TV's fantasy saga Game Of Thrones is the Emmy Awards front-runner after winning eight technical achievement awards.

The HBO show was honoured at Saturday's creative arts Emmys in Los Angeles, the precursor to the main ceremony next Sunday, in categories including special visual effects and casting.

FX Networks's American Horror Story: Freak Show, was next with five awards.

The creative Emmys also recognised guest actors for drama and comedy series, with trophies going to Reg E Cathey for House of Cards; Margo Martindale for The Americans; Joan Cusack for Shameless; and Bradley Whitford for Transparent.

Whitford's award, for his portrayal of a cross-dressing character, was among three Emmys for Transparent - costumes and main title theme music were the other wins- and the first of the trophies for new-wave TV player Amazon.

Transparent star Jeffrey Tambor is nominated for best comedy series actor at next Sunday's awards for his performance as transgender Maura Pfefferman. The show is part of the growing attention to gender- identity issues.

"I love to be in a show that is a voice of understanding, compassion and radical inclusion. We're not there yet, but non-judgment day is coming," Whitford said in accepting his award.

Other Emmys went to Bessie, a biopic about Bessie Smith starring Queen Latifah as the great blues singer, which was honoured as best made-for-TV movie.

The Jinx: The Life And Deaths Of Robert Durst, about a privileged New Yorker under a cloud of suspicion in connection with three murders, won the best documentary or non-fiction series award.