The Welcome Table
Emmy voters deliver a record number of mentions for Indigenous actors and more breakthroughs for people of color
Emmys done good.
For someone who follows the pendulum swings of DEI initiatives in Hollywood, nomination morning of any awards show can be emotionally draining to cover. This year, that is not the case.
Despite the fact that studios have stepped back from their commitments and promises of , members of the Television Academy made significant strides in putting the golden spotlight on a diverse array of nominees. Also exciting is the wider range of series, genres, studios and networks represented.
In the acting races, less than one-third of the nominees are people of color. Still, among nominations bestowed across acting categories, voters nominated people of color, a % increase over last year. Although saw a record-breaking people of color nominated in the acting categories, that resulted in zero wins. This year promises a different outcome.
A historic milestone for Indigenous performers dominated the announcements. Before this year, the late actor August Schellenberg, nominated in the supporting actor limited category for his role as Sitting Bull in the HBO film “Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee,” was the only Native American given a nod for acting. Now, recent Oscar darling Lily Gladstone and former boxing champion Kali Reis join him as the first Indigenous women nominated — for “Under the Bridge” and “True Detective: Night Country,” respectively. Additionally, D’pharaoh Woon-a-tai, a surprise lead comedy actor inclusion, received long overdue recognition for his role in the final season of FX’S “Reservation Dogs,” a first for Indigenous actors in any lead acting race.
Although Latino performers made up less than % of the acting submissions, five notable actors found love: Selena Gomez (lead comedy actress for “Only Murders in the Building”), Sofia Vergara (lead actress limited for “Griselda”), Liza Colónzayas (supporting comedy actress for “The Bear”), Nava Mau (supporting actress limited for “Baby Reindeer”) and Néstor Carbonell (guest drama actor for “Shōgun”). As an executive producer of “Only Murders,” Gomez is now the most Emmy-nominated Latina producer in any series category, with three noms.
Issa López, showrunner for “True Detective: Night Country,” received nods for directing, writing and producing the fourth season of the anthology crime drama. She’s the first Latina nominated for directing and the second for writing, following René Echevarria in § for “The .”
FX’S historical epic “Shōgun,” the second nonEnglish language series nominated after “Squid Game” in , delivered the majority of AAPI acting nominees this year: lead actor and actress drama nominees Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai and supporting players Tadanobu Asano and Takehiro Hira. Alongside Sawai is Maya Erskine from the action drama “Mr. and Mrs. Smith”; they’re the second and third Asian women nominated in any category after Sandra Oh for “Killing Eve” (ª-). Oh is nominated as an executive producer of the TV movie “Quiz Lady,” alongside co-star Awkwafina and director Jessica Yu.
Black actors saw significant gains. Quinta Brunson, who last year became the second Black woman to win lead comedy actress, earned her third acting nod for ABC’S “Abbott Elementary.” Joining her are Ayo Edebiri (“The Bear”) and Maya Rudolph (“Loot”). The latter was the most nominated performer of the year, with additional noms for voice-over, guest acting and original song. Also, Brunson, Edebiri, Gomez and Rudolph marked the first time women of color dominated any lead acting category.
Salli Richardson-whitfield, a surprise directing nominee for HBO’S now-canceled drama “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty,” made history as the first Black woman nominated in the category.
LGBTQ artists also made strides. Mau of “Baby Reindeer” is the second transgender actor recognized in the main acting categories after Michaela Jaé Rodriguez. Other members of the LGBTQ community finding recognition include Bowen Yang (“SNL”), Andrew Scott (“Ripley”), Jonathan Bailey (“Fellow Travelers”), Matt Bomer (“Fellow Travelers”), Sarah Paulson (“Mr. and Mrs. Smith”) and Paulson’s real-life partner, Holland Taylor (“The Morning Show”).
Despite a more than % decrease in overall submissions, Emmy voters took the time to be genuinely inclusive in this first round of the dance. This should offer further proof that diverse stories and talent will connect with audiences when given the opportunity. Studios should take note of this strong year: DEI is not a trend, but essential to a profitable and nomination-filled future.
Emmy voters took the time to be genuinely inclusive in this rst round of the dance.