‘I May Destroy You,’ ‘Pose,’ ‘A Black Lady Sketch Show,’ And More Receive Emmy Nominations

The nominees for the 73rd annual Primetime Emmy Awards have been unveiled. Nominees that spotlight Black talent include I May Destroy You, Pose, The Underground Railroad, Bridgerton, Genius: Aretha, Hamilton, Lovecraft Country, This Is Us, A Black Lady Sketch Show, and black-ish. Michaela Coel (I May Destroy You) and Cynthia Erivo (Genius: Aretha) have received well-deserved nominations in the category of Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series.  

Within the categories of Outstanding Drama Actors and Actresses, Regé-Jean Page (Bridgerton), Billy Porter (Pose), Uzo Aduba (In Treatment), and Jurnee Smollett (Lovecraft Country) are among the contestants. HBO’s A Black Lady Sketch Show received five nominations, including one for Outstanding Variety Sketch Show. 

Pose, a touching drama that broke barriers within the LGBTQ+ community for three seasons, collected five Emmy nominations. Today, the series’ actress MJ Rodriguez made history as the first transgender performer to receive an Emmy nomination in a major acting category: Outstanding Lead Actress In a Drama Series. 

“The show’s nomination for outstanding drama series, as well as Billy Porter’s third nomination for outstanding lead actor in a drama series, mark a historic show that undoubtedly raised the bar for trans representation on television and changed the way viewers around the world understand the trans community,” GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis told Variety.  “As over 40 leading LGBTQ organizations pointed out in our open letter about ‘Pose’ to Emmy Award voters, representation matters. Congratulations, Michaela Jaé, Billy Porter, and the entire ‘Pose’ team — the world is standing with you and applauding your talents.”

The Emmys will premiere on September 19th on CBS and Paramount+. To view the full list of nominees for the 73rd annual ceremony, please visit www.emmys.com.