Emmys, Oscars, & Other Wins/Snubs

Quinta Brunson made Emmy history, winning Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy series for playing Janine Teagues— a character she created. This is her second Emmy after winning for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series, 2022. 

Eight years ago, I penned Sixty-Seven Years of White Women in the Lead. This essay reflected on the Emmys historical preference of rewarding the same actresses over and over again in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series category, leaving Black and other women of color nominees as their presenters. At the time, Isabel Sanford and America Ferrera were the only nonwhite winners. 

Legendary actress Marla Gibbs and Quinta Brunson present Niecy Nash with her first Emmy win. 

Yet, the seventy-fifth Primetime Emmy awards (held on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and helmed by Black producers) promoted real change. Abbott Elementary’s Quinta Brunson finally won the coveted prize— forty-two years after Sanford, seventeen years after Ferrera. Other feats included Ayo Edebiri, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for The Bear (who will be competing as lead next ceremony) and Niecy Nash, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series for Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. Although former favorite actor Steven Yeun (and Ali Wong) also made history as the first Asians to win in their respective categories for the Beef miniseries, their terrible joint statement on the David Choe controversy has left little favor. 

Three women of color acting nominees— America Ferrera, Danielle Brooks, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph.

Unfortunately, it might take the Oscars another hundred years to catch up to what the Emmys did. There were only two Black women nominated for the ninety-sixth annual ceremony, both in the same category for Best Supporting Actress. Black/biracial women filmmakers were not supported despite wins at Sundance Film Festival and the Gotham Awards (the best awards voters after the Independent Spirit Awards).

“It can be very disheartening and draining because it’s like we’re not even given a shot,” A. V. Rockwell said of the film (via Vanity Fair), which has failed to generate buzz in recent months despite winning Sundance’s prestigious Grand Jury Prize. “Even with all the love that’s out there, I think people are kind of set in only certain movies, or only certain filmmakers, getting a chance to be a part of certain conversations.”

Yet, instead of solidarity for the true snubs: unrecognized filmmakers A. V. Rockwell, Ava DuVernay, Savannah Leaf or actors Fantasia Barrino, Teyana Taylor, Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, Will Catlett, or even Vivian Oparah (who scored a surprising BAFTA nomination for a romantic comedy when we know how they feel about the genre)— white women are collectively whining about Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie. As Barbie producers Gerwig and Robbie are nominated, Gerwig receiving an additional one for Best Screenplay with her husband Noah Baumbach. The only women of color filmmaker Oscar nominee writer/director Celine Song has one nomination for Past Lives. 

Whereas 2022 gave us strong performances in Danielle Deadwyler, Janelle Monae, Michelle Yeoh, Viola Davis, Tang Wei, Lashana Lynch, Angela Bassett, Stephanie Hsu— only three made it to the Oscars, one won. The Andrea Riseborough backlash (and nominating other mediocre actresses) as well as the problematic criticism from anonymous voters ruined its integrity. Meanwhile, the whole 2023 awards season has become tainted by the Barbie versus Oppenheimer film rivalry, poisoning the eighty percent of white voters who more than likely are going to give Ken— Best Original Song. This kind of media frenzy ensured that people of color films would become lost in the vacuum. They do not even support women of color to direct their characters, that’s how apparent these sexist nominations are. 

Ava DuVernay expressed sentiments that mirrored Gina Prince-Blythewood’s remarks: 

“[It’s] unfortunate because we (Black people) watch films from all over the world that have nothing to do with me, and we watch it because we don’t have to be centered, we are used to that because we are so often not centered. I don’t want this to be misconstrued—I’m just saying certain people need a certain kind of invitation, and those of us who are perhaps used to not being centered don’t need that invitation or else we wouldn’t be watching anything.”

To the foolish protesters centering two white women who actually have Oscar nominations for their white feminism film (just not in ALL the categories)— y’all are, once again, banding together for the wrong thing. Until we see certain actresses on the streets handing out “for your consideration” fliers like Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor did, Hollywood remains disrespecting Black women. 

Thus, 2024 promises an ongoing continuation of #OscarsSoWhite.