On Sunday, the 77th annual Primetime Emmys took place live from Los Angeles. But while fan favorite shows like “Abbott Elementary,” “Slow Horses, ” “The Bear” and more were nominated– a handful of Black actors and actresses unfortunately didn’t walk away with a win. If you didn’t catch the show, don’t worry, we’ll break it all down.
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While Tramell Tillman walked away with a historic win for his role in “Severance,” other Black actors and actresses overwhelmingly got snubbed for their respective categories with Black women in particular, leading the pack.
For instance, when it came to Outstanding Lead Actress in a comedy series, not one, not two but three Black actresses were overlooked. Those women included Uzo Aduba (“The Residence”), Quinta Brunson (“Abbott Elementary”), and Ayo Edebiri (“The Bear”). Brunson also lost for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy series while Edebiri went home empty for the second time in the Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series category.
Another trio of Black women were also picked over as the winner for the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy. Those women included “Abbott Elementary’s” Sheryl Lee Ralph and Janelle James and “Shrinking” star Jessica Williams.
Over in the Drama categories, Black women still were still some of the main artists who didn’t win. Some of those talented actresses included: Ruth Negga (“Presumed Innocent”), Rashida Jones (“Black Mirror”), and Natasha Rothwell (“The White Lotus”).
And while Black actresses seemed to make up most of the demographic of folks who lost, there were also a handful of Black men who didn’t receive that coveted gold statuette like Sterling K. Brown (“Paradise”), Colman Domingo (“The Four Seasons”), Brian Tyree Henry (“Dope Thief”), and Ashley Waters (“Adolescence”).
In another unfortunate turn of events, mega-music stars like Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar also walked away with no wins that night for the “Beyoncé Bowl and the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show, respectively. (It should be noted however, that both did win in un-televised categories earlier in the week).
Welp, better luck next year, folks. We’re still gonna be rooting for everybody Black, regardless!
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