LOS ANGELES, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- "Game of Thrones" and "Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" won top awards Monday evening at the 70th Primetime Emmy Awards, picking up outstanding drama series and outstanding comedy series, respectively.

HBO's "Game of Thrones" returned to the Emmys after a year out of contention and led the nominations with 22 nods. The fantasy drama television series is an adaptation of George R. R. Martin's series of fantasy novels. It's the third Emmy wins of "Game of Thrones" for best drama series following two wins in a row in 2015 and 2016.

"The show is only as good as the people who make it. And we had the greatest cast, the greatest crew and the best producers in the business. And thanks to HBO for their vision. There is no better place to work," said producer David Benihoff.

Martin, the prolific author of the series of books upon which the TV series is based, told Xinhua, "We may not have changed television, but as the first fantasy series to win Best Drama, we certainly changed the genre and opened the door for other quality fantasies."

Peter Dinklage also won his third Emmy for most outstanding supporting actor in a drama series for "Game of Thrones." Dinklage has been nominated in the category seven times and won the award in 2011 and 2015.

"I had some concerns going into this role, because usually a role about someone my size usually does not have enough depth and layers to make it interesting. This was completely different. It's bittersweet to see it end," Dinklage told Xinhua.

Amazon's "Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" dominated the comedy categories with five honors including awards for Best Comedy and Lead Actress.

When asked about the relevance of the show given the transforming effects of feminist activism on the political landscape of Times Up and #Me Too movements, writer/director/executive producer powerhouse, Amy Sherman-Palladino, told Xinhua, "You can't plan that kind of perfect timing. We never expected when this came out that Hollywood would be taking down so many trolls in real life. But, nobody gives you props for playing it safe, so we went for it."

The series follows a housewife in 1958 New York City who discovers she has a knack for stand-up comedy and reinvents herself after her husband runs off with another woman.

Rachel Bronsnahan got the last laugh when she snagged the Best Actress in the field for "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel." When asked why she thought the show was so successful, she told Xinhua, "Its aspirational. I've always wanted to play complex, interesting and grounded women. And it's about a woman who reinvents herself when her dream fell apart after she achieved everything she thought she wanted. And it's filled with joy at its core."

Her co-star, Alex Borstein, who plays Mrs. Maisel's tough-talking Greenwich Village promoter, walked away with the Best Supporting Actress in a comedy.

After doing a mock strip tease on her way to the podium, Borstein said, "To my children: this is all wonderful, but none of it matters. You do!"

The 70th annual Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony was held at the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles and airing on NBC. It's an American award bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (ATAS) in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming.