Emmys 2016: Cast Your Vote for New Blood!
Photo: FX
As Emmy voters begin casting their ballots this week, I’d like to remind them of a potentially awesome opportunity: They have the rare chance to revitalize the winners list in an unprecedented way. Looking at the nominees, there are now numerous places to diversify the trophy winners, with worthy shows and performances; many of them would be first-time winners.
What am I talking about? Look no further than the Best Drama and Best Actor-Drama categories, where Mr. Robot and its star, Rami Malek, have a chance to pull off an upset over established shows such as Game of Thrones and veteran performers such as Kevin Spacey. Gaze upon the possibilities of a potential string of wins for FX’s The Americans, which has finally been recognized with numerous nominations, including Best Drama, Actor (Matthew Rhys), and Actress (Keri Russell). It’s puzzled me why similarly low-key shows, such as Better Call Saul, Bloodline, and Transparent, have snagged nominations in the past and yet The Americans has been largely overlooked. This year, that situation was finally corrected.
Related: ‘Veep’ Showrunner David Mandel on Season 5’s Defining Moments
When it comes to the comedy category, I doubt that any show can (or ought) to defeat Veep, but I’d love to see Anthony Anderson and/or Tracee Ellis Ross snag wins for Black-ish, one of the rare network shows worthy of Emmy validation these days.
This Emmy year also benefits from the presence of a Limited Series category ripe with excellent performances from black and female actors, writers, directors, and producers. From Roots to American Crime to (especially) The People v. O.J. Simpson, this is one of the most exhilarating sets of nominations in a long time. I’m pulling particularly for Courtney B. Vance, Sarah Paulson, and Sterling K. Brown from The People v. O.J. Simpson. (I’d go all-out in rooting for the Simpson series were it not for the fact that the superb second season of Fargo — featuring a great performance, among others, by the nominated Bokeem Woodbine — is also in this category and in danger of being scantily rewarded.)
There are other performers tucked away in various categories that would be great to see as winners. Vote for Veep’s Anna Chlumsky over previous Mom winner Allison Janney in the Comedy-Supporting Actress category! Vote Louie Anderson from Baskets in the Comedy-Supporting Actor column!
Related: Yahoo TV’s Complete Emmy 2016 Coverage
Generally, I’m agitating for a let’s-bust-the-Emmys-wide-open attitude this year among voters. There’s been a lot of talk, for both the Oscars and the Emmys, about expanding the voting pool and representing a wider range of talent in front of and behind the scenes. This year, the nominating process did its share to contribute to this movement. Now it’s time for voters to follow through with some fresh, novel winners.
The 68th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards will air Sunday, Sept. 18, on ABC.
