(NewsNation) — The 2023 Emmys saw a resurgence in diversity after years of performers of color being underrepresented in awards shows.
The Television Academy handed out 12 prizes to people of color, with five Black winners in comedy, drama and limited series categories, one more in short form, and four more for non-acting/non-on-camera performances.
This year also marked the first time two Asian American performers won lead acting prizes in the same night.
In 2020, a year largely framed by George Floyd's killing and subsequent protests, Black performers earned a record seven wins for acting at the Emmys. In the five years prior, 14% of the nominees in comedy, drama and limited series acting categories were Black.
2020, however, did not start a trend. In 2021, mostly white cast shows like “The Crown” and “Ted Lasso” dominated the awards. Meanwhile, Black performers collected only guest prizes despite collecting a record number of nominations.
This sparked the hashtag #EmmysSoWhite, part of a larger movement criticizing the lack of diversity in award shows and Hollywood as a whole.
The 2023 Emmys were scheduled to be held in September but were postponed due to the actors’ and writers’ strikes last year.