Tag: Emmy Awards

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Big Emmy Nominations For Schitt’s Creek, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Billy Porter & More

The cast of Schitt’s Creek (via Instagram)
The 2020 Emmy Award nominations were announced this morning with lots of LGBTQ recognition to go around. Schitt’s Creek garnered a whopping 15 nominations including Outstanding Comedy Series as well as Outstanding Lead Actor / Lead Actress / Supporting Actor / Supporting Actress for Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Daniel Levy, and Annie Murphy respectively. Daniel Levy is also nominated for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. The show has received four nominations in past years. https://twitter.com/SchittsCreek/status/1288140496410480640 VH1’s RuPaul’s Drag Race scored 10 nominations including Outstanding Competition Program and one for Mama Ru for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program. RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked was nominated for two trophies including Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program, and RuPaul’s Drag Race Out Of The Closet scored a nod for Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction or Reality Series. The ‘make better’ show Queer Eye was honored with 7 nominations including Outstanding Structured  Reality Program, and Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program. https://twitter.com/QueerEye/status/1288152402135265280 Billy Porter was nominated again for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series for his performance as Pray Tell in FX’s Pose. Porter took home the trophy last year in the same category. The series also received nominations for period costumes, hairstyling, and makeup, but no Emmy love for any of the transgender actresses on the show – Mj Rodriguez, Dominique Jackson, Indya Moore, and Angelica Ross.  Additionally, the show itself was not nominated for Outstanding Drama Series. Steven Canals, one of the co-creators of the show, made note of that on social media. https://twitter.com/theebillyporter/status/1288143439046090758 https://twitter.com/StevenCanals/status/1288165593581903873 The wild and wooly Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness received 6 nominations including Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series. We’re Here, starring Bob the Drag Queen, Eureka O’Hara, and Shangela, was nominated for Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program. Holland Taylor was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for her delicate turn as a movie studio casting director in Netflix’s Hollywood. Jim Parsons also scored an Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series of Movie nod for his scheming talent agent in Hollywood as well. Hollywood, which reimagines the Golden Age of Tinsel Town with marginalized communities like Black and LGBTQ Americans finding success in the 1940s, received 12 nominations in total. In the Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series category, Laverne Cox received a nomination for her appearance in the final season of Netflix’s Orange Is The New Black. Cherry Jones was nominated in the same category for her work in HBO’s Succession. https://twitter.com/RandyRainbow/status/1288157086426312704 Political satirist Randy Rainbow was honored with a nomination for Outstanding Short Form Variety Series for his popular parodies of Broadway tunes which lampoon political figures. HBO’s dystopian superhero drama Watchmen walked away with the most nominations, 26 in all, followed by Amazon’s stylish comedy The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel with 20 nods. For a complete list of all nominees head over to Emmys.com. The 72nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, will be presented on September 20 on ABC.

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News Round-Up: July 13, 2020

Jwan Yosef (via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • ManCrush Monday: That time when Ricky Martin’s other half, Jwan Yosef (above), showed off his ‘baby lifting arms.’ #dang • Gold Derby: Openly gay former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg has been entered for Emmy consideration in the category of Best Comedy Guest Actor for his guest-hosting stint on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” • CNN: The body of former GLEE actress Naya Rivera, 33, who was missing since Wednesday, has been found floating in a Southern California lake. Rivera’s role on GLEE gave queer Puerto Rican representation to millions. She is the third original GLEE cast member to die. In 2013, Cory Monteith died of a drug overdose and Mark Stalling committed suicide in 2018 after being found guilty of possessing child porn. • TheaterMania: Hamilton has become the first cast recording to reach the top two on the Billboard 200 albums chart since 1969 thanks to the musical’s premiere on Disney+. In 1969, the original cast recording of Hair spent 13 weeks in the no. 1 slot. Hamilton had previously peaked in the no. 3 position back in 2016, tying with The Book of Mormon. • Miami Herald: Florida resident Joseph Fucheck is facing criminal charges for waving a pistol at a Black homeowner in North Miami-Dade while claiming to be a 35-year Navy SEAL veteran. Except – it was a decades-old lie perpetrated by Fucheck. The Navy SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce, which maintains paperwork for all SEALs since World War II, has no record of him. • CBS17: An Arkansas police officer told a colleague he would ‘shoot any protesters’ who might come to his door. But Calvin Salyers, 33, has now been charged with manslaughter after shooting through his door on June 3 killing a fellow police officer who dropped by to pick up a patrol car. • Podcast of the Day: A podcast about gay TV,  Gayest Episode Ever, explores LGBT+ themed one-off episodes that classic sitcoms (like The Golden Girls, Frasier, and Cheers) would do back in the day when it was rare to see queer characters represented on broadcast television. The podcast – hosted by Drew Mackie, a journalist, and Glen Lakin, a screenwriter – offers insight into the evolution of queer visibility, gay rights, and how culture can both affect — and BE affected by — what we see on TV. The episode below dissects a 1977 episode of Maude when Bea Arthur’s title character argued with her neighbor Arthur over the opening of a gay bar in town.

