A record number of Black actors snagged acting trophies for the 72nd Primetime Emmys, with seven taking home statues. That broke the record of six set two years ago.
Regina King, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (both of HBO’s Watchmen), Uzo Aduba (FX on Hulu’s Mrs. America) and Zendaya (HBO’s Euphoria) all won honors during Sunday’s ceremony.
They join Eddie Murphy, Maya Rudolph and Ron Cephas Jones, who won guest acting Emmys on Saturday. The seven Emmy wins by Black actors in the drama, comedy and limited series fields tops the previous high of six, set two years ago.
Rudolph also won a second Emmy this week for outstanding voiceover performance for her work on Netflix’s animated series Big Mouth. Black actors (Laurence Fishburne and Jasmine Cephas Jones of Quibi’s #FreeRayshawn) also earned both short-form acting awards, and RuPaul won his fifth straight Emmy for best reality host.
With her win for lead actress in a limited series or movie, King tied the record for most Emmys won by a Black actor, with four. She now shares the mark with Alfre Woodard; her Emmys have all come since 2015 and are all for different roles.
Aduba won her third Emmy for playing Shirley Chisholm in Mrs. America; her previous two came for her work on Orange Is the New Black. Ron Cephas Jones is also a repeat winner; he also won for guest actor in a drama in 2018 for his role on NBC’s This Is Us.
Murphy and Rudolph — whose guest acting wins came for the same episode of Saturday Night Live from December 2019 — and Zendaya picked up their first career Emmys this week. Zendaya is the youngest ever winner for lead actress in a drama series and just the second Black woman to win in that category, following Viola Davis in 2015.
King and Aduba also wore shirts featuring the likeness and name of Breonna Taylor, who was killed by police in Louisville, Kentucky, in March, during the ceremony.
“I love being a Black woman, I loved being a Black girl,” King told reporters after her win. “I love being American, and it’s important that people see all of those things together, and when you have the platform celebrate that and remind those that tend to look past Black girls, Black women. When I saw my sister Uzo had on this same shirt it just was a confirmation that this was right.”
For a full list of Black creatives and actors who won, see below.
1. Maya Rudolph
Maya Rudolph wins outstanding guest actress in a comedy series for portraying Senator Kamala Harris on Saturday Night Live (NBC)
2. Eddie Murphy
Eddie Murphy wins outstanding guest actor in a comedy series for hosting Saturday Night Live (NBC)
3. Victoria Thomas
Victoria Thomas, CSA, wins Outstanding Casting for Limited Series, Movie or Special for casting Watchmen (HBO).
4. Mahershala Ali and Amatus Sami-Karim Ali
Mahershala Ali and Amatus Karim Ali, who both serve as executive producers, tie for winning outstanding children’s program for We Are The Dream: The Kids Of The Oakland MLK Oratorical Fest (HBO). Mimi Valdés is also an executive producer.
5. Dave Chappelle
Dave Chappelle wins for outstanding writing for a variety special for penning Dave Chappelle: Sticks & Stones (Netflix), which also secured a 2020 Creative Arts Emmy for outstanding variety special (Pre-Recorded).
6. RuPaul
RuPaul wins for outstanding host for a reality or competition program for RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)
7. Stan Lathan
Director Stan Lathan wins for outstanding directing for a variety special, Dave Chappelle: Sticks & Stones (Netflix)
8. Ron Cephas Jones
Ron Cephas Jones wins outstanding guest actor in a drama series for portraying William Hill in This Is Us (NBC)
9. Michael Jordan’s The Last Dance
Michael Jordan’s The Last Dance (ESPN) wins outstanding documentary or non fiction series.
10. Rickey Minor
Rickey Minor won an Emmy for outstanding music direction for his work at The Kennedy Center Honors.
11. The Apollo
HBO’s Apollo documentary, directed by Roger Ross Williams and produced by Lisa Cortés, won Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special.
12. Laurence Fishburne
Laurence Fishburne won outstanding actor in a short form comedy or drama series for his role in Quibi’s #FreeRayshawn.
13. Jasmine Cephas Jones
Jasmine Cephas Jones won Outstanding Actress In A Short Form Comedy Or Drama Series for her role in Quibi’s #FreeRayshawn.
14. Maya Rudolph
Maya Rudolph wins outstanding character voice-over performance for her role as Connie the Hormone Monstress in Big Mouth’s episode How To Have An Orgasm (Netflix)
15. Labrinth
Labrinth wins outstanding original music and lyrics for “All For Us” in Euphoria’s episode And Salt The Earth Behind You (HBO)
16. Regina King
Regina King won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or a Movie for her role in HBO’s Watchmen.
17. Cord Jefferson
Cord Jefferson won an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special for his episode of “Watchmen.”
18. Uzo Aduba
Uzo Aduba secures her latest Emmy for supporting actress in a limited series or movie for her role as Shirley Chisholm in Mrs. America (Hulu/FX)
19. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II secures his first Emmy win for outstanding supporting actor in a limited series or movie for Watchmen (HBO).
20. Watchmen
HBO’s Watchmen wins best limited series.
21. Zendaya
Zendaya wins her first Emmy for best actress in a drama for Euphoria (HBO).
22. Tyler Perry
Tyler Perry receives the 2020 Primetime Emmys Governors Award.