Coming Out On Top

Jerrod Carmichael’s Emmy Win Is Also a Win for Living Your Truth

· Updated on March 23, 2023

So the Emmy Awards were last night and plenty of deserving folks won big. I mean look at Quinta Brunson, Jennifer Coolidge, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Lizzo, Colman Domingo, Zendaya, and Murray Bartlett. Whew, forces to be reckoned with. But one person won for simply acknowledging his truth and for that we can only stan Jerrod Carmichael.

The 35-year old North Carolina native was nominated last for two Emmy Awards – one for guest hosting Saturday Night Live and the other for his writing on his HBO comedy special Rothaniel (which is his middle name). And when you’re nominated for one of television’s top awards, you have to come correct with your award ceremony fashion. 

Carmichael showed up to the awards ceremony wearing Sean Combs aka Diddy’s fur jacket and serving plenty of chest and abs for the night. 

“It just feels good that this whole thing feels big and absurd and so, like, I think I match the occasion,” Carmichael said on the red carpet. “It’s big and absurd, so what are we doing? Want me to wear a black tux, like all right?”.

Well, last night Carmichael won for his HBO comedy special and it’s a win for Black queer folks all over. You see, comedian, writer, actor, and filmmaker took his third stand-up special to be introspective and created an opportunity to talk to his fans and to himself. In the special, which Carmichael wrote, executive produced, and starred in, Carmichael took the moment to come out as gay, discuss his trouble coming to terms with it, and how he’s been navigating his family and friends.

The audience in his comedy special were incredibly supportive, as were many people within the entertainment industry. Naturally, the special became an emotional hit with critics and fans alike. Ultimately, it put Carmichael into the nominee pool with Ali Wong: Don Wong, The Daily Show With Trevor Noah Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers The Globe – Hungary For Democracy, Nicole Byer: BBW (Big Beautiful Weirdo) and Norm Macdonald: Nothing Special, with Carmichael winning.

“I made something that was of great personal consequence to me and this definitely contributes to the meaning of it. I’m not a sore winner, but I’m going to go home because I can’t top this right now”, Carmichael said in his acceptance speech. 

With an Emmy win and new overall deal with HBO, everything’s coming up Carmichael after coming out.

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