Since its debut, FX's Pose has changed the landscape of television. The simple existence of the Ryan Murphy-produced, Steven Canals-created, and Janet Mock-led project upped the number of trans actors in lead roles on television dramatically, and it consciously did the work of rooting out deep-seated tropes about the LGBTQ+ community.
For its first two seasons it was nominated for a total of 11 Emmy awards, winning only one. For its third and final season, the 2021 Emmy nominations saw the series up for nine awards, and Sunday night at the Creative Arts Emmys ceremony, it took home three. Find out which below.
2021 - Outstanding Contemporary Costumes
FX pulled out all the stops for the final season of Pose and that included getting their hands on a coat from Beyonce's closet -- literally. And they were rewarded for that work. Analucia McGorty, Linda Giammarese, and Michelle Roy were given the Creative Arts Emmy for Outstanding Contemporary Costumes, for their work on the series finale, specifically.
2021 - Outstanding Contemporary Hairstyling
The hair of Pose started off rough, and that made sense given that the characters had much less means. But coming into the final season, we saw a glowup that played across not only their wardrobe but their hair and makeup. Behidn the scenes, the hairstyling crew -- Barry Lee Moe, who was the department head, Timothy Harvey, Greg Bazemore, Tene Wilder, Lisa Thomas, and Rob Harmon -- were awarded for their efforts with a Creative Arts Emmy.
2021 - Outstanding Contemporary Makeup (Non-Prosthetic)
If the wardrobe and hair is on point, it is only logical that the makeup follows. The makeup department of Pose, headed by Sherri Bermain Laurence, also picked up a Creative Arts Emmy. That team included Nicky Pattison Illum, Charles Zambrano, Shaun Thomas Gibson, Jessica Padilla, Jennifer Suarez.
2019 - Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Billy Porter made history for Pose, and for actors overall, when he became the first out gay man to win in the Outstanding Lead actor in a Drama Series category -- by extension he was also the first out gay Black man to win. He shouted "Category is love!" as he came to the stage, echoing phrasing that Pray Tell might have used in the moment.
"James Baldwin said, 'It took many years of vomiting up all the filth I'd been taught about myself and half-believed before I was able to walk on the earth as though I had a right to be here,'" Porter said. "I have the right, you have the right. We all have the right."
