First the good news about this year’s Emmy nominated: Queer, Black, Asian and Latino artists made history. The less good news: Overall representation is down to people in color, especially for people of Asian and domestic origin.
Of the 92 total artists nominated in the acting categories, 24 of them are in color, a Dip from 2024When Asian, Latino and black actors made significant progress, with 30 nominees.
This year the members of the LGBTQ community went well in all categories. Bella Ramsey picked up her second outstanding principal actress in a drama series for HBO’s “The Last of Us”, and became the only non -binary artist who was twice nominated to act Emmys. This piece of history is based on Ramsey’s own milestone from 2023, when they became the first open non -binary actor who was nominated in a leading actress category. (In 2021, non-binary artist Carl Clemon’s Hopkins were nominated for outstanding support actors in a comedy series for “Hacks. The same year Emma Corrin received a nick for outstanding principal actress in a drama series for” The Crown “, even if they were not publicly known as nonbinery.
Queer actors were particularly well represented in the supportive actor in a comedy series category, where Colman Domingo, Jeff Hiller, Michael Urie and Bowen Yang raised more than half of slots. By comparison, Hannah Einbinder – who identifies herself as bisexual – is the only open queer nominated to support actress in a comedy series. Cynthia Erivo got his third Emmy nomination (this time for the guest actress in a comedy series for “Poker Face”), while Queer artist Robby Hoffman got his first PrimeTime Emmy nomination for his guest work at “Hacks.”
The Queer stars Rupaul and Alan Cumming are again nominated to the outstanding host for a reality or competition program for “drag race” and “traitors” respectively. Now on its record setting 10th nomination exceeds Rupaul Heidi Klum (“Project Runway”) and Tom Bergeron (“Dancing with the stars”) for Most nominated reality through the ages.
In 2022, Domingo became the first gay black man who won an Emmy for the guest actor in a drama for HBO’s “Euphoria.” If he wins this year, to support actors in a comedy series for Netflix’s “Four Seasons”, he will be the first black actor who won the category since founded in 1984. (Earlier years, who supported actors competed in a “comedy or musical or sorter.” Already in 2019, Billy Porter made history as the first open Gay Black Man who won an actor Emmy and received recognition for his leading work with “Pose.”
The “severance” star Tramel Tillman is similarly positioned to make history. If he wins outstanding support actors in a drama series, he will be the first black man to win this category in the 2000s; He could also be the first openly gay black man who served an Emmy in the category and the third open gay black man who won an actor Emmy at all.
Ayo Edebiri, who won outstanding support actress in a comedy series 2023 for FX’s “The Bear”, made an outstanding principal actress in a comedy series for the second year in a row. The Queer artist is also nominated for outstanding director for a comedy series for “Napkins”, the sixth episode of the third season of “The Bear.” This makes Edebiri the first woman nominated for these two categories the same year since Lena Dunham was recognized in 2013 for “Girls.” Edebiri is the first black woman nominated in the two categories the same year.
Joining Edebiri in outstanding principal actress in a comedy series is other black actresses Quinta Brunson and Uzo Aduba, which was one of the morning Surprise nominated. At the 74th annual Emmys, Brunson became the first black woman nominated for three comedy guys at the same ceremony (series, principal actress and writing) for ABC’s “Abbott Elementary.” At the 75th Emmys, she became the first black woman to win outstanding principal actress in a comedy series of more than 40 years. Now Brunson is nominated again to write, this time for the section “Abbott” “Back to School.”
The only other actor category that is not filled with predominantly white nominees is outstanding supportive actress in a comedy series. Last year, “The Bear”: S Liza Colón-Zayas became the first Latina woman who won here, and she is back in driving for 2025. Janelle James and Sheryl Lee Ralph (who won 2022) made both repeated nods for “Abbott Elementary.” And “shrinking” supportive star Jessica Williams followed up her 2024 nomination with another.
In the actress categories, black actors and actresses are the second most represented group (after white artists). Other nominees include Jeffrey Wright (outstanding guest actor in a drama series, “The Last of Us”), Forest Whitaker (outstanding guest actor in a drama series, “Andor”), Brian Tyree Henry (Outstanding Lead Actor in A Limited Series, ” Comedy, “The Studio) and Natury”) and Natuly (The Studio “) and Natury (The Stamin”, and Natury (The Stamin “, and Natury (The Stamination”, and Natwell (The Naturio) and Naturio) and Natury (The Natury (The Natury (Oh Os Handy (The Natwod (The Natwod (The Natwod (The Natwod Actress in a drama series, “The White Lotus”).
Compared to 2023, when Pedro Pascal became just the second Latino nominated for outstanding principal actor in a drama series (after Jimmy beat 1999), for “The Last of Us” and “Wednesday” star Jenna Ortega became The first Latina For NAB a principal actress in a comedy series since America Ferra in 2008, representation for Latinos is down this year. Other than Pascal, again nominated as the principal actor in a drama series, Selena Gomez is the only other member of the community who made the average and served her fourth nod in a row for outstanding comedy series as an Exec producer and solidifies her status as the most Emmy-nominated Latina producer. (She was nominated for the main comedy actress in 2024, but not 2025.)
Asian representation in categories across the line also took a hit. With his fourth actor nomination for NBC’s “Saturday night live”, Bowen Yang is now the most nominated Asian male artist in Emmy’s history. “Top Chef” -written Kristen Kish is the only other Asian artist nominated for a Primetime Emmy.
This is a massive dip from the last few years, when “Shōgun”, “Beef” and “Squid Game” got oscillations of nods and victories. “Squid Game” failed to get a single nomination this year.
Original representation took an even bigger hit, with zero over the nominations just one year after the historical recognition of Gladstone, Kali Reis and D’A-I do.
