A scene from Game of Thrones Photo: IC

Hollywood begins the runup to its annual prizegiving season Thursday with Game of Thrones tipped once again to dominate the field at the announcement of the television industry's 2016 Emmy Awards nominations.

The Television Academy's 19,000 members were given two weeks in June to sift through a crowded field of more than 8,000 entries from shows aired during the previous 12 months.

HBO's fantasy epic about noble families vying for control of the Iron Throne is expected to net a raft of nods after raking in a record-breaking 12 awards last year, including best drama series.

The academy tends to nominate and vote conservatively, but this year could see a number of nods go to newcomers like USA's Golden Globe winner Mr. Robot and FX's hotly-tipped The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story.

Tried-and-tested favorites are nevertheless expected to dominate and Downton Abbey (PBS) will be hoping to bow out on a high after its last season.

The most star-studded category is likely to be best actor in a limited series or TV movie with the field led by six-time Emmy winner Bryan Cranston, who has received rave reviews for anchoring HBO's Lyndon B. Johnson biopic All the Way.

Benedict Cumberbatch, Idris Elba and Anthony Hopkins will also be expecting nominations while other big name contenders in the category include Bill Murray and Johnny Depp.

The topic of race is likely to figure heavily in the limited series category - formerly known as "outstanding miniseries" - with The People v. O.J. Simpson tipped to be matched up with historical saga Roots and ABC's "American Crime.

Downton Abbey picked up eight nominations last year but won only for "hairstyling" and will be hoping to mark its final season with a fourth nod in the prestigious outstanding drama category.