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Amanda Jones and Nicole Byer Make History As First Black Women To Receive Emmy Nominations In Their Fields

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August 26, 2020

Sisters are doin’ it for themselves!

The 2020 Emmys are sure to be historic as composer Amanda Jones and comedian Nicole Byer become the first Black women to receive Emmy nominations in their respective fields. 

Amanda Jones burst onto the scene as a leading voice in the television sphere, composing scores for hit shows like, “Cherish the Day,” “Twenties,” and “A Black Lady Sketch Show.” Now the talented composer is receiving well-deserved recognition, nabbing a nomination for Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special for her work on the “Home” docu-series. The acknowledgment is historic, making Jones the first Black woman to be nominated for composing a score in the award show’s history. 

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“I think if you have historically only hired older, white men to score your films you’re going to get music that kind of sits in a certain cultural viewpoint,” Jones told ABC7 news.

Celebrating beside her is Nicole Byer, comedian and host of the popular Netflix series Nailed It!, an amateur baking competition where contestants compete for a cash prize of $10,000. For her work on the hilarious show, Byer has also received an Emmy nomination, making history as the first Black woman to be nominated in the Outstanding Host category. 

Both women said that while they are grateful, it has not been an easy journey, navigating spaces as the only young women of color. As Hollywood begins to address their inclusion issues, the budding composer and television host hope that their work can help to push that needle a little bit further. 

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“[I hope that now] when someone has a pitch deck for a show…when they’re suggesting a host, it’s not just a deck of white guys, that it’s more inclusive and that hopefully, this will open doors for other people. That’s truly what I hope. I hope that we get to see all different kinds of people hosting different things,” Byer told Deadline

We are hoping right along with y’all! Congratulations ladies!

Photo Courtesy of ASCAP.com/ Erik Voake/Getty Images/Netflix

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Composer Amanda Jones and Comedian/Television 

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