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Podcast: Chatting With Emmy Award Winning Creators Of ‘After Forever’

The cast of ‘After Forever’ (via Instagram)
Join me as I chat with the Emmy Award-winning creators of the Amazon Prime Video digital series, After Forever. After Forever stars Kevin Spirtas (Dr. Craig Wesley on Days of Our Lives) and Mitchell Anderson (Doogie Howser, Party of Five) as a mid-life gay couple living in New York City who appear to have it all — until Jason’s untimely death forces Brian to think about his own future and ultimately his own mortality, without the love of his life. As Brian puts his life back together, Jason periodically appears to help him focus on his new life and moving on, most notably with his new boyfriend. Spritas co-created and co-wrote the series with acclaimed playwright Michael Slade. After Forever also stars familiar faces from TV, film and Broadway stages like Colleen Zenk (As the World Turns), Michael Urie (Ugly Betty), Anita Gillette (Chapter Two), Mary Beth Peil (Dawson’s Creek), and Tony Award winner Cady Huffman (The Producers). The lauded series features a diverse group of characters who find their way through life’s constant changes, including relationships, love, and loss, in an often overlooked group – the mature gay man.
L-R Mitchell Anderson and Kevin Spirtas in ‘After Forever’
  Season One of After Forever was nominated for 8 Emmy Awards and won five including Outstanding Digital Drama Series, Outstanding Writing for a Digital Drama Series, and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. Season Two has already been nominated for 10 Indie Series Awards including Best Drama Series, Best Ensemble Drama Series and a slew of acting, writing and directing nods as well. Hit play as I chat (and laugh) with two very talented men. For more info about the show, click over to afterforevertheseries.com.

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No, Billy Porter Did Not Give RuPaul ‘Side-Eye’ At Emmys

Billy Porter slams reports that he gave RuPaul side-eye during Emmy Awards

Billy Porter slams reports that he gave RuPaul side-eye during Emmy Awards Folks love to stir up stuff even when there’s nothing there. Speaking to reporters backstage at the Emmy Awards last night after his historic win as ‘Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series,’ Billy Porter was asked about some Twitter activity that imagined him giving some side-eye during RuPaul’s acceptance speech for winning the trophy for ‘Outstanding Reality-Competition Series.’ This was the screen capture folks were bouncing around the Twitterverse:

But when a reporter from Essence brought up the minutes-new meme, Billy shut that down and quick. “Let me make this clear right now in this room to everybody. Right now. There was never a side-eye coming from me. There’s never anything negative coming from me. You’re never going to get from it. Okay. It’s all love, all love, it’s all positivity. Don’t come to me with that mess. They can catch me and it can look like a side-eye, [but] RuPaul is a friend of mine. I am so proud of him. I stand on his shoulders. I stand on his shoulders. He is doing it. He paved the way for me, so there’s never a side-eye about that.”

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Billy Porter Makes History Winning ‘Best Lead Actor/Drama’ At Emmy Awards

Billy Porter wins the Emmy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role - Drama for 'POSE;

Billy Porter wins the Emmy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role - Drama for 'POSE; “And the category is: Love!” Making history tonight, Billy Porter won the Emmy Award for Best Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his work as ‘Pray Tell’ in the ground-breaking FX series POSE at the 2019 Emmy Awards. Quoting James Baldwin, he began his thank yous, “It took many years of vomiting up all the filth I’d been taught about myself, and half-believed, before I was able to walk on the earth as though I had a right to be here. I have the right – You have the right – We ALL have the right!” He then acknowledged the men nominated in his category which included Bob Odenkirk, Jason Bateman, Kit Harington, Milo Ventimiglia, and Sterling K. Brown: “It is an honor to be up here breathing the same air that y’all breathe.” After thanking his cast members and his team, he turned to the co-creator of the show: “Ryan Murphy! Ryan Murphy! Ryan Murphy! You saw me and believed in us! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” Porter closed his thanks saying, “We as the artists are the people that can change the molecular structure of the hearts and minds of the people who live on this planet. Please don’t ever stop doing that. Please don’t ever stop telling the truth!” POSE, also nominated for Outstanding Drama Series, made its mark from the get-go with the largest transgender cast in the history of television. Having won a Tony Award for his performance as ‘Lola’ in the hit Broadway musical Kinky Boots, and a Grammy Award for the show’s original cast recording, tonight’s honor moves Porter just an Oscar shy of an EGOT. Watch his joyful acceptance speech below.

Afterward, Porter became emotional backstage when asked how his win can empower the LGBTQ community. “Visibility and representation are the only things that create change,” he told reporters. “It’s when we are visible that we have the power to create empathy through the way we tell stories. I know that being black and gay and out and being in this position and speaking in the position that I get to speak from is the change. I hope that young, queer people of all colors can look at me and know that they can.”

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Billy Porter Makes An Entrance (Or Three) On ‘The Late Late Show’

Billy Porter sings 'I Will Survive' on The Late Late Show with James Corden

Billy Porter makes an entrance on The Late Late Show with James Corden To say that Emmy Award nominee Billy Porter ‘dropped by’ The Late Late Show with James Corden on Wednesday could be one of the great understatements of the week. After his fellow guest, Kirsten Dunst, entered through the show’s curtains looking lovely as ever and took a seat on the interview couch, Corden introduced the POSE star. Enter Hurricane Billy. Adorned in a gold lamé cape (which became wings a la his Met gala fashion statement), Porter made his way down the stairs towards the stage only to u-turn and head back behind the curtains. Sporting a new rainbow robe and a bouquet of roses, Porter re-emerged to make his way through the audience again. And he’s not done yet! Dropping the robe to reveal a purple, glitter jumpsuit, Porter runs to the band to shake a tambourine like a pro. He’s then carried on a platform, in Cleopatra-style, to the stage by two shirtless muscle hunks. The crowd goes wild, but Corden – feigning outrage that time has been taken from Ms. Dunst – dismisses Porter from the stage. “Fine, James, fine!” says Porter as he exits. But wait – there’s more! Billy Porter sings 'I Will Survive' on The Late Late Show with James Corden As Corden attempts to interview Dunst, music swirls, curtains open and Porter launches into a spectacular disco-tastic performance of Gloria Gaynor’s iconic “I Will Survive” complete with hunky dancers and roller-skaters. Watch Billy Porter’s lesson in how to make an entrance below.

In a later segment, Porter is back on the couch as Corden asks the Tony Award winner about turning 50 this Saturday, just a day before he could make history as the first openly gay black man to win an Emmy Award for ‘Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama.’ “I feel great,” says Porter. “I have to say, everything that people say about getting older, that it gets better – is the truth.” “I’m the healthiest I’ve ever been, I’m experiencing a type of success that I didn’t even know how to dream of,” he added. “It’s really, really remarkable.” “And – the best part about it is – once you get to a certain age you have zero f*cks to give about anything or anybody! Period.” “It’s the greatest feeling in the world – the shackles are off,” he declared. “Say what you want – I’m gonna do me, and I’m gonna do it ’til I’m dead!”

