Black actors win big during 2020 virtual Emmy Awards
Written by Vibe Houston Staff on September 21, 2020
It was a historic night in Hollywood, but not just because the Emmy Awards went virtual for the first time in 71 years, but there was an unprecedented number of Black performers grabbing those golden statues..
Out of the 18 acting awards that were presented, nine of them went to African Americans.
Among the winners included Regina King, for her role in the Watchmen. The win gives King her fourth consecutive Emmy Award, which makes her one of only two African American women to achieve that success.
King changed out of her couture ball gown, and into a Breonna Taylor t-shirt to deliver her acceptance speech.
“The cops still haven’t been held accountable. Arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor,” King said. “She [Breonna Taylor] represents just decades, hundreds of years of violence against black bodies.”
Another monumental moment occurred when Zendaya became the youngest person to win an award for Lead Actress. The actress and singer took home the award for her HBO series, “Euphoria.”
The 24-year-old used her acceptance speech to highlight the young people who have been protesting for the Black Lives Matter movement.
“I just want to say that there is hope in the young people out there,” she said. “And I just want to say to all our peers out there doing the work in the streets, I see you, I admire you, I thank you.”
The #BlackExcellence didn’t end there! Maya Rudolph, Eddie Murphy and Ron Cephas Jones took home guest starring acting Emmys, Laurence Fishburne won a short-form acting statue for #FreeRayshawn, and RuPaul scored his fifth trophy for outstanding host for a reality or competition program.
Congratulations to all of the winners!
