Actress MJ Rodriguez has just closed out her run on Pose by making history: she has become the first openly transgender woman to score an Emmy nomination for Best Lead Actress in a Drama.
Rodriguez’s nomination joins one for her castmate Billy Porter, who also scored a nod for Best Lead Actor in a Drama. Pose nabbed a nomination for Best Drama Series as well.
Other LGBTQ talent also did well at the nominations. Openly gay comic Bowen Yang received a nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his work on SNL. His co-star Kate McKinnon also nabbed her ninth Emmy nomination for her work on the show.
Related: Queer content scores big at 2019 Emmy nominations
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
In the Limited Series category, Michaela Coel, the aromantic star of I May Destroy You nabbed a nomination for Lead Actress. Jonathan Groff, the openly gay star of Hamilton, also picked up a nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie. Rising queer icon Kathryn Hahn also picked up a nomination for her lauded work in WandaVision.
Joining MJ Rodriguez among the nominations for Best Lead Actress in a Drama, Emma Corrin, the recently-out-as-queer star of The Crown, scored her first Emmy nod. Her fellow queer co-star Gillian Anderson also picked up a nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama, as did Samara Wiley, the lesbian star of The Handmaid’s Tale.
Rounding out the nominations for LGBTQ content, RuPaul’s Drag Race, the perennial Emmy favorite, also nabbed another nomination for Best Reality TV Program. The ballroom competition series Legendary also picked up two nominations in technical categories.
On the other hand, the magnificent AIDS drama It’s A Sin received no nominations. We’re still scratching our head on that one.
Winners in the 2021 Emmy Awards will be announced in a ceremony on September 19, hosted by Cedric the Entertainer.
BaltoSteve
MJ Rodriguez’s nomination is well deserved. That third season was incredible!
Cato
So many members of the Pose cast deserve nominations. MJ Rodriguez and Billy Porter were the heart of the show, but Angel Bismarck as Esteban/Papi was amazing — he conveys so much with his eyes and expression. Then there’s Dominique Jackson as Elektra who is by turns inspiring and terrifying, but always fierce. I’m sad they show has ended, but they went out at the top of their game.
simulations
Agree wholeheartedly with all of the above. Dominique is a standout for me, particularly the most recent season.
Cam
I wish Marvel would cast Dominique Jackson as a hero or Villain. I think she could crush a role like that.
barryaksarben
Well deserved. I want a huge fan of the show but admired the historical importance to equality.
Kangol2
Such a talented actress! She deserves the nomination and the award. She also deserves more good roles she can turn out too.
jayceecook
“It’s A Sin” wasn’t eligible. Do your homework Q.
Isn’t MJ the actress from Pose that slammed the show and the industry not too long ago?
For the love of Mary, can the Emmys *please* move or create the SNL actors to a different category? It’s ridiculous for them to be in the main acting categories.
Kathryn Hahn and Jonathan Groff getting noms are…choices.
ShiningSex
No I have only praises from MJ. Where is this “article” at?
jayceecook
@ShiningSex Not sure what your “praises” have to do with anything but okay…
I made the wrong assumption. It was Janet Mock from Pose not MJ. That’s why I posed my comment as a question not a statement because I was not 100% sure. Yes, she is very talented as are a lot of the people from the show. I hope they have more success in the industry and beyond.
BoomerMyles
Yes and considering Aidy Bryant and Keenan Thompson are double nominees.
lykeitiz
Ok, I searched it, and not only is there nothing saying “It’s A Sin” was not eligible, but there are several articles talking about how it was robbed, particularly 3 of the leads.
jayceecook
@lykeitiz Maybe try the Emmys’ website and download the eligibility requirements 🙂
JOINT UNITED STATES-INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTIONS
Joint productions that feature financial and creative involvement between both United States and international entities, as well as programs from international news networks broadcasting for a
domestic U.S. audience (such as BBC World News America, CGTN America, and similar networks), may be eligible for submission, provided that they originally air nationally on U.S. television during the current eligibility period. Submissions must have made their global debut in their distribution to the continental United States. Should extenuating circumstances arise in which a production airs simultaneously outside the United States, orairs outsidethe United States ahead of its U.S. broadcast, NATAL awards administration will review the eligibility of the entry on a case-by- case basis.
IAS was solely made by a UK production company for a British station, Channel 4, and had no American input financially or creatively. HBO Max simply bought the rights to air it for the US market.
jayceecook
@BoomerMyles Exactly! I’m not knocking their work on SNL but it’s a very, very different genre. They have a category for SNL outside BC, I think it’s time they create acting ones as well.
fingertrouble
Yup. We have BAFTAs, if It’s A Sin doesn’t get a BAFTA it has been robbed, but it wouldn’t qualify for an Emmy as it’s a British production.
ShiningSex
Congrats!
lykeitiz
It’s so nice to see MJ get nominated not simply to make history, which has happened, but instead because she threw down a hell of a performance all 3 seasons! Well deserved for the lady!
stanhope
It’s about time..MJ was incredible….so too were Dominique and Angel. I hate Pose ended but they went out at the top!
GreekKeys
So, what woman lost out on a nomination because Mj is in the women’s category?