Make sure to tune in to the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday night, September 22, at 8 pm ET on Fox.

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RuPaul Wins 4th Consecutive Emmy Award For ‘Outstanding Host’

For the fourth year in a row, RuPaul has snatched up the Emmy Award for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program. From the Hollywood Reporter:

Backstage, RuPaul explained he was “having a hard time putting words together,” but he ultimately expressed his gratitude for the win and the art of drag.

“I show up to work because I love drag queens, love dramatic people, love being around people who march to a different drummer,” RuPaul said.

He later added, “Drag is dangerous. Drag is not politically correct,” he said. “I know people say, ‘You’re mainstream,’ but drag will never be mainstream.”

Drag Race was up for 14 awards at this year’s ceremony. The show made history in 2018, becoming the first series to win best reality host and best reality competition program in the same year.

The show was recently renewed for a 12th season on VH1, as well as spinoff RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, which was greenlit for a fifth season.

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CNN Chats With Emmy-Nominated Randy Rainbow

CNN’s John Berman sits down with Randy Report favorite Randy Rainbow (yep, that’s his real name) to chat on his meteoric rise as political parody satirist. Randy’s career took off during the 2016 presidential campaign when his satirical take on the first Hillary Clinton/Donald Trump debate garnered over 20 million views in two days on Facebook alone. He’s now nominated for an Emmy Award and touring the country performing live concerts.

Here’s the video that began Randy’s triumphant run as Political Satirist in Chief plus his Emmy nominated “Barr:”

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Billy Porter On Breaking Through At 49 ‘I Do Not Take It Lightly’

Billy Porter, nominated for ‘Best Actor in a Drama’ at this year’s Emmy Awards for his star turn on the FX series, POSE, recently spoke to PEOPLE about the ‘moment’ he is currently in thanks to the groundbreaking TV show.

“I really had a hard time as an out, black, gay actor making any headway. I wasn’t having a great time living up to the heteronormative masculinity standard to get the straight male work. So I wasn’t really working in film and television. And it was just frustrating, you know? It was just frustrating to sort of feel ignored and feel dismissed, and dismissed for even the flamboyant things.

“I’ve been in the busy 30 years – I’ve never been the object of affection in anything. When you’re gay, they like to cut your dick off and make you asexual.

“The stories that get greenlit about black men are generally about us killing each other very often.

“And so, it’s nice, it’s beautiful, and it’s time to for the world to understand that there all types of people on the planet, we do different things AND we can honor each other’s humanity inside of that.”

“I choose joy, I choose life, I made that decision a long time ago.”

Watch more from the Golden Globe/Emmy Award-nominated Mr. Porter below.

(images via screen capture – People)

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Podcast: Emmy Award Nominations, Bullied Teen Convicted, ‘Straight Pride’ Gets Smackdown, Kevin Spacey

In this week's podcast: • The 2019 Emmy Award nominations have been announced and there’s good news for lots of LGBTQ artists • A gay high school student in NYC has been found guilty of manslaughter after stabbing two of his bullies • 'Straight Pride' organizers get a smackdown by Netflix's legal team • Out rapper Lil Nas X keeps breaking records on the Billboard charts • Charges against Kevin Spacey are dropped after his accuser invokes his 5th Amendment rights All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report

In this week’s podcast:

• The 2019 Emmy Award nominations have been announced and there’s good news for lots of LGBTQ artists

• A gay high school student in NYC has been found guilty of manslaughter after stabbing two of his bullies

• ‘Straight Pride’ organizers get a smackdown by Netflix’s legal team

• Out rapper Lil Nas X keeps breaking records on the Billboard charts

• Charges against Kevin Spacey are dropped after his accuser invokes his 5th Amendment rights

All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report