Michaela Jaé Rodriguez

The category is: Trailblazer! Michaela Jae Rodriguez (formerly Mj Rodriguez) warmed hearts and took the world by storm in the breakout lead role in Ryan Murphy's drama, "Pose." For the third and final season of the hit series, Rodriguez was the first transgender woman to receive an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series and she is only the third transgender performer nominated in any Emmy acting category. Rodriguez will return to the small screen soon, starring opposite Maya Rudolph in a recently announced untitled Apple TV comedy series. What will the unstoppable star take over next? Your playlist! In June, the Berklee College of Music graduate released her debut single "Something to Say" under the name Michaela Jae. She said of the name change: "I wanted people to see that I was more than just this character that I played on a television screen. … It was only right and even more personal to let people know who the woman inside of Mj is: Michaela Antonia Jae Rodriguez." As a fierce advocate for the Black, Latinx and LGBTQ communities, she told IndieWire her success is much bigger than herself. "It's astounding, and it's not just for me. I'm winning for so many people out there, so many babies out there, the generation that comes after me—that's who it's for, it's not for me."