Game of Thrones’ Peter Dinklage breaks an Emmys record with 4th Best Supporting Actor award

Peter Dinklage took home the first award of the evening for HBO’s Game of Thrones at the 71st Emmy Awards Sunday, in the process making Emmys history to become the first actor ever to own four Best Supporting Actor trophies.

Dinklage, who played the wise, world-weary Tyrion through all eight seasons of the iconic series’ run, broke his standing tie with Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul with the win, adding to his collection of Best Supporting Actor Emmys — and he’s been nominated for every season for which the show was eligible in the category.

Alone on stage, Dinklage had nothing but praise for the Game of Thrones creative team and cast. “I count myself so fortunate to be a member of a community that is nothing but all about tolerance and diversity. Because in no other place would I be standing on a stage like this,” he said, confessing that when the series began, he “had no idea what I was getting myself into — but I knew that [show creators] David [Benioff] and Dan [Daniel “D.B.” Weiss] were absolutely brilliant.”

Dinklage’s nomination represents just one of the record-breaking 32 Emmys nods Game of Thrones’ 8th and final season received, indicating the show’s persistence as a beacon of quality within the industry — despite Season 8’s polarizing reception among fans. In all, Dinklage himself has now received a remarkable eight Emmy nominations in the Best Supporting Actor role. 

Dinklage said staying with the show for eight long seasons took immense effort — but it also carried immense rewards, beyond the kind that get handed out on Emmys night. “We did nothing but sweat, we did nothing but laugh,” he said. “I would do it all again in a heartbeat. Thank you.”