Sheryl Lee Ralph scores first Emmy nomination for Abbott Elementary
Published:Wednesday | July 13, 2022 | 8:49 AM
Revered actress Sheryl Lee Ralph has scored her first Emmy nomination for her role in Abbott Elementary.
Ralph was nominated in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for the role of Barbara Howard. Abbott Elementary scored two nominations in the category, with Janelle James, who plays the role of Ava Coleman, also scoring a nomination.
An overjoyed Ralph thanked comedian Quinta Brunson, the creator of the show. "Sweet baby Jesus, and the grown one too! Nothing before God’s time. @quintab you made this happen and I love you!!! I have the most amazing cast and crew a Diva could ever ask for and I love each and every one of you!!!" wrote Ralph on Instagram.
She also thanked her supporters throughout her career. "Thank you, thank you, thank you. We are going to the Emmy’s baby!!!!!"
The partial list of nominees for the 2022 prime-time Emmy Awards were announced Tuesday by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
BIG YEAR
It has been a big year for Ralph, who was recently nominated for a Black Reel Award in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actress and named a new member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
READ: Sheryl Lee Ralph feeling honoured about Black Reel Awards nomination
Other nominees in the category are Alex Borstein, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel; Hannah Einbinder, Hacks; Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live; Sarah Niles, Ted Lasso; Juno Temple, Ted Lasso and Hannah Waddingham, Ted Lasso.
Of Jamaican heritage, Ralph is known for her roles in other popular TV shows including Moesha, FAM, It’s a Living, Instant Mom and Barbershop. She is also a bestselling author for her 2020 book Redefining Diva 2.0.
SEVEN NOMINATIONS FOR ABBOTT ELEMENTARY
A hilarious mockumentary, Abbott Elementary became ABC’s first comedy to quadruple its ratings since its première, and it nabbed seven nominations. It follows a documentary crew while they film the lives of teachers and students at a struggling, underfunded Philadelphia school.
It earned nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Comedy Writing, Outstanding Casting and Outstanding Acting.
Brunson, who is the writer of the show and plays Janine Teagues, also earned an acting nod on Tuesday. She previously appeared in A Black Lady Sketch Show and Big Mouth and is currently working on the script for the second season of Abbott Elementary. It airs on ABC and Hulu.
Abbott Elementary is a true workplace comedy in the vein of The Office or Superstore and achieved ABC’s highest ratings since the Modern Family finale. At one point, it was the most-tweeted-about TV comedy of the year.
TV Guide in June called it the best show on television right now, saying it is “revitalising the network sitcom by shrinking the distinction between broadcast and streaming.”
The Emmys will air Monday, September 12.