Tag Archives: Emmy Nominations

What This Year Emmy’s Meant For Queer Female Visibility?

This year Emmy’s always looked to be promising, with a number of queer shows and female artists being nominated across the board.

However, the actually results showed a true turning point in viewing habits and awarding winning roles out there.

No-longer do white, straight, male-heavy shows dominate our air ways – hurrah.

The highlights were many, starting with Actress Uzo Aduba taking home the Emmy for Best Actress in a Drama Series, her second consecutive Emmy for her role as Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren on Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black.

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Because the show was categorised as a comedy in 2014 and a drama in 2015, Aduba’s win makes her the first actress to win both a drama and comedy award for the same role — an honour previously held only by the actor Ed Asner.

As she thanked a long list of people, Aduba broke down in tears.

I love you mostly because you let me be me.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCX1MqVg6Vk

Viola Davis also made history by becoming the first black woman to win the best lead actress prize for her role in How To Get Away With Murder.

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Accepting her award, she said:

The only thing that separates women of colour from anyone else is opportunity.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrkGmYbvISo

Amazon’s comedy-drama Transparent won awards for best director in a comedy and for its lead actor, Jeffrey Tambor, who plays a transgender college professor.

In Jill Soloway acceptance speech, she noted that 32 states can legally discriminate against her Moppa, and urged viewers to visit transequality.org to show their support for the Equality Act.

We don’t have a trans tipping point. We have a trans civil rights problem.”

The show also picked up best guest actor in a comedy for former West Wing star Bradley Whitford, for his trans character, Marcie

Out writer/director/producer Jane Anderson (who you probably remember from If These Walls Could Talk 2) won Outstanding Writing For A Limited Series, Movie Or A Dramatic Special for Olive Kitteridge.

Olive Kitteridge

Another out women to win was director Lisa Cholodenko (The Kids Are All RightHigh ArtLaurel Canyon) who worked with Jane on Olive Kitteridge, which also won star Frances McDormond Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie, meaning that two out of three Directing trophies awarded to individual people were won by women.

Queen Latifah’s bisexual epic Bessie won Best Television Movie.

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Jane Lynch won Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality-Competition Program for Hollywood Game Night. And Inside Amy Schumer was named best variety sketch series.

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Political comedy Veep was the winner in the best comedy series category.

 

LGBT Women and Shows Come Out Strong For Emmy Nominations

There are tons of LGBT women, characters, and shows with queer themes nominated at this years Emmy’s.

Here are the highlights:


Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series

Tatiana Maslany (finally!) for Orphan Black. Stiff competition: Taraji P. Henson (Empire), Claire Danes (Homeland), Robin Wright (House of Cards), Viola Davis (How to Get Away with Murder) and Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men).

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Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Series Or A Movie

Queen Latifah as Bessie Smith in Bessie. She’s up against Felicity Huffman (American Crime),Jessica Lange (American Horror Story: Freak Show), Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Honourable Woman), Frances McDormand (Olive Kitteridge) and Emma Thompson (Sweeney Todd).

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Outstanding Television Movie

Bessie has fierce competition in Agatha Christie’s Poirot: Curtain, Poirot’s Last Case, Grace Of Monaco, Hello Ladies: The Movie, Killing Jesus and  Nightingale.


Outstanding Writing For A Limited Series, Movie Or A Dramatic Special

Dee Rees for Bessie and Jane Anderson for Olive Kitteridge. Against: American Crime, Hello Ladies: The Movie, The Honorable Woman and Wolf Hall.


Outstanding Directing For A Limited Series, Movie Or A Dramatic Special

Dee Rees for Bessie and Lisa Cholodenko for Olive Kitteridge. Taking on: Ryan Murphyfor American Horror Story: Freak Show, The Honorable Woman, The Missing and Wolf Hall.


Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series

Lily Tomlin in Grace and Frankie. Other nominees include Lisa Kudrow (The Comeback), Amy Schumer (Inside Amy Schumer), Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie), Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation) and Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep).

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Outstanding Comedy Series

Transparent. Other shows in the category include Louie, Modern Family, Parks And Recreation,Silicon Valley, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Veep.

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Outstanding Writing For A Comedy Series

Jill Soloway for the pilot of Transparent. Taking on: Jeffrey Klarik (Episodes), Will Forte (The Last Man On Earth) Louis C.K. (Louis), Alec Berg (Silicon Valley) and Tony Roche (Veep).


Outstanding Directing For A Comedy Series

Jill Soloway for “Best New Girl” episode of Transparent. Up against: Phil Lord (The Last Man On Earth) Louis C.K. (Louie), Mike Judge (Silicon Valley) and Armando Iannucci (Veep).


Outstanding Drama Series

Orange is the New Black. Taking on Better Call Saul, Downton Abbey, Game Of Thrones, Homeland, House Of Cards, Mad Men.


Outstanding Variety Sketch Series

Portlandia and  Saturday Night Live face contenders Drunk History, Inside Amy Schumer and Key & Peele.

Portlandia


Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series

Uzo Aduba faces Downton Abbey’s Joanne Froggatt, Lena Headey and Emilia Clarke on Game Of Thrones, Christine Baranski (The Good Wife) and Christina Hendricks as Joan Harris on Mad Men.

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Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series

Rachel Brosnahan as Rachel Posner in House of Cards. Other nominees: Margo Martindale as Claudia in The Americans, Diana Rigg as Lady Olenna Tyrell (Game of Thrones), How To Get Away With Murder‘s Cicely Tyson, Masters Of Sex‘s Allison Janney as Margaret Scully, and Scandal‘s Khandi Alexander.

Rachel Brosnahan


Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series

Kate McKinnon in SNL and Gaby Hoffmann as the queer Ali Pfefferman in Transparent. Other nominees: Mayim Bialik (The Big Bang Theory), Niecy Nash (Getting On), Julie Bowen (Modern Family), Allison Janney (Mom), Jane Krakowski (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) and Anna Chlumsky(Veep).

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Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Limited Series Or A Movie

Sarah Paulson as Dot and Bette Tattler in American Horror Story: Freak Show and Mo’nique asMa Rainey in Bessie. Competitors: Regina King (American Crime) Kathy Bates (American Horror Story: Freak Show) and Denise Thibodeau (Olive Kitteridge).


Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Reality-Competition Program

Jane Lynch for Hollywood Game Night. Taking on: Tom Bergeron for Dancing With The Stars,Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn for Project Runway, Cat Deely for So You Think You Can Danceand Anthony Bourdain for The Taste.

Jane Lynch Angel From Hell


The 67th Emmy Awards will air on Sunday, September 20 (8:00 PM ET /5:00 PM PT) on FOX. Start planning your viewing parties, because this is going to be a good one.