Not bad for the Brits in this year’s Emmy nominations. Announced today (Thursday 13th July) the papers are going on about Saturday Night Live’s multiple mentions but here at TBB we care about the black folks and where we’ve been acknowledged… so here goes.
First up the Brits – O.T. Fagbenele plays a major role in the critically acclaimed drama series The Handmaid’s Tale, which is up for [Best] Drama. Riz Ahmed is up for [Best] Actor, Limited Series or TV Movie for his lead role in The Night Of, which is also up for [Best] Limited Series. Gugu Mbatha Raw starred in the 3rd series of the Black Mirror, her episode, San Junipero is up for [Best] Television Movie. Thandie Newton is up for Supporting Actress, Drama for her stellar performance as Maeve Millay in the great futuristic western series, Westworld, which is also nominated in [Best] Outstanding Drama Series.
Special mentions are the wonderful Netflix horror drama series which is soon returning for its second instalment Stranger Things, love it love it love it. For the first time in a long time we have a series which is set in the 80s made in recent times that actually honours the era, AND is actually scary, AND has a brilliant cast.
Nominations for Sterling K. Brown and Ron Cephas Jones for their bloody brilliant characters in This Is Us, couldn’t be more deserved. Brown’s role as Randall is perfection. Jones’ role as his father is heartbreaking and honest, if either of them win, I’d backflip. Special mention though to their fellow co-star Milo Ventimiglia who’s up against Brown in the Best Actor Drama. If a blacktor is going to lose to someone then, I would not be mad at Milo winning.
Special acknowledgement to my favourite reality talent type show, Project Runway nominated for Reality Competition Program. For those of you who don’t know, British actor/choreographer/producer/talent manager Paul J. Medford has been talent manager on the show for years, and he’s recently been made show producer. So WHOOP, and YAY. You probably nostalgically remember Medford as Kelvin in EastEnders, back in the day. Also, Top Chef is mentioned in the same category and although I want Project Runway to win, I absolutely love Top Chef. Glad it’s nominated. Pissed that the UK stopped showing it.
Here’s the rest of the nominations we’re pleased about:
- Outstanding Drama Series – The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu) | Westworld (HBO) | Stranger Things (Netflix) | This Is Us (NBC)
- Best Comedy – Atlanta (FX) | black-ish (ABC) | Master of None (Netflix)
- Best Drama – The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu) | Stranger Things (Netflix) | This Is Us (NBC)
- Best Limited Series – Big Little Lies (HBO) | The Night Of (HBO)
- Best Actress, Comedy – Tracee Ellis Ross (black-ish)
- Best Actor, Comedy – Anthony Anderson (black-ish) | Aziz Ansari (Master of None) |Â Donald Glover (Atlanta)
- Best Actress, Drama – Viola Davis (How to Get Away with Murder)
- Best Actor, Drama – Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us) | Milo Ventimiglia (This Is Us)
- Best Actor, Limited Series or TV Movie – Riz Ahmed (The Night Of) |Â John Turturro (The Night Of)
- Television Movie – Black Mirror: San Junipero | The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
- Supporting Actor, Drama –Â Ron Cephas Jones (This Is Us) |Â Jeffrey Wright (Westworld)
- Supporting Actress, Drama – Uzo Aduba (Orange Is The New Black) | Thandie Newton (Westworld) | Samira Wiley (The Handmaid’s Tale)
- Supporting Actor, Comedy –Â Tituss Burgess (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt)
- Limited Series –Â The Night Of (HBO)
- Supporting Actor, Limited Series or Movie –Â Michael Kenneth Williams (The Night Of)
- Supporting Actress, Limited Series or a Movie –Â Regina King (American Crime)
- Unstructured Reality Program – RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked (YouTube) | United Shades Of America With W. Kamau Bell (CNN)
- Reality Competition Program – Project Runway (Lifetime) | RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1) | Top Chef (Bravo)
- Reality Host – W. Kamau Bell (United Shades Of America With W. Kamau Bell) | RuPaul Charles (RuPaul’s Drag Race) | Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn (Project Runway) | Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg (Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party)
See all the nominations here.