Kerry Washington will be attending the 2013 Primetime Emmy Awards celebration in hopes of becoming the first African American actress to win Lead Actress in a drama series.
The event will be held this Sunday, September 22, at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles and will air on CBS with Neil Patrick Harris as the host.
This marks Washington’s first ever Emmy nomination as well as the first time a black actress has been nominated in that category since the 1994-95 season. That nomination went to Cicely Tyson for her role in “Sweet Justice,” but she didn’t win.
Black actresses have been nominated just 9 times for Lead Actress In A Drama Series. But as of now, no black actress has gone on to win the category in the Primetime Emmy’s 65-year history.
In 1982, Debbie Allen was the first to be nominated in that category for her role in “Fame.” Alfre Woodard was next for “St. Elsewhere,” nominated in 1986; followed by Regina Taylor, nominated 2 years in a row for “I’ll Fly Away” (1992 and 1993); and then Cicely Tyson’s aforementioned nomination for “Sweet Justice” in 1995.
Now almost two decades later, Kerry Washington is nominated and could possibly become the first black actress to win Lead Actress In A Drama Series for her role in “Scandal.”
via EURWeb
