Lack of Emmy-Winning Black Women Comedians Is No Laughing Matter: 12 Reminders for TV Academy
lead actress comedy, only six Black women have been nominated since its inception in 1966 — Diahann Carroll (“Julia”), Isabel Sanford (“The Jeffersons”), Nell Carter (“Gimme a Break!”), Phylicia Rashad (“The Cosby Show”), Tracee Ellis Ross (“Black-ish”) and Issa Rae (“Insecure”). Sanford was the only Black woman to win the category in 1981.Read more: Variety’s Awards Circuit Emmys Predictions HubIn supporting actress comedy, we’ve seen a minor increase in the representation of Black talent but still not enough compared to the presence in the industry.