September 13, 2022
Black Brilliance on Full Display! 2022 Emmys Spark Historical Wins In Black Hollywood
The 74th Emmy Awards was doused in Black excellence thanks to the stunning number of Black stars who never gave up on themselves and their dreams.
Monday’s star-studded night put an undeniable spotlight on Black Hollywood. They brought the magic, the tears, the powerful song mantras, and the gratitude with them onstage as they made history or took home a career-defining win.
Euphoria star Zendaya is celebrating her second historic win for her portrayal of Rue, a 17-year-old recovering drug addict struggling to find her place in the world. The feat meant that the 26-year-old became the youngest two-time Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series and the first Black woman to earn the Emmy award in the same category twice, Vanity Fair reported.
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“My greatest wish for Euphoria was that it could help heal people and I just want to say thank you to everyone who has shared their story with me. I want you to know that anyone who has loved a Rue or feels like they are Rue, I want you to know that I’m so grateful for your stories and I carry them with me and I carry them with her,” Zendaya said during her acceptance speech, per the magazine.
Quinta Brunson, writer, creator, and star of ABC’s breakout sitcom, Abbott Elementary, also collected her flowers with a trailblazing win. Not only did she become the first Black woman to earn three Emmy nominations in the comedy category in the same year, as BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported, but she also became the third Black person, and second Black woman, to win outstanding writing for a comedy series, per The Breakfast Club.
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Brunson’s Abbott Elementary co-star Sheryl Lee Ralph took the stage Monday with an emotional and powerful singing acceptance of her very first Emmy, the Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series. With this, she became the second Black woman to earn the prestigious trophy.
#Emmy winner Sheryl Lee Ralph: “Anyone who has ever, ever had a dream and thought your dream…couldn’t come true. I am here to tell you that this is what believing looks like. This is what striving looks like. And don’t you ever, ever give up on you.” https://t.co/h3GrtHDUA6 pic.twitter.com/qPpGSFfGw5
— Variety (@Variety) September 13, 2022
Other glowing wins included Lizzo‘s “Watch Out for the Big Grrrls,” which won for Outstanding Competition series and Jerrod Carmichael’s first Emmy award for his HBO comedy special Rothaniel.
Congratulations to these Black creators showing up and showing off!