Artists call for more diversity at the Emmy gala: "We are more than a touch of color on your white canvas"

The coronavirus pandemic forced this year to reformulate the Emmy gala, the annual awards for excellence in the American television industry.

From the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, completely empty, the artists made their appearances through screens.

Succession,

 and 

, were the big winners of the event, which completed its 72nd edition hosted by television star Jimmy Kimmel.

And although

, several artists released a powerful message in a 60-second that was broadcast during the gala.

Billy Porter, Daniel Dae Kim, Jamie Chung, Isis King and Lin-Manuel Miranda are among the artists featured in the advertisement titled 

 by the Alliance for Inclusive and Multicultural Marketing, a branch of the Association of National Advertisers trade group.

In the commercial they called on industry leaders to do more to achieve fair cultural representation

in programming and advertising.

"We are more than just a splash of color on your white canvas," emphasized Porter.

Black students create Instagram accounts to reveal their experiences with racism

Sept.

18, 202002: 33

"We appreciate the dialogue. We see the Hollywood effort, but we need more. We are here. We have been here," the stars said as they alternated lines from the script.

"Do you see me in this industry?" Asked Miranda, a Broadway playwright with Puerto Rican roots.

The actors asked leaders to display cultures correctly rather than relying on portrayals that are governed by stereotypes: "Would you rather bring stereotypes to life or confront them?" The stars asked in the video.

 [What motivates young Latinos to vote?

Racism, the coronavirus and the economy]

They also argued that they should not be considered a "fee"

, but rather "tradable".

"Let's come together to create waves of change. It is time," the public service announcement ended.

[McDonald's faces million dollar lawsuit for racism]

The call for greater representation comes as conversations about race, inclusion and representation continue at an all-time high amid the ongoing movement for racial justice.

An image that is already viral on social networks perfectly sums up the spirit of these Emmy: Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow gathered in front of the camera watching the event.

Jimmy Kimmel, right, speaks with Lisa Kudrow, Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox during the Emmy gala. Invision for the Television Academy / AP

This year, one-third of Emmy nominees in acting categories are black, while artists of color account for 37% of the total, an increase from previous years, according to an analysis by the

.

But writer, actor and director John Leguizamo said he would not receive the awards and told Yahoo Entertainment that the absence of Latino representation in major categories and in Hollywood stories amounts to "cultural apartheid."

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences hopes to avoid similar allegations: This month it announced that films must meet certain diversity standards for a best picture Oscar nomination.

This year's Emmys set the record for most wins by black actors

, including Regina King, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (both from HBO's Watchmen), Uzo Aduba (FX on Hulu's Mrs. America) and Zendaya (HBO's Euphoria) .

They join Eddie Murphy, Maya Rudolph and Ron Cephas Jones, who won Emmy Awards as guests on Saturday.

In the awards section, it was the night to meet the heir to

, but, although the virtual Emmy for the pandemic today crowned

 as best drama and

 as best limited series, the absolute winner was

, which It swept each and every one of the comedy sections.

Not even her cast believed it.

Although the same euphoria showed Zendaya when at age 24 she became the youngest actress to win a dramatic performance, precisely for her role in the phenomenon

.

like Jennifer Aniston, Olivia Colman, Laura Linney, Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer.

Her speech, admiring all of them, was a kind of presentation before her Hollywood colleagues, with whom she will meet in future galas.

Who knows how and when

Elections and 'Black lives matter'

Despite the wishes that the hectic 2020 ends and the constant satire towards the circumstances, there was room for serious moments.

Between the political conventions of August and the election debates of the next few weeks, these Emmys have been the last extra-political event that has gathered a large mass of spectators before the US presidential elections.

"Be clear that your vote in the next election counts," insisted one of the winners, actress Regina King, in her speech.

The protagonist of

 intervened with a T-shirt that featured the image of Breonna Taylor, the young African-American who was shot to death by police officers in March, being innocent.

And it was not the only one.

So did actress Uzo Aduba as banners with the slogan "Black Lives Matter" crept into the broadcast.

Tyler Perry's speech after receiving a tribute for her social work also mentioned the fight for racial equality in the United States after Mark Ruffalo and Dan Levy encouraged the vote.

Later, America Ferrera narrated in a tribute to the Latino group - absent among the nominees - how at age 16 they asked her to sound "more Latin" to get a role because, despite her appearance, she did not have the accent they associated with her image.

With information from EFE, Los Angeles Times, The New York Times and the Hollywood Reporter.