Tracee Ellis Ross wins her first Emmy one day after turning 54

Tracee Ellis Ross claimed her first Emmy on Oct. 30, one day after her 54th birthday. The 53rd Daytime Emmy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles marked a night where Black women dominated the top honors across multiple categories. Ross took home the trophy for Outstanding Travel and Adventure Program for her Roku series, Solo Traveling with Tracee Ellis Ross. The show features her solo trips to Morocco, Mexico, and Spain. Ross had previously received multiple Primetime Emmy nominations for her role as Rainbow Johnson on black-ish but had not won a competitive award prior to this evening.

Keke Palmer also secured her first Daytime Emmy as a network owner. She won for Outstanding Daytime Short Form Program for Glam Through the Ages, a KeyTV Network production she executive produced. The series examines beauty trends across different eras and their impact on Black culture. Palmer already holds two Primetime Emmys for Keke Palmer’s Turnt Up with the Taylors and the Password reboot. She told Extra backstage that she founded KeyTV to produce work that would give other people a platform and open doors for other creatives.

Tamara Tunie, 67, won her first Emmy ever in the category of Outstanding Lead Performer in a Daytime Drama Series: Actress. She portrayed Anita Williams Dupree on Beyond the Gates. Tunie and her costar Karla Mosley became the first two Black actresses nominated in that category in the same year. Tunie cited Cicely Tyson as an inspiration during her acceptance speech. Ambyr Michelle won Outstanding Emerging Talent for her role as Eva Thomas, marking the first acting award for the Omaha native, who has also appeared in Snowfall, Insecure, and Black AF.

Star Jones ended a 14-year wait for a win by taking home Outstanding Daytime Personality, Daily for Divorce Court. She shared the award with Corey Jovan. In her remarks, Jones honored two late mentors: Johnnie Cochran, who taught her about justice, and Barbara Walters. Sherri Shepherd won Outstanding Daytime Talk Series Host for her show Sherri. The award came five months after the series aired its final episode in May. Shepherd beat Kelly Clarkson, Tamron Hall, and Jennifer Hudson for the prize. She is currently starring as the first female Genie in Aladdin on Broadway in New York.

The wins occurred weeks after the hashtag #EmmysSoWhite resurfaced following the Primetime ceremony. Stars including Quinta Brunson, Sterling K. Brown, and Zendaya did not win awards at that event. The Hollywood Reporter recently noted that diversity is now being treated as optional in television. Ross, Palmer, Tunie, Michelle, Jones, and Shepherd all accepted their trophies at the Oct. 30 ceremony in Los Angeles.