Emmy nominations were just announced – and some of them were historic.
Quinta Brunson, the star and brains of ABC’s runaway hit series “Abbott Elementary,” set a new record for the number of comedic Emmy nods scored by a Black woman. She nabbed three in all: Outstanding Comedy Series, Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, and Writing for a Comedy Series.
“Crying, shaking and throwing up has new meaning to me because I real-life did all three,” she tweeted about the distinctions. “Still speechless. Congrats to the entire staff and cast of Abbott Elementary. And I want to share this moment with all of the people who watch and love the show. Emmy nominated, baby!”
Actress Selena Gomez also scored a significant nomination this year. Not for her performance as the star of “Only Murders in the Building,” however – but rather, for her role as executive producer of the Hulu comedy series.
The show is also a contender for Outstanding Comedy Series in this year’s Emmy Awards, and Gomez, third-generation American-Mexican, is only the second Latinx woman ever listed as a producer of a nominated comedy series in 74 years. (The first was Salma Hayek, who produced “Ugly Betty” on Fox. She scored that nod in 2007 – so, 15 years ago.)
Their recognitions are part of a larger trend. In recent years, representation has improved for people of color and other marginalized people among the pool of Emmy nominees – though when the winners are announced, they’re still usually white.
The winners of the 2022 Emmy Awards will be announced Sept. 12.
In the meantime, both Brunson’s and Gomez’s celebrated shows are continuing on. It was recently announced that “Only Murders in the Building,” which also stars comedy mainstays Steve Martin and Martin Short, will return for a third season. And “Abbott Elementary” will return for its second season in September.
