(Photos: Emmy.org)
In case you’ve been living under a rock, Black folks made history at the 72nd Emmy Awards last night (9/20/20).
Zendaya won the lead drama actress Emmy for her turn as Rue Bennett, a troubled, drug-addicted teen on HBO’s “Euphoria.” It was only the second time in the history of the television awards show that a Black woman won that category. The first was Viola Davis in 2015 for “How To Get Away With Murder.” Zendaya is also the youngest woman to ever win the lead actress award, eclipsing last year’s winner Jodie Comer, who held the title as the youngest winner for her 2019 lead actress win for playing the role of Oksana on BBC’s “Killing Eve.” Check out her acceptance speech made from her living room while surrounded by family:
Wearing a Breonna Taylor shirt, Regina King tied the record for most acting Emmys won by a Black performer with her win for lead actress in a limited series of movie for her portrayal of actress Angela Abar (Sister Night) in HBO’s, “Watchmen.” King asked people watching to vote and dedicated her win to the late Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Watch King’s acceptance speech below:
RuPaul also won his fifth Emmy as host of the RuPaul’s Drag Race which airs on VH1. The Emmy winner dedicated his win to contestant Chi Chi DeVayne, the self-proclaimed Southern bayou princess who dazzled viewers on RuPauls reality show. DeVayne died in August from scleroderma. Watch RuPaul’s acceptance speech below:
Read more about Black actors who won awards on Black Press USA.
This post was written by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., founder & editor-in-chief of The Burton Wire. Follow Nsenga on Twitter @Ntellectual.
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