Claim: Jon Snow is in George R. R. Martin novel.

The fifth season of the fantasy drama television series Game of Thrones premiered on HBO on April 12 , and concluded on June 14 , 2015 . It was broadcast on Sunday at 9:00 pm in the United States , consisting of 10 episodes , each running approximately 50 -- 60 minutes . The season primarily adapts material from A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons , the fourth and fifth novels in George R. R. Martin 's A Song of Ice and Fire series , though it also uses elements from the third novel , A Storm of Swords , as well as the upcoming sixth novel The Winds of Winter . It also contains original content not found in Martin 's novels . The series is adapted for television by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss .   HBO ordered the fifth season on April 8 , 2014 , together with the sixth season , which began filming in July 2014 . The season was filmed primarily in Ireland , Northern Ireland , Croatia and Spain .   Game of Thrones features a large ensemble cast , including Peter Dinklage , Nikolaj Coster-Waldau , Lena Headey , Emilia Clarke and Kit Harington . The season introduced a number of new cast members , including Jonathan Pryce and Alexander Siddig .   Critics praised the show 's production values and cast , with specific accolades for Dinklage 's portrayal of Tyrion Lannister . Viewership yet again rose compared to the previous season . This season set a Guinness World Records for winning the highest number of Emmy Awards for a series in a single season and year , winning 12 out of 24 nominations , including Outstanding Drama Series .