Emmy Nominations Take a Huge Step Toward Better Representation

Last week, a record 25 people of color were nominated for the Emmy acting awards. The makeup of this year’s nominees is reflective of some of the best, most engaging television – and some of the most-watched TV shows we have seen in years. We want to congratulate the Emmy Awards on pushing the boundaries of representation by once again celebrating the most diverse set of nominees, ever.

However, while the nominations do reflect a change in representation in front of the camera, disparity behind the camera continues to be neglected. This year, no woman creator or showrunner was nominated in the best comedy and best drama categories and no woman writer or director was nominated in the limited series categories either. When women behind the camera were nominated, they were almost always part of a team with a man; i.e., Aziz Ansari and Lena Waithe for Master of None and Lisa Joy and Jonathan Nolan for Westworld.

While we celebrate the change in representation in front of the camera, we must continue to push for representation in the writers’ room, the director’s chair, and across the entertainment industry in general. This week we are asking you to join us in celebrating the progress made with this year’s Emmy nominations with #MediaWeLike. Let’s continue to inspire the entertainment industry to do better. Together, we can help ensure strong, equal representation for all.

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Onwards,

Jennifer Siebel Newsom & The Representation Project Team