What does Gina Rodriguez have to do to nab an Emmy nomination? We hoped we wouldn’t need to ask this question again, but here we are. The nominations for the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards were announced earlier today and our beloved Jane Villanueva found herself snubbed for the third year running. Though perhaps we should be wondering instead how Netflix’s pitch-perfect Latino reboot of the classic Norman Lear sitcom One Day at a Time ended up with only one nomination. And before you ask, no legend Rita Moreno wasn’t it. The show instead earned a spot in the Outstanding Multi-Camera Picture Editing For A Comedy Series category.
The Television Academy may be making great strides in celebrating the increasingly diverse TV landscape we’re currently living in (shoutout to Atlanta, blacki-ish, Master of None, RuPaul’s Drag Race and Brown Girls!) but, just like last year, Latinos remain suspiciously absent. And as shows like Jane the Virgin, One Day at a Time, Queen of the South, American Crime, Riverdale, Shades of Blue, Narcos show, that’s not for a lack of available high-quality shows with Latino talent both in front and behind the camera.
There, were, as always some welcome exceptions. Lin-Manuel Miranda remains someone you should never bet against whenever he’s eligible for an award. He notched an Emmy nomination for his hosting stint at Saturday Night Live last season, while Alexis Bledel (of Gilmore Girls fame) earned her first citing as a Guest Actress for her searing work on Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale. And at least we have one Latina-centered show we can rally around. Elena of Avalor, which boasts an amazing Latino cast that includes Jane‘s Jaime Camil and One Day at a Time‘s Justina Machado, got a spot among animation heavyweights in the Outstanding Animated Program category.
A handful of Latinos were also recognized for their behind-the-scenes work in technical categories like cinematography, writing, and casting. Below are highlights of the Latinos and Latin Americans nominated for a 2017 Emmy Award.
Stephen Colbert hosts the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards airing live on Sunday September 17, 2017 on CBS at 8pm ET
Elena And The Secret Of Avalor (Sofia The First ), Outstanding Animated Program
This crossover TV movie revealed Elena’s backstory within the world of the Spanish-influenced Sofia The First.
Adriano Goldman, The Crown, Outstanding Cinematography For A Single-Camera Series (One Hour)
This Brazilian television director and cinematographer is best known for working as a DP on Cary Joji Fukunaga’s 2009 film Sin Nombre.
Alexis Bledel, The Handmaid's Tale, Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series
The Gilmore Girls star’s father was born and raised in Argentina.
Neil deGrasse Tyson, StarTalk With Neil deGrasse Tyson, Outstanding Informational Series Or Special
This is the African-American and Puerto Rican astrophysicist’s second consecutive nomination in this category.
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Saturday Night Live, Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series
This is Miranda’s second Emmy nomination. He won in 2014 for co-writing the song “Bigger!” for the Tony Awards.
Joe Quesada, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Slingshot, Outstanding Short Form Comedy Or Drama Series
The Marvel honcho, who’s of Cuban descent, picked up his first Emmy nomination.
Osmany 'Oz' Rodriguez, Creating Saturday Night Live, Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction Or Reality Series
The Dominican director, best known for working on the NBC late night show, earned his first nomination for his look behind the scenes at SNL.
Julio Torres, Saturday Night Live, Outstanding Writing For A Variety Series
The Salvadoran-born comedian received a nomination along with the entire writing team of NBC’s Saturday Night Live. This is his second nomination as part of the late night show.