As an avid film watcher and young Black woman I was pleased to see the 2020 Emmy Nominations. The Television Academy nominated the highest number of Black actors and actresses in the history of the Academy on Tuesday. I was pleased to see the recognition Black actors and actresses received for their work and performances. In 2019 Black actors made up 19.8% of nominees versus this year the percentage is 34.3%.
I know you might be wondering if the Academy catered to Black actors this year due to the current social and racial climate. I feel as though this was the first year Black actors were truly seen and not because of their color but because of their work. Their sole ability to perform. There were no nominations that I saw that were unjust. All nominations seemed to be carefully considered regardless of race.
“2020 isn’t just about the global health crisis. This year we are also bearing witness to one of the greatest fights for social justice in history, and it is our duty to use this medium for change. That is the power and responsibility of television --not only delivering a multitude of services or a little escapism but also amplifying the voices that must be heard and telling the stories that must be told. Because television, by its very nature, connects us all,” Chairman and CEO of the Television Academy said at the beginning of the nominations announcement.
The HBO hit comedy series Insecure is up for its first-ever Emmy nomination. The series is in its fourth season. The show is written by Issa Rae and is about two Black women navigating their way through life and this journey leads them to self-discovery. The led actress is Issa Rae and she was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. Not only was her show nominated but her performance was as well. The series is up for a variety of nominations being that it was nominated in eight different categories.
Another noteworthy takeaway from the list of nominations was actress Zendaya received her first-ever Emmy nomination. Zendaya was nominated for Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Zendaya portrays Rue in the HBO series Euphoria. Rue is a recovering addict and struggles to remain sober throughout the entire season. Zendaya is among veteran actresses Sandra Oh, Laura Linney, and Jennifer Aniston along with Olivia Coleman and Jodie Comer in the same category. The young actress posted on her Instagram account that she was ‘speechless’ once she heard about the Emmy nomination.
The 2020 Emmy Awards will take place on September 20. It is unclear what the 2020 Emmy Award Show will look like this year due to COVID-19 safety measures and guidelines that will need to take place. The Television Academy has yet to release any information on the event.
Below are all the Emmy nominations listed: