The year 2020 has been dedicated to celebrating Black excellence and giving our community the spotlight we’ve always deserved.

For the first time in its history, the Television Academy announced its most diverse lineup of nominations as Black actors and actresses scored a record high of slots for the 2020 Emmy Awards, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

As pointed out by Variety, 35 of 102 nominations went to Black performers and artists this year accounting for 34.3 percent of its total nominees. It seems as though Black Hollywood is finally garnering a much stronger presence from the notoriously white, male-skewed awards ceremony.

This is quite a refreshing change to see Black artists get their well-deserved flowers from their peers as the better half of the year has already evolved the conversation around the value of Black lives and stories.

“2020 isn’t just about the global health crisis,” said Television Academy chairman and CEO Frank Scherma as reported by Consequence of Sound. “This year we are also bearing witness to one of the greatest fights for social justice in history, and it is our duty to use this medium for change.”

Social media raved over the news as they witnessed their favorite Black stars receive their nominations.

Emmy Nominations: Black Actors Score Record Number of Nominations – Variety ✊🏿 https://t.co/ySbu7lHrsS

— Sterling K Brown (@SterlingKBrown) July 28, 2020

https://twitter.com/DevonKeshawn/status/1288168909892354050?s=20

Among those nominated in the top acting categories — including Billy Porter, Sterling K. Brown, Zendaya, Anthony Anderson, Don Cheadle, Issa Rae, Tracee Ellis Ross, Regina King, Jeremy Pope, Octavia Spencer, and Kerry Washington — other Black artists made their big debuts too.

Actress and comedian Nicole Byer received her first nomination ever, making her the first Black woman ever to be nominated in the Outstanding Host For a Reality or Competition Program, Showbiz CheatSheet states.

Today @nicolebyer became the first black woman to be nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Host of a Reality / Competition Program!!! pic.twitter.com/eyFUH6GW4P

— Emily Heller (@MrEmilyHeller) July 28, 2020

Though inclusivity in Hollywood still has a ways to go, this year’s nominee party of Black performers is an astronomical feat in the fight for justice and equality.

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