11 Latino Emmy Contenders Span Gomez to Garcia
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- Emmy nomination voting closes Monday, June 22, at 10 p.m. PT, with the 11 Latino contenders profiled here currently on the Television Academy ballot before final nominations are announced.
- UCLA's latest Hollywood Diversity Report, released earlier this month, shows representation for people of color slipping as budgets tighten, particularly in film and streaming.
- The U.S. Latino population surpassed 68 million in 2024 and generated $4.4 trillion in economic output; Latino GDP has grown faster than India or China since COVID and now exceeds Japan's, making it equivalent to the world's fourth-largest economy.
- Liza Colón-Zayas made history in 2024 as the first Latina to win an Emmy for supporting comedy actress for "The Bear," and returns on this year's ballot via the "Replicants" episode, where she shares scenes with her real-life husband David Zayas.
- Jenna Ortega became only the third Latina ever nominated in Lead Comedy Actress in 2023, after Rita Moreno (1983) and America Ferrera (2007-2008); a second nomination would make her only the second Latina with multiple nods in the category.
- Andy Garcia carries a history-making résumé into "Landman"—his 1990 "Godfather Part III" Oscar nomination was the first ever for a Cuban actor—though Taylor Sheridan shows have historically struggled to convert massive audiences into Emmy attention.
- David Zayas is on the ballot in three categories across three different series ("The Bear," "Dexter: Resurrection," and "The Night Manager"), while Selena Gomez enters as the most-nominated Latina producer in comedy series with four consecutive EP bids alongside a 2024 acting nomination for "Only Murders in the Building."
Why it matters: With voting closing June 22 and Latinos now driving $4.4 trillion in U.S. economic output—surpassing Japan—the shrinking diversity gains flagged by UCLA sit in sharp contrast to the depth of this 11-name ballot, exposing how a community equal to the world's fourth-largest economy remains statistically under-celebrated by the Television Academy.
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