Emmys 2016: 5 things to watch

Jimmy Kimmel is set to host this year's PrimetimeEmmy Awards and British actorTom Hiddleston (otherwise known as Taylor Swift's ex)is set to present the final award of the evening. Sobesides watching for that inevitable and possiblypainful joke about"Hiddleswift,"here's a rundown of what else to keep an eye on during TV's biggest night.

Leader of the pack

Game of Thrones, which won last year's top award for Outstanding Drama, received the most nominationsgoing in this year, at23. The hit HBO fantasy series hasalready won nine of thoseawardswhich were handed outlast week, so it has major momentum going into Sunday's live broadcast.

The epic drama is just a few wins away from setting a new record. If it takes at least threemoreEmmys,Game of Throneswill become the most-awarded scripted show in Emmy history. The current holder of that prestigious title is the sitcomFrasier, which captureda total of 37Emmysduring its 11 seasons on air between 1993 and 2004.

Throneswill miss next year'sEmmy deadline because of thedecision to air itsseventh season in the summer of 2017, so racking up as many as possible this year is an even bigger deal.

The People v O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, which got 22 nominations total and has already won a number of technical Emmysgiven out earlier, is likely to be another big winner.

The10-episode historical dramamanaged to re-tell the story of O.J. Simpson's 1995 murder trial, and the events before and after,in a fascinating way and witha fresh perspective.

• The People v. O.J. Simpson brings 'the trial of the century' back to TV

Its stellar cast was rewarded with a number of acting nominations including Sarah Paulson (who played prosecutor Marcia Clark), Sterling K. Brown (who played prosecutor Chris Darden), Courtney B. Vance (as defence lawyer Johnnie Cochran), Cuba Gooding, Jr. (as O. J. Simpson), David Schwimmer (as Robert Kardashian) and John Travolta (playing Robert Shapiro).

Canuck contingent

There area number of Canadians to root for this year, in major acting categories and behind-the-scenes.

TatianaMaslany is once again nominated for outstanding lead actress in a drama, playing multiple roles on the cult hit clone series Orphan Black.

A big part ofMaslany's charm off-camera, besides her Reginaroots of course,is her honesty when it comes tored carpets versus real life.

"It is really an honour to be part of a group of actors who I really look up to," Maslany told CBC's Chief Correspondent Peter Mansbridge in a sit-down interview. "But it feels very separate from my life and what I do. It's this weird other world that is very flashy and very like yeah just not my I don't think anybody's normal experience of anything is the Emmys."

Thomas Middleditch, who hails from Nelson, B.C., and plays the bumbling but brilliant head of a startup company on the hilarious HBO seriesSilicon Valley, is up for outstanding lead actor in a comedy. It's the34-year-old actor's first Emmy nomination.

Lorne Michaels is up for his long-timeexecutive producer role on Saturday Night Liveand yes, even though he's synonymous with American sketch comedy, we still get to claim him because he comesfrom Toronto.

Th FX series Fargo, which is shot in Calgary,received 18 nominations, some of which included Canadians who work on the show.

Laugh out loud

While Silicon Valley also has a nomination for best comedy series, it's competing against Veep, which will try to defend its crown from last year. The cleverseries, a political satire starring Julia Louis-Dreyfusas a U.S. vice president-turned-head honcho,scored 17 nominations and is particularly top of mind given the current state of American politics and anelection year.

Black-ish, Modern Family, Transparent, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and Master of None round out the competitive category, illustrating this really is the modern golden age of television.

Master of None could give Veep a run for its money. The Netflix series starring Aziz Ansari, about actors trying to find work in New York City, was a surprise hit when it was released and is currently filming season two with Ansari at the helm. The show, which is charming, funny, and has an entertaining take on thirty-something dating and relationships, took home a Critics Choice Award last year.

Diversity

Ansariisn't just a hilarious lead and serious contender, he'salso among the nomineesrepresentingthe award show's expandingdiversity.

This year, there's at least one minority nominee in each major acting category alot more than the Oscars could say last year.

"This year is a far better showing than last year,"saidJason E. Squire, an associate professor at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts."You can certainly say this issue is heading in the right direction."

"It seems to ebb and flow," he added. "You hope that it really catches."

• After #OscarsSoWhite, film academy invites diverse new membership

And shows like Transparent, starring Jeffrey Tamboras a transgender parent, are opening doors and ushering in new perspectives.

"The more people see this kind of work, the more the world will change I think," Gaby Hoffman, who also stars on the Amazon-streamed show, told CBC News. "And the more great work will be created."

Queen Bey is sitting where?

She might always own thefront row at the Grammy Awards butBeyonc's rock star royalty status will have to take a back seat.

According to seat placards laid out during the show's press preview earlier this week, Queen Beyhas a spotin the second row. Behind LievSchreiber who, as a result, will be in more than his fair share of camera shots thanks to that placement.Could ya move a little to the leftthere, Liev?

The show is boasting a number of high-profile nominees, including Idris Elba, Benedict Cumberbatch and Tina Fey, so obviouslynot everyone can sit up front. But the singingsuperstar's visual album Lemonadeis up for two Emmys on Sunday and she's undoubtedly one of the biggest names attending the show. At least she's got anaisle seat.