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Women of color win big at the 2024 Emmys: ‘Our industry is making progress’

By
Emma Hinchliffe
Emma Hinchliffe
and
Nina Ajemian
Nina Ajemian
By
Emma Hinchliffe
Emma Hinchliffe
and
Nina Ajemian
Nina Ajemian
September 16, 2024, 8:01 AM ET
The Bear's Liza Colón-Zayas was the first Latina to win in her category at the 2024 Emmys.
The Bear's Liza Colón-Zayas was the first Latina to win in her category at the 2024 Emmys. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Good morning, Broadsheet readers! North Dakota’s abortion ban was overturned and Arizona’s was repealed, Nasdaq chair and CEO Adena Friedman takes on fraud, and women of color win big at the Emmys. Have a mindful Monday.

– Hope in Hollywood. During a year in which much of corporate America has retreated from DEI, actor John Leguizamo gave the acronym a new meaning at last night’s Emmy Awards. “The ‘D’ is for diligence, the ‘E’ is for excellence, the ‘I’ is for imagination,'” he said to a room full of TV’s biggest stars and behind-the-scenes talent.

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Leguizamo spoke out in favor of better roles for Latinos and people of all backgrounds, in a speech that followed a full-page ad he took out in the New York Times in June urging Emmy voters to choose people of color for this year’s awards. “I know everyone is exhausted about inclusion, but not us who are not included,” he said at the time.

His work bore some fruit on Sunday night—as the actor noted in his speech. “Our industry is making progress,” he said.

Women of color won some of the night’s biggest awards. Anna Sawai took home the statue for best actress in a drama for her role in the FX series Shogun. “This is to all the women who expect nothing and continue to be an example for everyone,” she said. She was the first actress of Asian descent to win in the category, beating out stars Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon.

The Bear’s Liza Colón-Zayas was the first Latina to win in her category at the 2024 Emmys.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Liza Colón-Zayas became the first Latina to win the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series award for her role in The Bear. For her first Emmy nomination at 52, Colón-Zayas was up against Hollywood legends including Meryl Streep and Carol Burnett. In a heartfelt speech, she took the opportunity to get political: “And to all the Latinas who are looking at me? Keep believing. And vote. Vote for your rights,” she added.

The 2024 election was a theme echoed throughout the night. Presenter Candice Bergen reminisced about her decade playing the pioneering reporter Murphy Brown—including Vice President Dan Quayle’s 1992 attack on her character’s choice to have a child as a single mother. “Oh, how far we’ve come,” Bergen said. “Today, a Republican candidate for vice president would never attack a woman for having kids.”

There were some big wins too for Jean Smart and Hacks and Elizabeth Debicki for her portrayal of Princess Diana in The Crown. Overall, the night was a reminder of the power storytelling has to not just reflect but shape the world around us.

Emma Hinchliffe
emma.hinchliffe@fortune.com

The Broadsheet is Fortune’s newsletter for and about the world’s most powerful women. Today’s edition was curated by Nina Ajemian. Subscribe here.

ALSO IN THE HEADLINES

- Un-banned. North Dakota’s abortion ban was overturned last week, with a judge saying that the state’s constitution protected the right to an abortion up until the fetus was viable. North Dakota’s attorney general plans to appeal the ruling, according to theNew York Times. On Saturday, Arizona officially repealed the 1864 ban that restricted almost all abortions.AP

- Hi, AI. Dating app Bumble is investing more in AI, aiming to stay more relevant with its users. CEO Lidiane Jones teased one new feature: an AI-powered photo selection tool.TechCrunch

- Short-staffed. Businesses in Ukraine are hiring more women to fill roles traditionally occupied by men; they are also tapping teenagers, older workers, and students. The country has mobilized tens of thousands of men into its army, leaving staff shortages in industries like construction, mining, and transport.Reuters

- Facing fraud. Nasdaq chair and CEO Adena Friedman argues in an op-ed that fraud is costing the U.S. economy 0.5% of its GDP growth. Scammers have taken advantage of roughly 15% of American households, who’ve lost an average of $575 per year. “It is only by coming together that we can dismantle silos, craft urgent policy and technology responses, and cultivate a more secure, resilient, and productive economy for everyone,” she writes.Fortune

MOVERS AND SHAKERS

Cresco Labs, a cannabis company, named Sharon Schuler its next chief financial officer. Most recently, she was SVP of financial planning and analysis at BJ’s Wholesale Club.

Tapestry—the parent company of Coach, Kate Spade New York, and Stuart Weitzman—promoted Yang Lu to chief information officer from senior vice president of global commerce and customer engagement solutions.

Metron, a water management and sustainability company, named Ellie Graeden chief data and product officer. Previously, she was the founder and CEO of Talus Analytics.

Chronosphere, an observability platform, appointed Ashley Alexander as chief people officer. Most recently, she was Front’s CPO.

Leyden Labs, a biotech company focused on respiratory viruses, appointed Jintanat Ananworanich as chief medical officer. Most recently, she was executive director of clinical development at Moderna.

ON MY RADAR

18,000 miles later, an American woman has cycled the world New York Times

Can WeightWatchers survive the Ozempic era? Fast Company

Gillian Anderson can tell you what women want Esquire

PARTING WORDS

“I want to serve the women who are purchasing the clothes and the accessories, who are funding the business through their belief in the designs and the creations.”

—Cassey Ho, CEO of Popflex and Blogilates, on bootstrapping her fitness-focused businesses

This is the web version of MPW Daily, a daily newsletter for and about the world’s most powerful women. Sign up to get it delivered free to your inbox.
About the Authors
Emma Hinchliffe
By Emma HinchliffeMost Powerful Women Editor
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Emma Hinchliffe is Fortune’s Most Powerful Women editor, overseeing editorial for the longstanding franchise. As a senior writer at Fortune, Emma has covered women in business and gender-lens news across business, politics, and culture. She is the lead author of the Most Powerful Women Daily newsletter (formerly the Broadsheet), Fortune’s daily missive for and about the women leading the business world.

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By Nina AjemianNewsletter Curation Fellow

Nina Ajemian is the newsletter curation fellow at Fortune and works on the Term Sheet and MPW Daily newsletters.

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