioff, D. B. Weiss, Bernadette Caulfield, Frank Doelger, Carolyn Strauss, Bryan Cogman, Lisa McAtackney, Chris Newman, Greg Spence | ||
| 2017 | Visual Effects Society Awards 2016 | Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Episode | Joe Bauer, Steve Kullback, Glenn Melenhorst, Matthew Rouleau, Sam Conway for "Battle of the Bastards" | ||
| 2017 | Visual Effects Society Awards 2016 | Outstanding Animated Performance in an Episode or Real-Time Project | James Kinnings, Michael Holzl, Matt Derksen, Joseph Hoback for "Battle of the Bastards" – Drogon | ||
| 2017 | Visual Effects Society Awards 2016 | Outstanding Animated Performance in an Episode or Real-Time Project | Sebastian Lauer, Jonathan Symmonds, Thomas Kutschera, Anthony Sieben for "Home" – Emaciated Dragon | ||
| 2017 | Visual Effects Society Awards 2016 | Outstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial or Real-Time Project | Deak Ferrand, Dominic Daigle, François Croteau, Alexandru Banuta for "Battle of the Bastards" – Meereen City | ||
| 2017 | Visual Effects Society Awards 2016 | Outstanding Created Environment in an Episode, Commercial or Real-Time Project | Edmond Engelbrecht, Tomoka Matsumura, Edwin Holdsworth, Cheri Fojtik for "The Winds of Winter" – Citadel | ||
| 2017 | Visual Effects Society Awards 2016 | Outstanding Virtual Cinematography in a Photoreal Project | Patrick Tiberius Gehlen, Michelle Blok, Christopher Baird, Drew Wood-Davies for "Battle of the Bastards" | ||
| 2017 | Visual Effects Society Awards 2016 | Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Episode, Commercial, or Real-Time Project | Kevin Blom, Sasmit Ranadive, Wanghua Huang, Ben Andersen for "Battle of the Bastards" | ||
| 2017 | Visual Effects Society Awards 2016 | Outstanding Effects Simulations in an Episode, Commercial, or Real-Time Project | Thomas Hullin, Dominik Kirouac, James Dong, Xavier Fourmond for "Battle of the Bastards" – Meereen City | ||
| 2017 | Visual Effects Society Awards 2016 | Outstanding Compositing in a Photoreal Episode | Thomas Montminy-Brodeur, Patrick David, Michael Crane, Joe Salazar for "Battle of the Bastards" – Meereen City | ||
| 2017 | Visual Effects Society Awards 2016 | Outstanding Compositing in a Photoreal Episode | Dominic Hellier, Morgan Jones, Thijs Noij, Caleb Thompson for "Battle of the Bastards" – Retaking Winterfell | ||
| 2017 | Visual Effects Society Awards 2016 | Outstanding Compositing in a Photoreal Episode | Eduardo Díaz, Aníbal Del Busto, Angel Rico, Sonsoles López-Aranguren for "The Door" – Land of Always Winter | ||
| 2017 | Cinema Audio Society Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing – Television Series – One Hour | Ronan Hill, Onnalee Blank, Mathew Waters, Richard Dyer, Brett Voss for "Battle of the Bastards" | ||
| 2017 | 69th Directors Guild of America Awards | Dramatic Series | Miguel Sapochnik for "Battle of the Bastards" | ||
| 2017 | USC Scripter Award | Best Adapted Screenplay | David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for "The Winds of Winter" | ||
| 2017 | Hollywood Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist Guild Awards | Best Period and/or Character Makeup – Television | Jane Walker, Kay Bilk | ||
| 2017 | Hollywood Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist Guild Awards | Best Period and/or Character Hair Styling – Television | Kevin Alexander, Candice Banks | ||
| 2017 | Hollywood Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist Guild Awards | Best Special Makeup Effects – Television | Barrie Gower, Sarah Gower | ||
| 2017 | Costume Designers Guild Awards | Outstanding Fantasy Television Series | Michele Clapton, April Ferry | ||
| 2017 | Dorian Awards | TV Drama of the Year | Game of Thrones | ||
| 2017 | 22nd National Television Awards | Best Drama | Game of Thrones | ||
| 2017 | Golden Reel Awards | Best Sound Editing in Television, Short Form: FX/Foley | Tim Kimmel, Brett Voss, John Matter, Jeffrey Wilhoit, Dylan Wilhoit, Paula Fairfield and Bradley Katona for "Battle of the Bastards" | ||
| 2017 | Golden Reel Awards | Best Sound Editing in Television, Short Form: Dialogue / ADR | Tim Kimmel and Tim Hands for "Battle of the Bastards" | ||
| 2017 | Golden Reel Awards | Best Sound Editing in Television, Short Form: Music | David Klotz for "Battle of the Bastards" | ||
| 2017 | Society of Camera Operators Awards | Camera Operator of the Year – Television | Sean Savage | ||
| 2017 | Zulu Awards | Best Actor | Nikolaj Coster-Waldau | ||
| 2017 | Canadian Society of Cinematographers | TV Series Cinematography | Gregory Middleton for "Home" | ||
