Porter was one of four Carnegie Mellon University alumni who were recognized at the 71st Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 22 in Los Angeles. The show was broadcast on Fox. At least 16 CMU alumni were nominated in 12 categories this year.
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Billy Porter Makes History at Emmys
Porter was one of four Carnegie Mellon University alumni who were recognized at the 71st Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 22 in Los Angeles. The show was broadcast on Fox. At least 16 CMU alumni were nominated in 12 categories this year.
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As a freshman in CFA, it is amazing and encouraging to see Alumni and people connected to CMU win awards they deserve. Billy Porter is one of those Alums who I cheer on every time. His tenacity of showing off his differences is something I look up to. I find it incredible that CMU's alumni and faculty have won 131 Emmys to date. I cannot believe that I am a part of this amazing school and its legacy. I find it equally intimidating as well as encouraging, and I can't wait to make my own mark on the world on behalf of the school. I think the legacies of alumni and faculty drive the current students in the work they do, and also drive others around the country who are trying to make waves in their own circles as well. This article makes me hopeful for my own future, as well as the future of theater and drama. I can't wait for Oscar season!
The Emmy's, much like the Tony's are CMU's turkey dinner, we eat a lot of it every year. Seeing Billy Porter win an Emmy for his work on Pose, made me a happy little tartan. Pose is a rather okay television show but one of the highlights of the show is seeing Billy Porter doing the mostest as a drag queen living in the height of the AIDS crisis. Seriously, acting and poor writing aside, the show has a lot of merit and represents communities that are otherwise overlooked and not talked about because its a topic people would rather not think about. Billy Porter is one step closer to being an EGOT which would be a great feat for CMU and for Pittsburgh seeing that he is from here. On top of that, he has made history as the first gay black man to win this award, and the best thing is that he won this award for a show that celebrates those types of characters.
I saw a meme recently on facebook that said “Billy Porter is actually doing what everyone thinks RuPaul is doing” and I just want to emphasize that here that Billy Porter and his fantastic sense of self, his confidence, his determination, and his ability to persevere is absolutely changing the game for all of us in and out of the industry. While it’s always an exciting thing to have an alum win awards (and look how many alums and awards we have!) it’s even more amazing to see those alums put good into the world with their work and their presence. Congrats to Billy Porter, Cherry Jones, Eugene Lee, Ryan Tanks for continuing on that Tartan Pride! Also congrats to Don Roy King, who was a delight to have in the building last year, especially when he came to talk to the Stage Management Seminar class. Last year’s graduates got Leslie Odom Jr for their speaker, can we get Billy Porter this year??
The morning after the Emmys, I woke up to an influx of Instagram posts from SoD students celebrating the win of Billy Porter. Watching it live was even more exciting because I got to cheer alongside my friends at the win of a man who went to the same school I did. I also realized the next morning he was the first openly gay black man to win the award. It’s wonderful to see Billy Porter as the representative for such an important moment of diversity, but there’s also a part of me that is disheartened to see that out of all the years the Emmys have been happening, only now does an openly gay black man win. It was all over the news that he’s close to getting an EGOT and after searching up the past winners of the title, Porter would be the first black man to earn the title. It’s exhilarating to see more diversity in this day in age, but at the same time, puts an emphasis on how dysfunctional our society has been about rewarding well-deserving minorities for their talents.
I have never really been entrenched in award culture, so everything I know about who-won-what and who-got-nominated-for-what never comes from actually watching any awards ceremony, but from social media, friends, and news articles the days after. I heard about Billy Porter for the first time early this year because of his velvet gown at the Oscars, and I thought "what a fellow." He then resurfaced into my world for his extravagant outfit and entrance at the Met Gala. And then I came to Carnegie Mellon, and then the Emmys happened, and then Billy Porter was everywhere. Many congratulations to Porter for his current awards, and much respect to him for being so very himself in a world that is largely underappreciative of minorities. I will be keeping my ear to the ground, doubtlessly, when comes the time Porter is nominated for and wins an Oscar.
