Looks like they finally got it right.
After years of playing blind to an outstanding performance by a trans woman actress, the Emmys are giving her praise. MJ Rodriguez has become the first openly transgender performer to pick up an Emmy nomination in a major acting category.
Source: Jamie McCarthy / Getty
The “Pose” star, 30, is nominated in the lead drama actress category for the portrayal of house mother Blanca Rodriguez on the now-finished FX series.
“Pose” is also up for Best Writing and Best Directing at the 2021 Emmys.
Last year, there was an outcry when people pointed out that NONE of the transwomen actresses from the series landed nominations for the series that was up for Outstanding Period Costumes, Outstanding Period And/Or Character Hairstyling, Outstanding Period And/Or Character Makeup (Non-Prosthetic) and Best Actor in a Drama Series for Billy Porter.
Now MJ joins the likes of two other openly trans performers who received Emmy attention but in non-lead categories; Laverne Cox and Rain Valdez.
Variety reports:
This nomination marks a significant step for LGBTQIA-plus representation — and specifically trans representation — at the Emmys. Prior to Rodriguez, only two openly trans performers received Emmy attention: Laverne Cox was the first, picking up her first nomination in the guest drama actress category for her work as former inmate Sophia on Netflix’s “Orange is the New Black” in 2014 (and later receiving three more, all in the same category, in 2017, 2019 and 2020); meanwhile, Rain Valdez of “Razor Tongue” scored a short-form comedy or drama actress nom just last year.
Congrats MJ!
In related Emmy news, HBO and HBO Max have the most nominations this year with 130.
Too quickly canceled “Lovecraft Country” accounts for 18 of those nominations including Oustanding Lead Actor for Jonathan Majors, Outstanding Lead Actress for Jurnee Smollett, Outstanding Supporting Actor for Michael K. Williams and Oustanding Guest Actor for Courtney B Vance.
Michaela Coel’s “I May Destroy You” HBO series is up for nine.
Netflix has 129 nominations including 18 for “The Queen’s Gambit” and 24 for “The Crown.” Disney+ has 71 nominations mainly from The Mandalorian and WandaVision, the latter of which racked up 23.
Congrats to the 2021 Emmy nominees; do you see any major snubs??? This year’s ceremony hosted by Cedric The Entertainer will take place at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles on September 19.
Hit the flip to see the full list of 2021 Emmy nominations in the major categories.
Outstanding Drama Series
The Boys
Bridgerton
The Crown
The Handmaid’s Tale
Lovecraft Country
The Mandalorian
Pose
This Is Us
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Uzo Aduba, In Treatment
Olivia Colman, The Crown
Emma Corin, The Crown
Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid’s Tale
Mj Rodriguez, Pose
Jurnee Smollett, Lovecraft Country
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us
Jonathan Majors, Lovecraft Country
Josh O’Connor, The Crown
Regé-Jean Page, Bridgerton
Billy Porter, Pose
Matthew Rhys, Perry Mason
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Michael K. Williams, Lovecraft Country
John Lithgow, Perry Mason
Tobias Menzies, The Crown
O-T Fagbenle, The Handmaid’s Tale
Max Minghella, The Handmaid’s Tale
Bradley Whitford, The Handmaid’s Tale
Gincarlo Esposito, The Mandalorian
Chris Sullivan, This Is Use
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Aunjanue Ellis, Lovecraft Country
Emerald Fennel, The Crown
Gillian Anderson, The Crown
Helena Bonham Carter, The Crown
Yvonne Strahovski, The Handmaid’s Tale
Samira Wile, The Handmaid’s Tale
Madeline Brewer, The Handmaid’s Tale
Ann Dowd, The Handmaid’s Tale
Outstanding Comedy Series
Black-ish
Cobra Kai
Emily in Paris
Hacks
The Flight Attendant
The Kominsky Method
Pen15
Ted Lasso
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Aidy Bryant, Shrill
Kaley Cuoco, The Flight Attendant
Allison Janney, Mom
Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish
Jean Smart, Hacks
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Anderson, Black-ish
Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method
William H. Macy, Shameless
Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso
Kenan Thompson, Kenan
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Hacks
Kenan Thompson, Saturday Night Live
Bowen Yang, Saturday Night Live
Brett Goldstein, Ted Lasso
Brendan Hunt, Ted Lasso
Nick Mohammed, Ted Lasso
Jeremy Swift, Ted Lasso
Paul Reiser, The Kominsky Method
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Hannah Einbinder, Hacks
Aidy Bryant, Saturday Night Live
Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live
Cecily Strong, Saturday Night Live
Juno Temple, Ted Lasso
Hannah Waddingham, Ted Lasso
Rosie Perez, The Flight Attendant
Outstanding Limited Series
I May Destroy You
Mare of Easttown
The Queen’s Gambit
The Underground Railroad
WandaVision
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Paul Bettany, WandaVision
Hugh Grant, The Undoing
Ewan McGregor, Halston
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
Leslie Odom, Jr., Hamilton
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Michaela Coel, I May Destroy You
Cynthia Erivo, Genius: Aretha
Elizabeth Olsen, WandaVision
Anya Taylor-Joy, The Queen’s Gambit
Kate Winslet, Mare of Easttown
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series
Phillipa Soo, Hamilton
Renée Elise Goldsberry, Hamilton
Jean Smart, Mare of Easttown
Julianne Nicholson, Mare of Easttown
Moses Ingram, The Queen’s Gambit
Kathryn Hahn, WandaVision
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series
Daveed Diggs, Hamilton
Jonathan Groff, Hamilton
Anthony Ramos, Hamilton
Paapa Essiedu, I May Destroy You
Evan Peters, Mare of Easttown
Thomas Brodie-Sangster, The Queen’s Gambit
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Courtney B. Vance, Lovecraft Country
Charles Dance, The Crown
Don Cheadle, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
Timothy Olyphant, The Mandalorian
Carl Weather, The Mandalorian
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Sophia Okonedo, Ratched
Claire Foy, The Crown
Alexis Bledel, The Handmaid’s Tale
McKenna Grace, The Handmaid’s Tale
Phylicia Rashad, This Is Us
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin, Saturday Night Live
Dave Chappelle, Saturday Night Live
Morgan Freeman, The Kominsky Method
Daniel Kaluuya, Saturday Night Live
Daniel Levy, Saturday Night Live
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Jane Adams, Hacks
Yvette Nicole Brown, A Black Lady Sketch Show
Bernadette Peters, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist
Issa Rae, A Black Lady Sketch Show
Maya Rudolph, Saturday Night Live
Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live
Outstanding Animated Series
Big Mouth
Bob’s Burgers
Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal
South Park: The Pandemic Special
The Simpsons
Outstanding TV Movie
Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square
Oslo
Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia
Sylvie’s Love
Uncle Frank
Outstanding Variety Talk Series
Conan
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Outstanding Variety Sketch Series
A Black Lady Sketch Show
Saturday Night Live
Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded)
8:46 — Dave Chappelle
A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote
Bo Burnham: Inside
David Byrne’s American Utopia
Friends: The Reunion
Hamilton
Outstanding Variety Special Live
Celebrating America — An Inauguration Night Special
Stephen Colbert’s Election Night 2020: Democracy’s Last Stand Building Back America Great Again Better 2020
The 63rd Annual Grammy Awards
The Oscars
The Pepsi Super Bowl LV Halftime Show Starring The Weeknd
Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series
Allen v. Farrow
American Masters
City So Real
Pretend It’s a City
Secrets of the Whales
Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special
Boys State
Framing Britney Spears (The New York Times Presents)
The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart
The Social Dilemma
Tina
Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special
My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman
Oprah with Meghan and Harry: A CBS Primetime Special
Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy
United Shades of America with Kamau Bell
VICE
Outstanding Structured Reality Program
Antiques Roadshow
Property Brothers: Forever Home
Queer Eye
Running Wild with Bear Grylls
Shark Tank
Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program
Becoming
Below Deck
Indian Matchmaking
RuPaul’s Drag Race Untucked
Selling Sunset
Outstanding Reality-Competition Program
The Amazing Race
Nailed It!
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Top Chef
The Voice
Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program
Nicole Byer, Nailed It!
Bobby Berk, Karamo Brown, Tan France, Antoni Porowski, and Jonathan Van Ness, Queer Eye
RuPaul, RuPaul’s Drag Race
Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John, and Kevin O’Leary, Shark Tank
Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio, and Gail Simmons, Top Chef
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