Representation for actors of color at the 2026 Emmys continued to decline sharply, with only 18 performers from Asian, Black and Latino communities represented among the 91 nominees.
That’s a sizable decline from 2025, when 24 people of color were among the 92 nominated performers. The year before that was a landmark year, with 30 actors of color among the nominees. (There was also a massive uptick in Indigenous recognition in 2024, thanks to nominations for Lily Gladstone and the FX series “Reservation Dogs.”)
Now, for the second year in a row, the 2026 class of Emmy nominees has gone down by six actors of color.
This year had one more nomination slot than the year prior, with 95 total spaces available for lead, supporting and guest actors and actresses across comedies, dramas and limited series/TV movies. However, four actors (Matthew Rhys, Nick Offerman, Jason Bateman and Colman Domingo) each picked up two nominations, reducing the pool of nominated performers to 91.
Several of this year’s acting categories are filled entirely with white performers: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series.
LGBTQ+ representation also seemingly faltered at the 2026 Emmy nominations, with several acting divisions — including all three Lead Actor categories and Supporting Actress (Drama) — lacking an openly queer nominee.
Despite this concerning decline, coming smack in the middle of political turmoil and prominent anti-DEI/“anti-Woke” conservative movements, there was still some forward progress made with the 2026 Emmy nominees.
Sepideh Moafi made history as the first woman of Iranian descent to be recognized in the dramatic acting categories. Moafi is nominated in Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Dr. Baran Al-Hashimi on “The Pitt,” a new addition to the show’s second season. She finds herself nominated alongside co-star Katherine LaNasa, who won the category last year.
Shohreh Aghdashloo, still the only Iranian actor to get an Oscar nomination after her 2004 Best Supporting Actress nod for “House of Sand and Fog,” became the first Iranian woman to win an acting Emmy — taking the Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Miniseries Or Movie prize in 2009 for her role in HBO’s “House Of Saddam.” Iranian actor Arian Moayed picked up two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for “Succession,” though the wins went to Colman Domingo (“Euphoria”) and Nick Offerman (“The Last of Us”).
Despite “The Pitt” picking up four nominations in the drama supporting actress category, Moafi was the only woman of color from the notably diverse cast to land an acting nomination, with fellow actresses Katherine LaNasa (last year’s winner), Taylor Dearden and Fiona Dourif nominated, but not Isa Briones, Supriya Ganesh (who will not return for Season 3) and Shabana Azeez.
Outside of the acting categories, Salli Richardson-Whitfield was nominated for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for both “The Gilded Age” and “Task,” becoming the first Black woman to ever receive two nominations in the category. She was previously nominated in 2024 for directing an episode of “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty” and is joined in the directing category this year by Black filmmaker Hanelle Culpepper, nominated for her first Emmy for helming an episode of “Paradise.” As exec producer of “The Gilded Age,” Richardson-Whitfield also picked up a nod for Outstanding Drama Series.
British-Pakistani actor and rapper Riz Ahmed is back in the Emmys lineup this year, nominated for lead actor in a limited series for “Bait.” Ahmed was twice nominated at the Emmys back in 2017 for Guest Actor in a Comedy Series (“Girls”) and Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie (“The Night Of”).
He won the Emmy for the latter, breaking several barriers in the process. This win made him the first South Asian man to win an acting Emmy, as well as the first Muslim and South Asian actor to win in a leading category.
“Beef” once again drove Korean representation in the categories for limited/anthology series and TV movies, picking up numerous nominations for its second season. Lee Sung Jin picked up nominations for writing and directing as well as best limited or anthology series. Youn Yuh-jung picked up a supporting actress nomination, while Charles Melton got dual nods for supporting actor and best limited or anthology series (as an EP). Latino actor Oscar Isaac likewise got nominations as a “Beef” exec producer, as well as lead actor.
Beyond Isaac, acting categories were light on Latino/Latina representation, with previously nominated performers like Selena Gomez (nominated this year for producing “Only Murders in the Building”) and Liza Colón-Zayas (a past acting winner for “The Bear” who announced the nominees on Wednesday) not making the cut. Colombian actor Carlos-Manuel Vesga from “Pluribus” and returning nominee Colman Domingo (twice recognized this year) helped bolster representation in these categories.
Chase Infiniti got her first Emmy nomination, for her leading role in the “Handmaid’s Tale” follow-up “The Testaments.” This nod comes just months after Infiniti, who had gotten several nominations for her role in “One Battle After Another,” was passed over at the Oscars for an all-white Best Actress lineup.
Surprise nominee Yahya Abdul-Mateen II from “Wonder Man” also earned his first nod, for lead actor in a comedy series.
“Abbott Elementary” continues to be a driver of Black representation at the Emmys, picking up acting nods for Quinta Brunson, joined in her category by “The Bear’s” Ayo Edebiri; Tyler James Williams, alongside Domingo from “The Four Seasons”; and Janelle James, with “Shrinking’s” Jessica Williams. Brunson got additional nominations for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series and Outstanding Comedy Series as an EP.
Domingo doubled his lifetime Emmy nominations on Wednesday, adding two more to his total by gaining repeat nominations for “Euphoria” and “The Four Seasons.” In 2022, Domingo became the first gay Black man to win an Emmy for guest actor in a drama for HBO’s “Euphoria.” If he wins this year, for supporting actor in a comedy series for Netflix’s “Four Seasons,” he will become the first Black actor to win the category since it was established in 1984. (In previous years, supporting actors competed in a “Comedy or Musical or Variety Series.”)
A win in either category would make Domingo the first gay Black actor to take home two acting Emmys. Back in 2019, Billy Porter made history as the first openly gay Black man to win an acting Emmy, earning recognition for his leading work on “Pose.”
Actors like Domingo and Edebiri (nominated as lead actress for “The Bear” for her third year in a row) helped queer representation. “Hacks” continues to be a major force for LGBTQ+ representation, with Hannah Einbinder joined for the first time by Megan Stalter (both actresses identify as bisexual) in supporting actress in a comedy series, and lesbian actress Cherry Jones nominated for guest actress.
Though the “Hacks” trio are the only openly queer nominees in their categories, Domingo is joined in comedy supporting actor by Michael Urie and drama guest actor Jeff Hiller (who also presented this year’s nominees after winning an Emmy last year for “Somebody Somewhere”). Richard Gadd, meanwhile, was the only openly queer acting nominee across the limited/anthology series and TV movie categories, despite shows like “DTF St. Louis” featuring LGBTQ+ characters.
Queer stars RuPaul and Alan Cumming returned again to the Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program for “Drag Race” and “The Traitors” respectively. RuPaul, now with 11 nominations, surpassed Heidi Klum (“Project Runway”) and Tom Bergeron (“Dancing with the Stars”) last year to become the most nominated reality host of all time. RuPaul and Cumming are joined by fellow queer host nominees Kristen Kish and Ariana Madix.
Despite some big nominations, there’s reason for concern as “Hacks,” one of the largest drivers of queer representation, has concluded its run and will not return to the Emmys in the future. This comes months after GLAAD warned that 41% of the 489 LGBTQ+ characters in the 2024-25 TV season would disappear from television the following year due to series endings, cancellations or character exits.
