The Emmy Awards have long been characterized by the historic exclusion of non-white and non-male creatives, whether on-screen or behind-the-scenes. As the entertainment industry moves towards finally including the historically-excluded, we’re seeing a slew of firsts and onlys. The 2024 Emmy Awards followed this trend, with ground-breaking nominations and wins that highlighted how far the entertainment industry has come, and how far it has to go.
When it comes to nominations, there was an increase in the number of people of color recognized in the acting categories from the previous year. There were 30 people of color nominated in the categories, compared to 25 in 2023, according to Variety. Among these nominees were Under the Bridge’s Lily Gladstone, True Detective: Night Country’s Kali Reis, and Reservation Dog’s D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai who all made history with their nominations as some of the few Indigenous actors nominated in the award show’s nearly eighty years. Baby Reindeer’s Nava Mau also became the first trans woman nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series.
The standout moments during the award show included Shogun’s Anna Sawai and The Bear’s Liza Colón-Zayas winning in their respective categories. Sawai won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, becoming the first Asian woman to win the category. In her acceptance speech, she dedicated her award, “to all the women who expect nothing and continue to be an example to everyone.” Colón-Zayas became the first Latina to win for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. She emphasized belief and advocacy as she accepted her award, “To all the Latinas who are looking at me? Keep believing and vote.”
As always, it’s exciting to see the incredible work of underrepresented creatives receive the recognition they deserve. It’s also frustrating that it has taken so long. Halle Berry’s 2002 Oscar win highlights the importance of continued progress. Two decades later and Berry is still the only Black woman to win Best Actress. We hope that the significant moments of the 2024 Emmys continue and grow in the years to come.
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