| 2017 | Location Managers Guild Awards | LMGI Award for Outstanding Locations in Period Television | Matt Jones and Naomi Liston | ||
| 2017 | 43rd Saturn Awards | Best Fantasy Television Series | Game of Thrones | ||
| 2017 | 43rd Saturn Awards | Best Supporting Actor on Television | Kit Harington | ||
| 2017 | 43rd Saturn Awards | Best Actress on Television | Lena Headey | ||
| 2017 | 22nd Empire Awards | Best TV Series | Game of Thrones | ||
| 2017 | Irish Film & Television Academy | Best Television Drama | Game of Thrones | ||
| 2017 | Irish Film & Television Academy | Actor in a Supporting Role – Television | Liam Cunningham | ||
| 2017 | Irish Film & Television Academy | Best Sound | Game of Thrones | ||
| 2017 | Irish Film & Television Academy | Best VFX | Game of Thrones | ||
| 2017 | Webby Award | Best Overall Social Presence | Game of Thrones | ||
| 2017 | Webby Award | Unscripted | "Battle of the Bastards" Featurette | ||
| 2017 | Hugo Award | Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form | David Benioff, D. B. Weiss, and Miguel Sapochnik for "Battle of the Bastards" | ||
| 2017 | Hugo Award | Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form | David Benioff, D. B. Weiss, and Jack Bender for "The Door" | ||
| 2017 | 2017 MTV Movie & TV Awards | Show Of The Year | Game of Thrones | ||
| 2017 | 2017 MTV Movie & TV Awards | Best Actor In A Show | Emilia Clarke | ||
| 2017 | 2017 MTV Movie & TV Awards | Tearjerker | Hodor's Death | ||
| 2017 | 2017 British Academy Television Awards | Must-See Moment | "Battle of the Bastards" | ||
| 2017 | Glamour Awards | Best UK TV Actress | Sophie Turner |
Release
Broadcast
The season was simulcast around the world by HBO and its broadcast partners. In some countries, it aired the day after its first release.Marketing
On November 23, 2015, a teaser poster displaying Jon Snow was released on the official Game of Thrones Twitter account. A 41-second teaser trailer was released on December 3, featuring Jon Snow from the fifth season episode "Hardhome", many of the previous seasons' highlights, and voice-overs from Max von Sydow as the Three-Eyed Raven and Isaac Hempstead Wright as Bran Stark. The first footage from the season was revealed in a new promotional video released by HBO highlighting its new and returning original shows for the coming year on December 6, 2015, showcasing scenes involving Daenerys Targaryen, Ramsay Bolton, Cersei Lannister, and Tommen Baratheon. On December 28, 2015, Entertainment Weekly released its "Exclusive First Look" issue, featuring an image of Bran Stark, who had shorter hair and was noticeably older from his last appearance in season four.On January 22, 2016, three teaser trailers were released, with each teaser depicting the banners of the houses Targaryen, Lannister, and Stark and which included voice-overs by Iwan Rheon as Ramsay Bolton, Jonathan Pryce as The High Sparrow, and an unknown character speaking in Dothraki. On February 11, 2016, HBO released 28 exclusive photos from the sixth season, picturing several of the main characters during the season and confirming the fates of Theon, Sansa, and Myrcella, while Jon Snow was notably absent. HBO released a teaser trailer on February 14, 2016, that shows the faces of a number of living as well as deceased characters such as Ned Stark, Robb Stark, Catelyn Stark, Joffrey Baratheon, Tywin Lannister, Stannis Baratheon, Ygritte, and, controversially, Jon Snow in the House of Black and White. On February 24, 2016, HBO released 16 character posters of both deceased and alive characters and two official posters featuring various characters.
A behind-the-scenes video of the sixth season was released on February 29, 2016, focusing on camera operators working on the show. The first official trailer for season 6 was released on March 8, 2016. Another behind-the-scenes video was released on March 22, 2016, focusing on the creative process of prosthetics, specifically the White Walkers. The video also contained new footage of White Walkers from the sixth season. On March 24, Entertainment Weekly revealed a series of new issues titled "Dame of Thrones", featuring six of the female lead characters from the series and a focus on the sixth season. On March 26, 2016, new photos from season six, in addition to a new promo named "March Madness" with new footage, was released by HBO. After the screening of the season premiere, "The Red Woman", HBO released a second official trailer. As well, in July 2016, HBO released a "blooper reel" online: a video of outtakes from season 6.