The #EmmysSoWhite hashtag is trending after all 12 acting prizes were awarded to white actors during Sunday's ceremony.
The results were surprising given that a record number of people of colour – a total of 49 – were nominated in the acting and reality competition categories.
Several non-white actors were being touted as sure wins, such as Michael K Williams for Lovecraft Country, Bridgerton’s Rege-Jean Page and Billy Porter for Pose.
Take a look through the photo gallery above to see winners of the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards.
However, only three awards overall were accepted by people of colour. RuPaul took home his third Emmy for Outstanding Competition Programme for his show RuPaul’s Drag Race, breaking the record for most Emmy wins by a person of colour.
Michaela Coel also made history by becoming the first black woman to win Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series for her show I May Destroy You. In her acceptance speech, Coel dedicated her award to “every single survivor of sexual assault”.
Hamilton also picked up an Emmy for Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) at the ceremony. The musical won over the popular Friends: The Reunion, American Utopia, Inside, The West Wing, and Dave Chappelle’s 8:46.
Many expressed disappointment at the results on social media, criticising the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for taking a step backwards in terms of diversity.
This is a stark difference to last year's virtual ceremony when four people of colour won major acting awards, including Zendaya for Euphoria, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Regina King for Watchmen, and Uzo Aduba for Mrs America.
“Black host, black announcer ... even black music. We doing everything but win,” one Twitter user wrote.
“OK TV and film industry, enough talk about diversity and inclusion,” another user said. “Here is what I need you to do. Integrate all of the development offices, writers' rooms, production offices and production crews and cast to reflect the true US population.”
“Fifty per cent of tonight's nominees were people of colour and Television Academy voters pretty much chose all the white people,” someone else wrote.
While the TV Academy has increased its number of actors of colour over the past two years, it has been criticised for continuing to under-represent key US demographics, particularly Asian and Latino communities.
