John Leguizamo wrote an open letter to the Television Academy ahead of Emmy voting calling for more diversity

Ahead of voting for Primetime Emmy nominations, celebrating the best in television, starting June 13, Emmy winner John Leguizamo is asking Television Academy members to pay attention to the traditional lack of diversity in its annual nominations and do something this year to change that.

In a full-page ad in The New York Times, Leguizamo called on the Academy to stop white-washing awards shows and to recognize people of color for their contributions.

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“Dear Hollywood, please let this be the year we finally embrace change,” Leguizamo begins. “The year we truly find equity and see artists of color represented across not just one category but ALL categories.”

He continues, “I know you’re tired of hearing words like ‘inclusivity’ and ‘diversity’ — treading water while you try to understand how to put actions behind these sentiments. Look no further! It’s simple! There are hundreds of prolific non-white artists who deserve to be considered for awards this year, not because they are simply … Black, Brown, Indigenous, or Asian, but because they are truly great … exceptional artists who have achieved that greatness with a foot on their neck for far too long.”

“Let this be the start of a new era,” Leguizamo writes in conclusion. “Let us not continue to white wash our awards shows. Instead let this year be the catalyst that inspires the next generation of minority and underrepresented artists … a generation who might finally see a reflection of themselves on that stage and think … ‘If they can, maybe I can, too ….'”

Leguizamo then signed the letter, “Your peer, John Leguizamo. Writer, actor, producer, director, and Colombian-American who won’t ever let anyone tell him ‘no.'”

The multi-hyphenate is no stranger to the Emmys, having won his first (and to-date, only) in 1999 for Outstanding Performance in a Variety or Music Program for his comedy special Freak. Most recently, he was nominated in 2019 (his fourth nom) for his role in the Netflix limited series When They See Us.