The 2018 Emmy awards were held this Monday, Sept. 17. Numerous actors of color were nominated for and won prestigious honors. Donald Glover and Anthony Anderson were nominated for "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series". Glover is the lead of his own executive produced and directed TV show Atlanta, and Anderson is the lead of the hit comedy show Black-ish.
Sterling K. Brown and Jeffery Wright were nominated for "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. Brown plays Randall Pearson in the heart-tugging This is Us, while Wright plays Bernard Lowe in the HBO series Westworld. Singer-songwriter John Legend was nominated for "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie" for his work in Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert. Kenan Thompson and Brian Tyree Henry were nominated for "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series" for their comedic efforts on Saturday Night Live and Atlanta.
Insecure's Issa Rae and Black-ish's Tracee Ellis Ross were both nominated for "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series". Regina King won "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie" for her role in the Netflix original series Seven Seconds. Ron Cephas Jones won "Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series" for his role in This is Us. Comedian Kat Williams won "Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series" for his guest role in the show Atlanta. Thandie Newton won "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series" for her role as Maeve Millay in Westworld.
Letitia Wright and Adina Porter were nominated for "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie" for their roles in American Horror Story: Cult and Black Museum (Black Mirror) respectively. Zazie Beetz and comedian Leslie Jones were nominated for "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series" for their roles in Atlanta and Saturday Night Live.
Brandon Victor Dixon was nominated for "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie" for his role in Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert. Cicely Tyson and Samira Wiley we're nominated for "Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series" for their roles in How to Get Away with Murder and The Handmaid's Tale. Comedians Maya Rudolph and Wanda Sykes were nominated for "Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series" for their guest roles in The Good Place and Black-ish.
I wanted to name all the African American actors and actress that were nominated for and won, Emmys to demonstrate the diversity of the award show this year. I didn't want to not mention an actor or actress that was nominated, because every one of them has a role to play that's bigger than the roles they play on television. Every actor and actress of color have a role in creating history within the film and television industries. Every nomination, every win, and every role amounts to more recognition within an industry that didn't allow black actors to play black characters.
It wasn't too long ago that "blackface" was the norm to represent African American characters in film and television. Receiving acknowledgment from an industry that 50 years ago didn't accept African Americans is phenomenal. There are shows featuring African American actors and actresses on almost every major television network, so it's good to see them be acknowledged this year. I hope for more nominations and wins for African American actors and actresses at next year's Emmys.
