Emmy nominations for acting showcase diversity

I wrote the following program note to conclude Twenty-three Emmy nominations for 'Game of Thrones' may suck the oxygen away from other speculative fiction nominees.

I'll have more on the Emmy Awards tomorrow. In at least one way, they're better than the Oscars.

Wochit Entertainment has the story in 2016 Emmy Nominations Show Diversity Of All Sorts.

The nominations for the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards were announced this morning. It showed progress. For the first time ever, all the lead acting categories include at least one actor of color. 21 actors of color received nominations overall, in lead and supporting categories combined. Cuba Gooding Jr.'s portrayal of O.J. Simpson was nominated as well as Viola Davis For Her Role in How to Get Away With Murder, Rami Malek as a genius hacker whose delusions have become our delusions in Mr. Robot and Kerry Washington and Aziz Ansari.

In this way, the Emmys are like the SAG Awards, where diversity was also celebrated.


By the way, one of the performers among the 21 was the first person ever nominated for an acting Emmy for work in "The Walking Dead" franchise. From the Los Angeles Times' Complete list of 2016 Emmy nominees:

Outstanding actress in a short form comedy or drama series

Patrika Darbo, “Acting Dead”
Erinn Hayes, “Childrens Hospital”
Janet Varney, “Everyone's Crazy But Us”
Michelle Ang, “Fear the Walking Dead: Flight 462”
Tracie Thoms, “Send Me: an original web series”

Congratulations, Michelle Ang! You managed to do something Andrew Lincoln and the rest of the cast has not been able to achieve in six seasons. I'm hoping you return in “Fear the Walking Dead” proper as an antagonist.

In addition, “Fear the Walking Dead: Flight 462” was nominated for Outstanding Short Form Comedy Or Drama Series. That's something "The Walking Dead" has never done in six seasons, either. It has to content itself with two nominations, one for Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup For A Series, Limited Series, Movie Or Special and another for Outstanding Special Visual Effects In A Supporting Role. Those are nice, but they aren't Best Drama or Best Actress. That's what the Saturn Awards are for.