The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards, held on September 14 and broadcast on NBC and Peacock, reignited conversations about racial representation in the television industry, as no actors of color won in any of the 12 lead and supporting acting categories this year. While the ceremony saw historic wins, including Welsh actor Matthew Rhys taking home two lead acting Emmys for Apple TV’s "Widow’s Bay" and Netflix’s "The Beast in Me," and Jean Smart earning her fifth Emmy for the comedy series "Hacks," the absence of actors of color among the acting winners drew criticism and comparisons to previous years.
Japanese American filmmaker Hiro Murai made history by winning an Emmy for directing "Widow’s Bay," marking the first time an Asian director won in the comedy category. Murai became the third Asian director to win a Television Academy directing award, following Lee Sung Jin of "Beef" in 2023 and Hwang Dong-hyuk of "Squid Game" in 2022.
Despite these milestones, social media users and industry observers noted the lack of diversity among acting winners. April Reign, a strategic communications consultant who originally coined the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite in 2015 to highlight racial disparities during the Oscars, remarked that the pattern reflected systemic issues rather than a shortage of talent. “When every winner across all twelve lead and supporting acting categories is white, in the same year that followed the industry’s loudest promises about equity, the pattern is the story, not any single ceremony,” she said.
The Creative Arts Emmys, held on September 5 and 6, offered somewhat greater representation, with Black actors recognized for their performances. Ernest Harden Jr. earned his first Emmy for best guest actor in a drama for his role in HBO Max’s "The Pitt," while Octavia Spencer won for narration on the docuseries "Lost Women of Alaska." However, these wins have not quelled concerns about the broader lack of recognition afforded to performers of color in key categories.
Several actors of color received nominations this year, including Oscar Isaac for "Beef," Quinta Brunson for "Abbott Elementary," Ayo Edebiri for "The Bear," Yahya Abdul-Mateen II for "Wonder Man," Sterling K. Brown for "Paradise," Colman Domingo for "The Four Seasons," Zendaya for "Euphoria," Sepideh Moafi for "The Pitt," Riz Ahmed for "Bait," and Jessica Williams for "Shrinking." Nonetheless, none secured a win in the lead and supporting acting categories, marking a 39% decline in nominations for performers of color compared to 2025. This regression drew parallels to the 2021 Emmys, when actors from underrepresented communities constituted 44% of acting nominees but ultimately received no acting awards.
The Television Academy has acknowledged the importance of inclusion and diversity in its membership and programming. According to its 2026 transparency report, the academy’s nearly 30,000 members have seen small increases in representation, with bi-racial or multiracial members rising from 6.9% to 7%, while Latinx or Hispanic and East or Southeast Asian members remained steady at 7.7% and 4.1%, respectively. The academy has also championed milestones in representation in recent years, including awarding Zendaya best lead actress in a drama in 2020 and highlighting queer talent in 2019.
Despite these efforts, critics continue to call for substantive change. Reign underscored the need for active involvement in driving progress, stating, “I named [#OscarsSoWhite] the first time in 2015, and I am naming it again now, because a pendulum that keeps swinging back on its own does not right itself. Someone has to push it.” An Emmy spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment.