Joaquin Castro congratulates the first Latino to chair the Emmys
As the entertainment world prepares for Sunday’s Primetime Emmy Awards – which coincide with the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month – Texas Congressman Joaquin Castro extends his congratulations to Cris Abrego, who will make history as the first Latino Chairman of Television Academy who will chair the prestigious event.
“Tonight, Cris Abrego will make history as the first Latino to lead the Television Academy on television’s biggest night,” Castro said. Variety in an exclusive statement. “Cris has been a pioneer and successful entrepreneur for decades, shaping modern entertainment and championing underrepresented voices in Hollywood. As Latinos continue to push for greater representation in American media, tonight’s Emmy Awards represent an important step forward. Congratulations to Cris and to everyone who will follow in his footsteps.”
Abrego is chairman of the Americas at global manufacturing company Banijay and recently started working with Eva Langoria to launch Hyphenate Media Group, where he is CEO. At the TV Academy, Abrego’s two-year term as president began on January 1.
Read: All Primetime Emmy predictions in every category at Variety Awards circuit.
This year’s Emmy nominations reflect the growing diversity within the industry. The number of people of color (POC) nominated across all categories increased to 30 of the 96 acting nominees, including four notable Latino performers. Selena Gomez is nominated for Lead Actress for ‘Only Murders in the Building’, Sofia Vergara for Lead Actress Limited for ‘Griselda’, Liza Colón-Zayas for Supporting Comedy Actress for ‘The Bear’ and Nava Mau for Supporting Actress for ‘The Bear’ Baby Reindeer .” Notably, Brazilian star Néstor Carbonell has already taken home an Emmy at the Creative Arts ceremony for guest drama actor for “Shōgun.”
Already an Emmy-nominated producer, Gomez has made history as the most Emmy-nominated Latina producer with her third nomination for Hulu’s hit mystery comedy series. This year she also earned her first acting nomination, becoming only the fourth Latina to be recognized in the lead comedy actress category. Vergara is the second Latina ever nominated in her race, while Colón-Zayas and Mau are the third Latinas in theirs.
In addition to the acting categories, Issa López, showrunner of “True Detective: Night Country,” picked up three nominations for directing, writing and producing the fourth season of the HBO/Max anthology series. López is the first Latino nominated for directing and only the second for writing, following René Echevarria’s 2005 nomination for “The 4400.” In addition, Francesca Sloane has received two nominations for Outstanding Drama Series and for Writing (Drama) for her work on Prime Video’s action series “Mr. and Mrs. Smith.”
Congressman Castro has long advocated for greater Latino representation in the media. In 2020, he commissioned reports from the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office that underscored the continued underrepresentation of Latinos in U.S. media and entertainment. A vocal champion for Latino inclusion, he has called for more representation in film, television, publishing and video games. Castro also played a crucial role in the creation of the National Museum of the American Latino and the Mexican American Civil Rights Museum, located in San Antonio, Texas. He advocates for Latino films to be included in the Library of Congress’s National Film Registry every year.
This week, Castro will join other prominent Latino government leaders at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s annual Leadership Conference, themed “Latino Excellence in Action: Innovation, Influence, and Representation.” The event will feature a series of panels and discussions celebrating the creativity, resilience and vibrant history of Latinos. Variety will moderate some conversations.
The three-day conference concludes on Thursday, September 19 with the 47th annual Awards Gala, honoring the achievements of exceptional Latino trailblazers.
