HBO’s Watchmen, which revives the story of the 1921 Tulsa race riots within its adaptation of the DC comic of the same name, was the most recognized show when nominations for the 72nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were announced Tuesday. The superhero drama is nominated for a staggering 26 awards, including Best Limited Series and Best Actress in a Limited Series or a Television Movie for its star, Regina King.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix broke the record for most nominations in a single year, with 160 nominations in total. Netflix series up for wins at the Emmys include Ozark with 18 nominations, The Crown, and even their reality competition series Nailed It.
Despite this year’s variety, social media couldn’t help but notice the lack of trans representation among this year’s nominees—the women of Pose, in particular.
Writer and trans rights activist Raquel Willis wrote on Twitter, “You’re telling me that a cis actor is the only one worth nominating or elevating on a show that centers the Black trans experience? Y’all playing in our faces yet again. The Black trans women who work on #PoseFX deserve so much more recognition from the #Emmys2020 and beyond.” Pose star Indya Moore has been retweeting many of the sentiments about a lack of trans representation at the Emmys.
Don Cheadle, Kerry Washington and more are being recognized for their contributions to the small screen: Cheadle is nominated for Best Actor in a Comedy Series for his part in Black Monday alongside seven-time nominee Anthony Anderson (Black-ish).
Little Fires Everywhere star Kerry Washington will go head to head with Watchmen’s King in the Best Actress in a Limited Series or a Television Movie category, which also features first-time nominee Octavia Spencer. She is being recognized for her work as Madame C.J. Walker in Netflix’s Self Made. (Editor’s Note: And yes, that means 3 out 5 of the actresses nominated for a Limited Series are Black.)
Also among first-time Emmy nominees: Zendaya is up for Best Actress in a Drama Series for her portrayal of drug-addicted teenager Rue on the HBO series Euphoria.
Other big names up for nominations include Issa Rae (Best Actress in a Comedy Series, Insecure), Billy Porter (eager to clinch a second consecutive Best Actor in a Drama Series win for his work in Pose), Parris Goebel (Outstanding Choreography For Variety Or Reality Programming for Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty show), and Maya Rudolph (Outstanding Character Voice Over Performance, Big Mouth).
The 72nd Annual Emmy Awards are set to air on ABC on September 20—no word has been made about how social distancing precautions may take place at the event. Check out the full list of nominees here.
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