'Emmys So White': Woke viewers moan as actors of color are SNUBBED in every major acting category

The Emmy Awards are facing woke backlash after actors of color were snubbed in every major acting category at the 78th annual ceremony on Monday in Los Angeles.

The outrage was partially fueled by Variety's Clayton Davis, who dubbed the night 'Emmys So White Part 2' - a callback to a similar controversy in 2021 - as he pointed out that all 12 acting awards were given to white performers.

Only 17 actors of color nabbed nominations this year in the categories for lead and supporting actor, a '39% decline' from 28 nominees in 2025, Davis reported.

The Beast In Me's Matthew Rhys - who made Emmys history - and Pluribus's Rhea Seehorn ended up winning trophies over popular nominees like Euphoria's Zendaya and Beef's Oscar Isaac.

The only actors of color who received Emmys for 'on-camera or voice work' this year were The Pitt's Ernest Harden Jr., who won for Guest Actor in Drama Series, and Octavia Spencer, who won for Narrator for her work in Lost Women of Alaska.

However, those awards were not presented during Monday's televised show and were, instead, handed out at the Creative Arts Emmys, which were held two weekends prior to the main ceremony.

With no winners of color taking to the stage on Monday night, viewers flocked to X (formerly Twitter) to voice their frustration over the Emmys being 'so white.'

Paradise's Sterling K. Brown's loss in the Lead Actor in a Drama Series category to The Pitt's Noah Wyle particularly struck a nerve, with many tweeting that he 'deserved' the trophy over Wyle, who won the same award in 2025.

Rhea Seehorn won Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her leading performance in Pluribus, beating out Euphoria's Zendaya and The Testaments's Chase Infiniti. 

Several Emmy viewers felt that Abbott Elementary's Janelle James, who is a five-time nominee, was 'overdue' for an Emmy as she notably lost supporting Actress in a Comedy Series to Widow's Bay breakout Kate O’Flynn.

The Pitt's Sepideh Moafi lost to The Diplomat's Allison Janney - who is now an eight-time Emmy winner - in the Supporting Actress in a Drama Series race.

Task's Tom Pelphrey won Supporting Actor in a Drama Series over the likes of Pluribus's Carlos-Manuel Vesga.

Jean Smart took home her fifth consecutive Emmy for Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her work on Hacks, which meant Abbott Elementary's Quinta Brunson and The Bear's Ayo Edebiri lost out.

Matthew Rhys took home two awards, including Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his role on Widow's Bay, which Wonder Man star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II was also nominated for.

Continuing Widow's Bays's winning streak, Stephen Root won Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series over The Four Seasons's Colman Domingo and Abbott Elementary's Tyler James Williams.

No actresses of color were nominated in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, which went to Remarkably Bright Creatures's Sally Field.

Both Beef's Oscar Isaac and Bait's Riz Ahmed, both non-white actors, failed to secure the Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie award as it was given to The Beast In Me's Matthew Rhys.

Similar backlash erupted after the Emmys in 2021 when, despite an unprecedented 49 non-white actors being nominated, none of them took home an award.

Actors, fans and activists accused the Emmys of going 'backwards' and created the hashtag #EmmysSoWhite to call out the lack of diversity. 

The 78th annual Primetime Emmy Awards took place at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles on Monday.

Law & Order: SVU executive producer/star Mariska Hargitay served as host of the gala event which marks the first time a woman has hosted the show in 15 years.

Apple TV horror comedy series Widow's Bay was the biggest winner at the Emmy Awards 2026 as it swept the ceremony with leading man Matthew Rhys making history as the first actor to win two leading acting gongs in different categories in one night.

On the drama side, it was once again The Pitt who was the big winner as the HBO Max series took home top honor Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama for Noah Wyle. They earned the same honors last at last year's Emmy's.

However, it was Widow's Bay that made the massive first impression at on television's biggest night as it won in all six categories it was nominated in including the top honor Outstanding Comedy Series.

The comedy horror series beat out: Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Hacks, Margo’s Got Money Troubles, Nobody Wants This, Only Murders in the Building, and Shrinking.

Widow's Bay is set in the fictional New England island town of Widow's Bay, which happens to be afflicted with a centuries-old curse that brings various supernatural evils upon the island

In addition to Rhys, top acting honors were earned by Kate O'Flynn and Stephen Root in the Outstanding Supporting Actress and Actor in a Comedy Series categories, respectively.

However, their co-star Rhys was perhaps the biggest winner of the night as he made history by becoming the first actor to earn two leading acting honors in the same night.

He not only earned earned Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy series for the Apple TV series, but also took home Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for The Beast in Me earlier in the evening.

On the Apple TV series, the talented actor portrays Tom Loftis, mayor of Widow's Bay, as he is originally from the mainland and is initially skeptical of the local residents' superstitions about the island's supposed curse. He is a widower, and father to a son, Evan, from his marriage to his deceased wife, Lauren.

In the psychological thriller mini series, Rhys portrays Nile Jarvis who is the son of a real estate magnate who moves next door to the home of Aggie Wiggs [Clare Danes] in Oyster Bay, New York on Long Island to live in a more secluded manner with his second wife as he allegedly killed his first wife.

The Pitt earned the top award of the night Outstanding Drama series on a night where it earned 25 nominations which was the most from any single series.

It faced stiff competition including: The Diplomat, The Gilded Age, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Paradise, Pluribus, Slow Horses, and Your Friends and Neighbors.

The Pitt is centered around the daily lives of healthcare professionals in a Pittsburgh hospital as they juggle personal crises, workplace politics, and the emotional toll of treating critically ill patients, revealing the resilience required in their noble calling.

Noah Wyle was the first to be awarded for the highly-popular HBO Max series.

The 55-year-old actor earned the win in the coveted Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series category as he beat out: Sterling K. Brown for Paradise, Gary Oldman for Slow Horses, Mark Ruffalo for Task, and Rufus Sewell for The Diplomat.

On the series he portrays Dr. Michael 'Robby' Robinavitch who is the main protagonist of the show as he deals with trauma and PTSD alongside unresolved post-COVID stress.

Meanwhile, Rhea Seehorn earned one of the biggest wins of television's biggest night and beat one of the biggest stars in Zendaya to earn the honor.

The 54-year-old actress triumphed in the Lead Actress in a Drama category at the Emmy Awards 2026 as she was recognized for her work in Pluribus.

Jean Smart earned her fifth Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy win in a row at the Emmy Awards 2026 on a night that featured a star-studded red carpet.

The 75-year-old talented actress was recognized for her work on Hacks which just had its fifth and final season.

Smart - who earned her eighth total Emmy in her 15th total nomination - was obviously emotional as her name was called and she was presented the honor by Zendaya.

Sally Field earned Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for her work in Remarkably Bright Creatures.

The 78th annual Primetime Emmy Awards took place at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles on Monday night.

Law & Order: SVU executive producer/star Mariska Hargitay served as host of the gala event which marks the first time a woman has hosted the show in 15 years.