Emmy Awards nominations for this year were disclosed and the annual TV awards event finally managed to receive a raise of positivity; as people noted that many queer shows were nominated as well. At least when compared to the previous year nominations. Emmy’s were always criticised for playing it safe – a tad bit too safe.
Let’s have a look at these stats: 13 LGBTQIA+ actors/artists were nominated. Ryan Murphy’s Hollywood, a Netflix original about the Golden Age – which the trans icon Janet Mock executive produced – bagged an impressive number of twelve nominations in almost all categories. Shows like Pose, Killing Eve and RuPaul’s Drag Race are definitely pushing the LGBTQIA+ community further into mainstream. It is definitely heartwarming to see many essential, meaningful show names like these among the shortlisted ones.
The Nominated Shows Are:
For the Lead Actress in a Drama Series category, Zendaya is nominated against Olivia Colman and Jennifer Aniston. This young star has received genuine applause for her excellent portrayal of a queer Black teen who is battling addiction. In Euphoria, a brilliant queer series. The point which is headline grabbing here is that, this is Zendaya’s first ever nomination.
“I’m honestly speechless,” she took to Instagram to write her feelings, after the nominations came out. “My heart is just overflowing with love and gratitude… I am a small piece of a big beautiful puzzle and I’m so proud of all of you.”
Pose is nominated for the Outstanding Drama Series and this is great news. It also comes as no surprise whatsoever, because of the show’s thrilling exploration of captivating plotlines and the ballroom scene. Billy Porter once again is nominated for the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series; exactly a year after he won the Emmy in this same category and made it to history as the first Black gay man to ever win it in 2019.
The load of nominations for Schitt’s Creek, the Canadian hit show, is another huge win for the LGBTQIA+ community. This show has a total of 15 nominations in it’s bag. This show’s star Dan Levy and it’s openly gay showrunner have received many nods from the television academy; for Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. It also acquired many other nominations in the areas of directing and writing.
Last but definitely not the least, Killing Eve. The latest season led to a disappointing finale and acquired questionable results. However, this show has greatly contributed for the normalization of LGBTQIA+ characters in mainstream shows. This dark comedy bagged a solid number of eight nominations, spreading across casting, production and acting.
But Is This Enough?
All over, 2020 Emmy’s report card of diversity has definitely improved and looks in better shape than the previous years. Television industry is making solid and successful attempts to break down these barriers in the society, especially in the past decade. There is a great raise in the number of LGBTQIA+ characters in mainstream shows, than before. So why are people, mainly from the community, still unhappy?
True recognition does not only mean the recognition graph going up. While the Emmy 2020 nominations are a welcome kick start, we should not get too happy and stop just here. This year’s annual list of nominations is not faultess.
Billy Porter Image Courtesy: Vogue
It is really hard to ignore that there still exists a sense of exclusivity to this A-List. There are many positives like nominations for both Rain Valdez (Razor Tongue) and Laverne Cox (Orange Is The New Black). However, there’s always more seats and room at the table. The shortlisted ones were hence glaring daggers for their lack of transgender representation.
Euphoria’s Hunter Schafer, the trans star never got any nomination; she played her first major role in this hit HBO series. The Emmys never stop to offer nominations to cis men and woman. And they largely overlook the bold trans and nonbinary stars who basically drove the tales that move us. Disclosure, a Netflix original, taught us that Hollywood cannot numb the composure and power of the trans community.
Indya Moore Took To Social Media:
We are in a time, where TV shows are filled visibility and diversity. There is no longer an excuse that exists to justify the lacking in trans diverse recognition. Emmys is a strong body that can no longer ignore talents who deserve true recognition and honor. Indya Moore, Pose star, took to social media to close out this controversy; a comment which we all must take time for considering.
“I’m over cis people saying stuff like ‘it’s because I work hard and I have had longevity’ when really it’s the visibility that a particular project brought them,” Moore wrote on her Instagram. “When I hear stuff like that I think about Dominique, who has worked harder and longer than everybody in our cast. It’s just because fresh talent and fresh faces hit different when they [are] transsexuals.”
Moore continued: “I’m not really pressed [as] I and many of us didn’t expect to win… I just wish it didn’t determine shit like pay raises and contract renegotiations. We literally have to depend on their recognition in order for networks and studios to honour our value. And that’s pretty horrible because you know black trans talent often must settle for the lowest hanging fruit to eat.”
