Queer bombshells are taking over the Emmy Awards!
In recent years, the LGBTQ+ community has truly shined as it sweeps the major categories on and off screen. Most notably, the cast and crews on pivotal queer shows such as Hacks, RuPaul's Drag Race, Schitt's Creek, Will & Grace, and many more have paved the way for gay representation on screen.
Now, the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards are taking things up a notch with the Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program category. With 4 out of 5 nominees identifying with the LGBTQ+ community, the queer representation at the Emmys is already making history.
By securing her first Emmy nomination for hosting the hit Peacock series Love Island, Ariana Madix joins an A-list group of nominees at this year's ceremony. RuPaul Charles (Drag Race), Alan Cumming (The Traitors), and Kristen Kish (Top Chef) round out the other queer nominees hoping to take home the gold.
"Look at this category! It's stacked. These are icons that I have been admiring for years! I'm just so thrilled to have my name up there with these giants when it comes to hosting reality. They're incredible," Madix tells Out.
Reality TV has opened the door for crucial gay stories to be told in mainstream media. Impactful coming-out experiences have played out on vital series such as Drag Race, Queer Eye, The Real World, We're Here, and many more.
Madix is thrilled that the hard work driven by queer people is being recognized on the highest level in the entertainment industry.
"I think it's so important to see people in the LGBTQ+ community thriving, succeeding, and being at the top of places like this in the entertainment world. It sets the tone for so many other areas of life. You can set your sights on something and you can get there!"
Madix is certainly in excellent company within her Emmys category, but she reveals that there's one particular celebrity she's hoping to finally meet the most.
"In so many other areas, we're still fighting to get that representation to be at the top. To show that the LGBTQ+ community is at the top of a category like this... I think that is incredible. It's only the beginning! I'm really just hoping that I get to meet RuPaul. Mama Ru? I'll be on the floor."
It's safe to say that Madix is overdue for an appearance as a guest judge on a future season of RuPaul's Drag Race. After all, only a couple of celebrity guests can say they were nominated for the same Emmy as RuPaul.
"I would love that! I've wanted to do that for so long. If I could make it there, sit in that judge's chair with these icons and look fabulous, I would have such a blast. That is definitely one of the things on my list of things I want to do."
The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards will air live on Monday, September 14. To see the full interview with Ariana Madix, check out the video at the top of the page.
