Black women have received a record five Emmy directing nominations across three categories this year, signalling increased recognition in an area where they have historically been overlooked. The nominations are significant because directing awards can influence future hiring, yet Black women have rarely converted nominations into wins outside variety programming.

Salli Richardson-Whitfield received two drama nominations, joined by Hanelle Culpepper, while Ricki Hughes and Alexandria Stapleton were recognised in variety and documentary categories respectively. Since Debbie Allen became the first Black woman nominated for directing in 1989, only Bridget Stokes and Nneka Onuorah have won, both in variety; Stapleton’s Netflix documentary series “Sean Combs: The Reckoning” is seen as a strong potential contender.