FX’s ‘Pose’ Scores Emmy Nominations For Outstanding Drama Series, Actor

FX’s “Pose,” which boasts television’s largest cast of trans actors in series regular roles and the largest LGBTQ cast for such scripted shows, is now a contender for two Emmy Awards.

Co-created by Ryan Murphy, the dance musical series about the New York ballroom scene of the 1980s and ’90s scored a nomination for Outstanding Drama Series as well as Outstanding Lead Actor in Drama Series for Billy Porter, who plays Pray Tell.  

Some critics had expected another “Pose” star, MJ Rodriguez, to be nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, but that didn’t happen. Rodriguez, who plays Blanca Rodriguez-Evangelista, would have landed the first lead-acting nomination for an openly transgender performer.

HBO’s “Game of Thrones” led in nomination tallies with a record-breaking 32 nods, followed by Amazon’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” which walked off with 19.

In 2014, Laverne Cox made history as the first openly trans performer to be nominated for Best Comedy Guest Actress for “Orange Is the New Black,” though her role was recurring. 

Still, as co-creator and producer Steven Canals pointed out on Twitter, Tuesday’s nominations were nonetheless groundbreaking. 

Similarly, Murphy has made a point of stressing the significance of “Pose.” “Television is important because when you watch it, you fall in love with those characters. And those characters are your friends,” he told NPR in an interview published earlier this month.

He discussed its second season that is set in 1990 after the release of Madonna’s “Vogue” ― cited as a benchmark in the mainstream visibility of ball culture. The most recent episodes have also explored the HIV/AIDS epidemic in a greater capacity, which Murphy has said he feels “a responsibility” to depict.

“So many mentors of ours died early and prematurely,” he told NPR. “You know, there’s a need for history. There’s a need for legacy and storytelling that remembers that period.”

For a full list of all the Emmy nominations, head here. The 2019 Primetime Emmys will air on Sept. 22.