Niecy Nash-Betts’ emotional Emmys acceptance speech brought people to their feet

Niecy Nash-Betts is a winner, baby, but her speech was the biggest win of the night.

The 75th Emmy Awards was a queer sight to behold last night. The fashion, the wins, and *checks notes* the goblins were queering up the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Monday.

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But one win, in particular, had a speech that roused the entire audience. Nash-Betts took home the coveted Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for her role as Glenda Cleveland in Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.

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“Thank you to the Most High for this divine moment,” Nash-Betts said. “Thank you Ryan Murphy for seeing me. Evan Peters, I love you. Netflix.”

An elated Nash-Betts couldn’t contain her joy and gratitude.

“Every single person who voted for me, thank you,” Nash-Betts said. “And my better half who picked me up when I was gutted from this work, thank you.”

But there was one person she had to make sure to thank.

“And you know who I want to thank? I want to thank me – for believing in me and doing what they said I could not do,” Nash-Betts said. “And I want to say to myself in front of all these beautiful people, ‘Go on girl with your bad self. You did that.’”

The crowd roared with love for Nash-Betts as she acknowledged her faith in herself before advocating for Black and Brown women in her closing statement, giving her a standing ovation from the audience.

“Finally, I accept this award on behalf of every Black and Brown woman who has gone unheard yet overpoliced,” Nash-Betts said. “Like Glenda Cleveland. Like Sandra Bland. Like Breonna Taylor. As an artist, my job is to speak truth to power, and baby, I’ma do it ’til the day I die. Mama, I won!”

The win comes after Nash-Betts was nominated five times previously at the Emmy Awards, including two nominations, one in 2015 and another in 2016, for her work on the comedy series Getting On, a third one for her role in 2019’s When They See Us, a fourth as an executive producer of Reno 911: The Hunt for QAnon, and her fifth one for Monster.

Additionally, Nash-Betts one a Daytime Emmy Award in 2010 for hosting the home makeover series Clean House. With a Primetime Emmy Award win, Nash-Betts’ self-love tour continued when she spoke with the press backstage.

“I’m the only one who knows how much it cost me,” Nash-Betts said. “I’m the only one who knows how many nights I cried because I couldn’t be seen for a certain type of role.”

For many Black women in Hollywood, ill-treatment, stereotyped roles, and removal from major acting awards nominations remain a constant. While that still exists, Black women won big during the 75th Emmy Awards, with Nash-Betts’ win, along with Quinta Brunson and Ayo Edibiri’s historic wins for Outstanding Lead Actress & Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series respectively.

Here’s to more Black women, queer and trans, getting their flowers (and their pay).

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