Black actors made history on Saturday with big wins at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards in Los Angeles. All four of the guest star categories went to black actors. Tiffany Haddish, Ron Cephas Jones, Samira Wiley, and Katt Williams took home awards for their respective TV guest star roles.
Haddish and Williams each took home the awards for best actress and actor in a comedy series for Saturday Night Live and Atlanta respectively. In the drama category, Jones won best actor for NBC’s This Is Us, and Wiley won best actress for Hulu’s Handmaid’s Tale. The actors are all first-time Emmy winners, but it’s also the first time that all four guest acting categories went to black actors.
When asked about his This Is Us character after his win on Saturday night, Jones said, “It would have been difficult” for his character to have even existed years ago, Deadline reported. “We are moving forward and moving ahead,” Jones said.
A total of 11 black actors were nominated for the Primetime Emmy guest acting roles, which were announced in July.
Saturday’s awards were announced as part of the Creative Arts Emmy Awards. More big wins are expected at the Emmy ceremony on Sept. 17.