The Emmys Lacked BIPOC Diversity Once Again
Once again, and to no one’s surprise, the annual Primetime Emmy Awards held on Sunday snubbed several BIPOC nominated creators and shows.
In a year that saw a record-breaking number of non-white nominees, 49 to be exact, all 12 major acting awards went to white actors. Yes, the recipients are talented performers and have done great work, but it is a shame that many deserving actors of color went without long-overdue recognition.
Even worse, this was the final opportunity for the Emmys to honor several cherished actors and TV shows, including HBO’s Lovecraft Country and FX’s Pose, which were up for their finals season.
For Lovecraft Country, this was the show’s only year of eligibility, as the series was canceled after one season in July. The historical supernatural-horror show based on author Matt Ruff’s novel of the same name, followed Leti Lewis (Jurnee Smollett) and Tic (Jonathan Majors) traveling across the 1950s South in search of Tic’s missing father. On their journey, they face segregation, monsters, and a secret society. Both Smollett and Majors were up for awards as lead actress and actors in a drama series.
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Several publications noted the list of snubs from the night, but the Emmys also missed out on an opportunity to honor the late Michael K. Williams for his work in the series as Tic’s father, Montrose Freeman. The actor, best known for his role of Omar Little in HBO’s The Wire, died earlier this month two weeks before the show that recognized his fifth Emmy nomination.
Williams was up for supporting actor in a drama series but lost to The Crown’s Tobias Menzies. He never won an Emmy, but has been nominated for his work on When They See Us, The Night Of, and Bessie.
Kerry Washington took a moment to acknowledge Williams while presenting his category.
“Michael was, it’s crazy to say was, Michael was a brilliantly talented actor and a generous human being who has left us far too soon,” she said. “Michael, I know you’re here because you wouldn’t miss this. Your excellence and your artistry will endure. We love you.”
Unfortunately, Pose did not fare any better than Lovecraft Country. Although Mj Rodriguez made history as the first out, trans woman nominated for a lead actress category, she lost to Olivia Colman in The Crown. The only other nominated actor from the series was Billy Porter, who lost to Josh O’Connor for (once again) The Crown.
Porter has been nominated for his portrayal of Pray Tell every year since 2019, and only won his first year. He is also the only actor to win an Emmy for Pose.
The series was successful at the Creative Arts Emmys, winning three awards for outstanding contemporary costumes, hairstyling, and makeup (non-prosthetic). Creator Steven Canals, who was nominated for both outstanding drama series and outstanding directing and writing, posted his would-be acceptance speech on Twitter. He planned to thank his trans and queer ancestors including Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, and he acknowledged his cast and crew for continuing the fight.
Well, @PoseOnFX didn’t take home any Emmys last night but that doesn’t change how proud I am of our final season. Here’s what I would have said had I made it up on that stage. All of this will always hold true. ????️????✊????✊????✊????????️⚧️ #PoseFX pic.twitter.com/NxsGKfv8ol
— Steven Canals (@StevenCanals) September 20, 2021
We can only hope that next year will be better.
Photos courtesy of social media
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