Their analysis found that artists of color accounted for 37% of total nominations overall, which is 6% more than in any of the past five years.
Reginald Hudlin, known for directing classic African-American films “Boomerang” and “House Party,” will produce the Emmys, the show’s first black producer.
But there has been a backlash over nominations that fall short in representation.
Some on social media complained that while Billy Porter, who is black, was nominated for lead actor in a dramatic “Pose” series, none of the show’s central trans actors received a nod.
The Ryan Murphy series has been hailed for shedding light on the LGBTQ community, something Porter acknowledged in an Instagram post after the nominations were announced on Tuesday.
“Thanks @televisionacad. And congratulations to my fellow nominees,” Porter wrote. “The work we do at @poseonfx is very important. I am very blessed and fortunate to be a part of this groundbreaking show.”
Asian artists were underrepresented, despite Sandra Oh’s third consecutive Emmy nomination for leading actress in a drama series category for “Killing Eve.”
Oh made history in 2018 as the first woman of Asian descent to be nominated in a leading actress category.
Latinx’s lack of representation, especially EGOT winner Rita Moreno, for her work on the comedy “One Day At a Time,” led Daily Beast writer Laura Bradley to highlight that “Emmy nominations for Tuesday included only one Latinx actor, Featured Guest on a Drama Series Nominee Alexis Bledel. “
Introducing the nomination ceremony on Tuesday, Television Academy President and CEO Frank Scherma referred to the extraordinary times in which we live in the midst of a global pandemic and a cultural adjustment to racism.
“This year we are also witnessing one of the biggest fights for social justice in history,” he said. “And it is our duty to use this medium for change.”
Viewers will be watching to see if that change extends not only to nominations, but to people of color as well.
The 72nd Emmy Awards will air on September 20 on ABC.
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