The Emmys is facing heavy criticism online after failing to recognise the Black and Latinx trans women and non-binary actors who star in US drama Pose.
The awards academy announced its latest set of nominations on Tuesday evening, but there were no nods for Mj Rodriguez, Dominique Jackson, Indya Moore, Angelica Ross and Hailie Sahar, who play five of the main characters in the groundbreaking series.
Janet Mock, the trailblazing Black trans director who serves as an executive producer on Pose, also missed out on a nomination.
Billy Porter was the only individual to receive a nomination for the show, in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series category.
Pose explores LGBTQ ball culture in New York during the late 1980s and early 90s, and with the show amplifying the voices and experiences of the Black and Latinx trans community, fans on social media have called out the Emmys for not acknowledging many of the cast’s performances for the second year running.
Queer Eye star Karamo Brown – who was nominated for a handful of awards including Best Host For A Reality Or Competition Programme along with his co-stars – also drew attention to Pose’s lack of recognition on Twitter.
He wrote: “I’m thankful for the Emmy nom we the Fab 5 got – but I must also recognise that the most Fabulous 5… these beautiful trans & non binary actors deserved to be nominated for an Emmy too! It is a disgrace that their performances were over looked again!
“The industry must do better!” he added.
Indya Moore and Angelica Ross, who play Angel and Candy respectively, have also reacted to the awards snub.
Indya tweeted: “I didn’t invent the academy or any of the award shows. If they think my work is unworthy Chile that’s just that… Imagine if we depended on cis ppl to validate anything about us.”
Angelica became emotional during an Instagram Live video, explaining her tears were “not about an award or nominees,” but about a much bigger issue in society.
She said: “Ultimately, I need you to understand that I am so tired. Because those of you that know me know that I’m not just working in front of the screen or behind the lens or whatever. I’m working around the clock to get our society to value trans lives and Black trans lives. And listen, I feel what I feel because I feel like there is nothing we can do.”
Pose debuted in 2018 on US network FX, before it arrived in the UK the following year, airing on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.
Both series have been lauded among critics – the first season has an approval rating of 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, with the second coming in at 97%.
Last year, Billy Porter won the Emmy in the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his role as emcee Praytell, making him the first gay Black man to win the accolade.
Pose was also nominated for Outstanding Drama Series, but there were no acting nominations for the female cast.
Aside from a second nomination for Billy, this year Pose has only been recognised in categories for make-up, hairstyling and costume design.
A third series was set to air later this year, but filming was shut down in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
