The Emmys have had their most diverse nominees yet, but failed them time and time again

If there was an Emmy Award for irony, Sunday night’s ceremony would clearly be the winner.

“It’s so great to see that television and the stories we tell are finally becoming a reflection of every part of our society. The voices of Black, Latino, Asian American and Indigenous creators, as well as LGBTQIA +, neurodiverse and disabled communities are being heard by a wider audience than ever before, ”said Frank Scherma, president of the Television Academy, which awards the awards. Emmys, at the show.

It was quite a contrast to the glaring lack of diversity among the winners, after a year that perhaps brought the most diverse nominees field of all time (and it was already more than time for that). It took nearly two hours after the Emmys aired on Sunday night for a person of color to take the stage to deliver a thank you speech (RuPaul, who became the most awarded black artist in Emmy history).

Soon after, everyone apparently heaved a huge sigh of relief when visionary designer Michaela Coel finally won for writing the HBO limited series “I May Destroy You”. It was the only prize of the evening for the series, which Coel created, wrote, performed and co-directed. Throughout this year, several major awards bodies have largely ignored his work – despite the broad consensus that the series, a scorching examination of sexual assault, trauma, power and consent, is one of the best shows. in recent memory.

By the end of the night, no actor of color or LGBTQ actor had won any of the major acting awards. Most surprising of all: late Michael K. Williams, who had never won an Emmy throughout his career. He was expected to win a posthumous award for his work on HBO’s “Lovecraft Country”. Presenter Kerry Washington paid him a vibrant tribute by announcing his category, only to open the envelope and reveal that Tobias Menzies won for Netflix’s “The Crown”.

It didn’t help that Emmy voters seemed to only watch the same handful of shows from last year, despite the glut of shows on TV right now and the diversity of nominees this year. Many of the shows that dominated the night had predominantly white actors, like “The Crown”, as well as “Ted Lasso” from Apple TV + and “Mare of Easttown” from HBO. And when given the opportunity to honor something new and innovative, the Emmys often went with the familiar, like awarding NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” its umpteenth Emmy for Outstanding Variety Sketch Series. , rather than HBO’s “A Black Lady Sketch Show”.

Throughout the night, there was also a glaring gap between the diversity of presenters and the lack of diversity among the winners, with so many colored presenters handing out prizes to the white winners.

For example, Sterlin Harjo, Paulina Alexis, Lane Factor, Devery Jacobs and D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai – the creator and main cast of the wonderful FX on Hulu comedy series “Reservation Dogs” – took to the stage to talk about the importance of authentic and nuanced Indigenous representation on screen. (“Reservation Dogs” will be eligible for the Emmys next year – take note, voters!)

They then presented the award for best achievement in a limited series. The Emmy went to Scott Frank, director of Netflix’s “The Queen’s Gambit,” in a category in which Coel’s directing on “I May Destroy You” and Barry Jenkins, director of “The Underground Railroad,” were just there. (“The Queen’s Gambit,” like most shows that won Sunday night, also had a predominantly white cast, and one of its few colored characters was depicted using the racist trope “Magical Negro”.)

There were occasional markers of progress: The directing awards for comedy and drama series went to women (Lucia Aniello for “Hacks” and Jessica Hobbs for “The Crown”). But even that was yet another reminder of the icy pace of change in Hollywood; that the women awarded for the achievement are still a rare and significant moment.

For years, viewers have diversified, demanding that the stories they see on screen reflect better. Television creators and artists from under-represented communities pleaded for the few opportunities to tell these stories. Awards like the Emmys reflect the height of success, and the exposure that comes from the awards can open more doors for more people to tell their stories.

In a year when many Hollywood institutions have pledged to “do better” when it comes to diversity, it is clear that so many of those promises are falling short.