Emmy Nominations Announced and Actors of Color Hold It Down

By N. Jamiyla Chisholm Jul 28, 2020

Over the spring when folks were forced into voluntary lockdown, television and streaming viewership jumped 28 percent, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Tuesday (July 28), viewers learned which of their favorite shows were nominated for a 2020 Emmy Award when two-time Emmy-nominee Leslie Jones made the live, virtual announcement on the award’s website.

Jones hosted alongside presenters Laverne Cox, Josh Gad and Tatiana Maslany. “Television has played an integral role in navigating these unprecedented times and has brought us together as we remain apart,” Frank Scherma, chairman of the Television Academy, said in a press release

The list of nominees includes shows and films that weren’t afraid to tackle social issues, such as FX’s “Mrs. America,” “HBO’s Watchmen” and Netflix’s "Self Made.” And actors of color held their own in many of the lead acting categories, from drama to comedy, with nods for Regina King ("Watchmen"), Octavia Spencer ("Self Made"), Kerry Washington ("Little Fires Everywhere"), Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross ("Black-ish"), Don Cheadle ("Black Monday"), Ramy Youssef ("Ramy"), Issa Rae ("Insecure"), Sterling K. Brown ("This Is Us"), Billy Porter ("Pose"), Zendaya ("Euphoria") and Sandra Oh ("Killing Eve").

The Emmy Awards will announce the winners on September 20 when the ceremony broadcasts on ABC, but check out the complete list of nominees here and watch the official announcement below, courtesy of the Television Academy: