In a rare move, the 2026 Primetime Emmys went down on Monday night, live from Los Angeles, a departure from the usual Sunday showdown. But a new night didn’t stop the star-studded show from serving up its fair share of hits and misses. And unfortunately, the Black actors and projects nominated caught the worst of it.
Not a single actor of color took home an award in any of the lead or supporting acting categories for the first time in five years. Keep reading for a breakdown of some of the biggest snubs from this year’s show.
Black Men Weren’t Rewarded
No matter how debonair Colman Domingo and Tyler James Williams looked Monday night, neither walked away with Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series—that went to Stephen Root for “Widow’s Bay.” Yahya Abdul-Mateen II lost Lead Actor in a Comedy for “Wonder Man,” and Sterling K. Brown was passed over again for “Paradise,” this time by Noah Wyle. Over at the Creative Arts Emmys, RuPaul lost host for a reality or reality competition program and Steve Harvey came up short for Celebrity Family Feud, too.
Related: Black Shows Snubbed at the Emmys Over the Years
Black Women Were Shut Out
Just like the Black men, the Black women nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series—Janelle James for “Abbott Elementary” and Jessica Williams for “Shrinking”—went home without the coveted trophy. Over in Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, neither Quinta Brunson nor Ayo Edebiri were sadly not selected as winners. To add even more salt to the wound, Zendaya (“Euphoria”) and Chase Infiniti (“The Testaments”) did not prevail in their respective categories.
Black-Led Shows Were Shown No Love
If you are a fan of “Paradise,” “Euphoria,” “Wonder Man,” and “Abbott Elementary,” or shows where Black characters were the highlight, like “The Four Seasons,” “The Bear,” and “Shrinking — then we’ve got some bad news. Not one of them won a thing for its Black talent. Even behind the camera, where Salli Richardson-Whitfield became the first Black woman to earn two directing nominations in a single year for “The Gilded Age” and “Task,” and Hanelle M. Culpepper picked up her first nod for “Paradise,” the trophies went elsewhere.
For what it’s worth, Octavia Spencer became a first-time Emmy winner at the Creative Arts ceremony at the top of the month, taking Outstanding Narrator for “Lost Women of Alaska” and moving two awards away from an EGOT. Ernest Harden Jr. took Guest Actor in a Drama Series for “The Pitt.” They deserve their flowers. But we can’t lie — watching this many talented Black stars go home empty-handed, knowing what they turned in, just feels deeply disheartening.
