#EmmysSoWhite trends as all twelve acting awards go to white actors despite ...

The Emmy Awards have been slammed as 'disgraceful' after all 12 acting prizes went to white actors, despite the record number of diverse nominees this year. 

An unprecedented 49 non-white actors were recognized in the acting and reality hosting categories - but none were able to clinch an award.  

Actors, fans and activists have criticized the Emmys for going 'backwards' and the hashtag #EmmysSoWhite is now trending on Twitter as a result of the backlash.

Several actors of color were expected to win an acting award for their leading or supporting role, including the late Michael K. Williams in Lovecraft Country and Regé-Jean Page in Bridgerton, but they came up short.  

Instead, white actors won all 12 lead and supporting categories across the drama, comedy and limited series categories at the Emmys, despite diverse performers making up 44% of acting nominees.

TV series The Crown dominated the wins in the drama categories, with Olivia Colman, Josh O'Connor, Tobias Menzies and Gillian Anderson winning the acting awards over popular nominees like Williams and Pose actress Mj Rodriguez. 

Rodriguez and Pose actor Billy Porter lost out to Coleman and O'Connor in the outstanding lead actor and actress category in a blow for people of color nominees. If he had won, Porter would have been the second Black man to win the category twice after Bill Cosby. 

Comedian Bowen Yang was seen a solid contender to win for Saturday Night Live, but lost to Ted Lasso's Brett Goldstein for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series; and the late Michael K Williams, who was nominated for outstanding supporting actor in a drama for Lovecraft Country, but lost to The Crown's Tobias Menzies. 

Meanwhile, Kate Winslet won the award for lead actress in a limited series, movie or anthology for her role in Mare of Easttown over actresses of color Michaela Coel (I May Destroy You) and Cynthia Erivo (Genius: Aretha).

In the same category, Ewan McGregor beat Hamilton stars Lin-Manuel Miranda and Leslie Odom, Jr for his role in Halston.       

Last year saw four black actors winning major categories - Euphoria star Zendaya, Watchmen's Regina King and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Mrs America actress Uzo Aduba.

Michaela Coel became the first black woman to win the outstanding writing in a limited series prize at the ceremony, for her work on I May Destroy You, but lost out in the outstanding lead actress in a limited or anthology series or movie category to Kate Winslet for Mare Of Easttown.

Other diverse performers who were overlooked included Pose star Mj Rodriguez, Saturday Night Live star Kenan Thompson, The Flight Attendant's Rosie Perez and This Is Us star Sterling K Brown.

Early in the evening, host Cedric The Entertainer joked about the potential lack of diversity in the winners, saying: 'The good news is there are a lot of black people nominated tonight.

'Like my dawg Anthony Anderson. This is Anthony's 11th nomination, but tonight he's up against Michael Douglas and Ted Lasso.

'So good luck, partner, but I've got to say, looks like it's still hard out here for a pimp.' 

Actress Yvette Nicole Brown, who was nominated in the Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series category for her role in A Black Lady Sketch Show, said on Twitter: 'Every chance they had to make history in a meaningful way, they passed on it. Just said, 'Naw, son.' Mmkay. Got it.'

In response, writer Lisa McDougal-Pederson said: 'Really disgraceful. They nominated us for praise, but went with the same 'ol same 'ol.' 

Lawyer and civil rights advocate Professor Preston Mitchum, who is director of advocacy and government affairs at LGBT charity The Trevor Project, writing: 'So we're back to - and always will be - £EmmysSoWhite.' 

One Twitter user said: 'Why are people upset about the #EmmysSoWhite? Because representation matters, recognition matters, and acknowledgment matters. Award after award goes to another white person while people of color hand out awards and clap in the background.' 

The Oscars and the Baftas have also been criticised for the dominance of white winners and nominees in recent years.

For the past two years, the Television Academy, which votes on the Emmys, has increased its number of actors of colour.

Away from the acting categories, it was a history-making night for RuPaul, who scored his 11th prize, the most Emmy wins by a person of colour, as RuPaul's Drag Race was named outstanding competition programme. 

The 60-year-old star scored his 11th career win at the ceremony on Sunday when RuPaul's Drag Race beat off competition from The Masked Singer, Nailed It!, Top Chef, and The Voice to take the award for Outstanding Competition Program.

He said: 'Wow, thank you so much to the Academy and all of you gorgeous people here tonight. All of the people at World of Wonder and Viacom-CBS who have been so wonderful, but really thanks to all of our lovely children on our show from around the world. They are so gracious to tell their stories of courage and how to navigate this difficult life, even more difficult today.

'This is for you and for you kids out there watching. You have a tribe that is waiting for you, we are waiting for you, baby. Come on to Mama Ru!'

Ru picked up two other Emmys this year at the Primetime Creative Arts ceremony earlier this month, scoring wins for Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program and Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program.  

'Thanks to all our lovely children on our show from around the world,' RuPaul, 60, said while accepting the award. 'They are so gracious to tell their stories of courage and how to navigate this difficult life, even more difficult today. This is for you.'

Meanwhile, I May Destroy You writer, star and director Michaela Coel was one of the few people of color to take home a trophy during the Emmys. 

The 33-year-old won Outstanding Writing for a Television Limited Anthology Series or Movie on Sunday night for her hit HBO series I May Destroy You. 

Coel, who both created the series and plays the lead character Arabella, delivered a poignant speech on stage, while dedicating the award to sexual assault survivors.

Coel is a sexual assault survivor herself, with her experiences serving as the basis of her show I May Destroy You. 

This year's Emmy Awards was mired in controversy after viewers slammed the ceremony after hundreds of celebrities packed into the awards show without masks or social distancing, despite ongoing warnings in LA about the spread of Covid-19.

Even Seth Rogen, who presented the first award, seemed taken aback, saying the guests were packed inside a 'hermetically-sealed tent' and 'lied about it being outside.'

While the Emmys was technically considered as an 'outdoor event,' the ceremony took place inside an enclosed tent.  

'Good to be here at the Emmy Awards,' Seth Rogen said. 'Let me start by saying: there's way too many of us in this little room. What are we doing? They said this was outdoors—it's not! They lied to us. 

'We're in a hermetically-sealed tent right now. I would not have come to this,' Rogen said.

'Why is there a roof?' Rogen continued. 'It's more important that we have three chandeliers than that we make sure we don't kill Eugene Levy tonight. That is what has been decided.

'This is insane. I went from wiping my groceries to having Paul Bettany sneeze in my face .. so, that's a big week. If anyone's gonna sneeze in my face, Paul, I want it to be you.'

Rogen was laughing and smiling during his 76-second monologue, so it's appears that he was joking, but videos and pictures showed there was a packed crowd for the Emmys. 

After Rogen's spiel and before the Emmys cut for commercial, Emmys DJ Reggie Watts clarified the record and said they're following all health and safety guidelines, the USA Today reported. 

Last year, the Emmys was also controversial after stars used the awards to deliver a political message. 

Host Jimmy Kimmel took a pop at Donald Trump during his opening monologue at the Emmys. 

Walking out to what appeared to be a packed auditorium, Kimmel began delivering his speech before revealing that he was in fact talking to an empty auditorium filled with cardboard cutouts.  

'Of course I'm here all alone! Of course we don't have an audience. This isn't a MAGA rally, this is the Emmys!' Kimmel exclaimed, after Trump was criticized for hosting packed election rallies despite the threat of Covid infections.

He was not the only person to take aim at Trump over his response to the virus. 

Jesse Armstrong, creator of HBO show Succession, used his speech to 'un-thank' Trump for his 'crummy' response to the pandemic; while Mark

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