Awards shows continue to let audiences and talent down. No matter what channel you tune into, the chances of seeing diversity in winners slims. After the disappointment expressed in the Golden Globes nominations and winners, the 2021 Emmys nominations were treated as a breath of fresh air among entertainment fans from marginalized communities.
Hosted by the electric Cedric the Entertainer, this year’s Emmys Awards ceremony was applauded for its diversity in nominations. Strikingly, those same nominations did not translate to wins at the end of the night.
“The Queen’s Gambit” and “The Crown,” took home two of the biggest awards of the night, winning over powerhouses “I May Destroy You,” “Pose” and “Lovecraft Country.”
Despite the brilliance of Mj Rodriguez’ performance in “Pose” and her historical nomination as the first trans woman nominated for a lead acting award, she lost to Olivia Coleman for her work in “The Crown.”
For many, these buzzworthy nominations aren’t enough. Using nominations to bait viewers into tuning in is no new feat for awards shows. The 2021 Oscars received backlash for nominating the late Chadwick Boseman for Best Actor in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” reordering the award deliveries, and then giving the honor to Anthony Hopkins.
Thankfully, writer and director Michaela Coel did not go home empty handed for her tremendous work on HBO’s “I May Destroy You.” The British multihyphenate won an Emmy for Writing for a Limited Series, becoming the first Black woman to do so. The limited series centering around a writer’s sexual assault and her healing was notably ignored by the Golden Globes.
“Ted Lasso” and “The Crown” were the biggest winners of the night, putting Hollywood’s obsession and centering of white stories on display. For instance, HBO’s “Hacks’' nearly swept the comedy category, which had a small audience but strong support from critics.. Though Jean Smart is deserving of her acclaim, it is hard to imagine a world where an underground show about a marginalized community would take home some of the night’s biggest awards.
The internet was abuzz when the Emmys nominations were announced earlier this year. Many even took to social media to celebrate. Sadly, these historical nominations turned into little more than minimal air time and internet breaking red carpet looks.
Prior to the show airing, data from the Hollywood Reporter showed that 44% of the acting nominees were non-white. That number circulated the internet after the nominations were announced.
Despite the excitement around the nominees, white actors came out on top. All 12 lead and supporting awards were won by white actors. Mj Rodriguez and the late Michael K. Williams were upset by their fellow nominees. Just-missed monumental wins seemed to be a theme for the night, as “SNL”'s Bowen Yang, non-binary actor Carl Clemons-Hopkins and “Flight Attendant”'s Rosie Perez went home empty handed.
As actors of colors present, host and hand out award after award, they continue to reap little benefits from this industry. There is a pattern in leaving out people of color from the winner’s circle.
The historical exclusion of winners of color only benefits the system that keeps the entertainment industry white. According to the Hollywood Reporter, “Hollywood is a business — if you want production companies, studios and distributors to back the up-and-coming filmmakers you love, then you also need to acknowledge the magnitude of the big, lumbering players who keep the money rolling in.”
Not only are creators of colors deserving of these accolades, but these awards lead to more money. More money means more seasons, better wages and raises for everyone involved.
In a year where television was vital to the sanity and wellbeing of viewers across the globe, the 2021 Emmys should have reflected our time. And that seems to be the common issue, these award shows reflect the old ways of Hollywood, of this industry. They dictate where funding goes and who gets to be seen by a wider audience.
Now and forever, merely nominating “diverse” and deserving talent to appease some sort of quota is unacceptable. The 2021 Emmys should have done more than plant the seeds, it’s time that marginalized communities get their roses.