Emmy nominees 2016 are #EmmySoDiverse, with racially charged shows centre stage
The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, Roots, American Crime and black-ish all nominated, two black actresses face off in drama lead category, and Aziz Ansari in line for comedy awards
The takeaway for the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards could very well be #EmmySoDiverse.
Comedies with sharp-edged observations about race such as ABC’s black-ish and Netflix’s Master of None also received several key nominations, including best comedy, where they will compete against more mainstream favourites such as Modern Family and Veep.
In contrast with this year’s Oscars, which became embroiled in controversy over the lack of nominations for minority actors, Emmy nominations provided a wealth of recognition for minorities, particularly African Americans.
Thursday’s nominations arrived on the heels of a deluge of protests and raw emotional outpourings regarding the killing of several black men at the hands of law enforcement, and the slaying of five Dallas police officers by a black sniper. Race has taken centre stage in the US national dialogue, spurring debates surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement and the campaign of presumptive Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, whom many see as polarising.