This article is really inspiring to read as a hopeful student who someday wants a dot outside of Purnell. I know that Billy Porter already has one dot for his wins from Kinky Boots, but now he is going to get a second dot. I really like that the article mentions that there were students from the technical side of theatre that were nominated and awarded. This article only highlights Billy Porter’s win because of its historical and cultural relevance, but I think it should address all of the winners and congratulate them on their accomplishments and wins. This article also features a list of Emmy nominated alumni from this year and those who won, but it does not discuss them or their work. It is shocking to me that Billy is the first openly gay black man to win this award. With how open people are with their sexuality these days, I am surprised that he is the first. I am proud that a CMU alum has made this history, though.
I truly love award season, it's the season when artists of all areas are brought into the spotlight and celebrated for their work. Granted, it is only the ultra-money-making shows/films/productions/etc that are celebrated, but it still celebrates our kind in front of the entire world. Billy Porter is such a star, and it warms my heart to see him making history left and right. His performance on Pose is absolutely unreal, and it's a testament to all of the talent that I am surrounded with everyday, here at CMU. The tartans are a talented lil group and I am endlessly proud to be a part of that community. It just makes me feel so secure and overjoyed when I see alum being awarded for their work, over and over again. And the fact that these alum are using their platforms to continue to advocate for the arts and for gender/racial/sexual equality on all fronts, is even more beautiful.
It was so much fun to watch the Emmys last Sunday evening with my friends and see a Carnegie Mellon Drama alum win an Emmy! I felt so much pride for my school when I watched Billy Porter go up on stage to accept his award! Billy Porter is now only one award away from having an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony). Porter is also the first openly gay black man to win an Emmy, which is very surprising. I thought it was really inspiring that in his acceptance speech he said that "The category is love, y'all, love”. The fact that the first gay black man won an Emmy in 2019 is a reminder that we still have so so much work to do when it comes to equality and gay rights. Hopefully in the next few years these award shows will continue to become more and more diverse.
Watching the Emmy’s last weekend was a really fun time! Reading about the awards CMU alumni have been involved in and received is really interesting. Something that is disappointing, however, is the lack of attention that any behind-the-scenes awards get. The awards show is limited to writing, directing, and acting (if I’m correct). While awards are given to other areas in the Emmys, they are not presented on the screen and on the stage. It is nice that they are recognized, but I really enjoy watching the Oscars and seeing all the awards that hardworking designers and other creative people win in addition to the performers, writers, and directors. It is exciting to be a part of this community which we all celebrate the arts. Maybe we are all going to school with people who may be on a stage in the future, long after we graduate Carnegie Mellon and begin our careers.
All I have to say is I wish I learned of Billy Porter sooner than I did. He is such an icon in every sense of the word. Before I even touch on his massive amount of talent, his sense of self is something that could win awards. He uses every red carpet event to push the boundaries of gendered fashion, and from that bravery comes magnificent ensembles of cascading tulle and vibrant colors. Not to mention the fact that he was literally carried into this year's MET Gala by six men in elite Egyptian style. Before he even opens his mouth to perform, his presence alone carries jaw-dropping energy. Reading the sentence "Billy Porter is one step away from an EGOT" made me go back and read it two times more. That collection of awards is not obtained by just anyone. Fifteen people have all four, to be exact, and seeing how close Billy Porter is to that distinction makes me so excited and proud. I remember watching the him present during the Tony's this year on my TV and seeing the words "Carnegie Mellon" right there with him. I instantly felt proud and ignited to be going to a school that has produced groundbreaking visionaries such as Billy Porter.
I'm pretty sure I can speak for the entire School of Drama, and entire world, when I say we STAN Billy Porter. He is such an icon, he is so secure in himself, he is confident, and he's incredibly talented. It is so cool to see CMU Alumni winning awards in the field of entertainment, because someday that might be one of us who are here now. That's so incredibly encouraging. Having a man like Billy Porter out there representing us is probably the coolest thing in the world. The fact that the world can think of Carnegie Mellon and see this dream boat of a man who wins many awards and has the stage presence of an utter god reflect back on this school and makes me so proud to go here. I'm so wishing this man his EGOT, he truly deserves to be recognized in that way for his fantastic work in the industry. He is killing the game!! Yay CMU!!
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