Emmys diversity hit an 11-year low in the 2026 nominations, with only 22 people of color nominated for on-screen performances.
While BET President Louis Carr agrees diversity is an issue, he cautions that “there are going to be years when it’s going to be up and years when it’s going to be down.” Just four years ago, diversity at the Emmys experienced a peak when 49 people of color were nominated for on-screen work.
But, as Carr tells Gold Derby exclusively, “Clearly, we would’ve wanted more. There’s no doubt there. … We’ll just say, ‘Next year.'”
BET received two nominations this year for The Ms. Pat Show (Best Comedy Directing) and Tyler Perry‘s Assisted Living (Best Multi-Camera Picture Editing). “Nominations like the Emmys are always important,” Carr explains. “It is an affirmation that we’ve done a few things right and that people recognize us in this whole big sea of creative.”
After working with the brand for nearly four decades, Carr stepped into the leadership role this year and experienced several milestones, including the BET Awards earning its highest ratings since 2019. As for the impending Paramount-Warner Bros. merger, he tells us, “Black consumers are looking for something to believe in with everything going on in the world today. … I think we are positioned to do that.”
Read on for our complete interview with Carr.
Gold Derby: You’ve been with BET for almost four decades, and you just stepped into this new president role. How has your perspective on the industry shifted with this change?
Louis Carr: I don’t think my perspective on the industry has changed. I would just say it has been enlightened. I have a better understanding of where we are in this complex media, marketing, and entertainment space right now.
Looking ahead, what can you tell us about BET’s new chapter with the Paramount merger?
BET is in a place where it really understands what it has to do for its community and its consumers at this particular time. Black consumers are looking for something to believe in with everything going on in the world today, whether that’s the tough economic climate, or politics, or just what is happening socially in our world. We are trying to serve them in a very unique, special, and intimate way right now. I think we are positioned to do that. One thing we do know is that they do love the brand. They love what the brand stands for. They love what the brand is committed to. So, I think we’re in a very unique and special position right now.
Audience habits are constantly shifting between linear TV, streaming, and social media. How is BET adapting its content strategy to meet viewers where they are?
We have to be everywhere they are. We have to be on all platforms. We have to engage them through live events. They expect us to understand them and to serve them better than anybody else because they’re like, “You know us better than anybody else.” It’s a daunting position, but it’s also a very special and unique position that we have.
Let’s talk about the BET Awards. This year’s was a huge hit, with record-breaking viewership, including all those social media interactions. Why did it strike a chord with the audience?
I would say the team knew that we had to show up better, that we had to show up different, and that we had to show up in a way that our consumers and our community would be proud of us. I am so proud of the team that they did that. We made this big change. We took our linear pre-show and made it basically a YouTube red carpet show, and it delivered big, big, big numbers for us. I think our creators’ studio with the influencers and creators that we had involved contributed a lot to our success. And then I just think Connie Orlando and Jesse Collins and our marketing and PR team did an amazing job so that the consumers and the community really felt proud. That was our goal: to make people feel proud.
Award show ratings overall seem to be down, and yet the BET Awards are skyrocketing, so congrats to all.
Thank you. We not only did that with the BET Awards, but the NAACP Image Awards were up also this year. So, we’re bucking the trend.
How do you think Druski did as host of the BET Awards?
Druski did amazing. I think the work that he put in, the excitement, the creativity that he brought — it was just something extremely special for us. You could tell he was excited. He understood that it was a big stage, and he did the work from the very beginning. He didn’t just show up that night. He had done the work all along the way, from the announcement to being involved in the promos and the creative. He just did an amazing job. Super happy for that young man. Super happy to be in business with him.
The BET network earned Primetime Emmy nominations this year for directing for a comedy series for The Ms. Pat Show and for picture editing for a multi-camera comedy series for Tyler Perry’s Assisted Living. Tell us about why those nominations are important.
Nominations like the Emmys are always important. It is an affirmation that we’ve done a few things right and that people recognize us in this whole big sea of creative, that people recognize that we’re doing something special. The Ms. Pat Show has been nominated many times before, so I think it continues to say that that show and that team are doing something great that is recognized and is impactful beyond just our community. And Tyler Perry and the work that Tyler Perry Studios does has always been special, and I’m so happy that it’s being recognized right now.
The Primetime Emmys faced criticism this year because a lot of the acting categories were lacking in diversity. Does BET have a comment about the overall nominations?
Clearly, we would’ve wanted more. There’s no doubt there. But we understand there are going to be years when it’s going to be up and years when it’s going to be down. But we do believe that there could have been probably more. We’ll just say, “Next year.”
Then there’s the Daytime Emmys, where Beyond the Gates is a brand-new soap opera that received 15 nominations on its first try. Why do you think that show is resonating with audiences?
I think, number one, the creative of that show is very, very special. I think the storytelling of that show is special. It is showing African Americans in a light that a lot of people in television have never seen before. So I think it’s that unique, special storytelling that’s coming through in a way that lets you see very successful people engaged in storylines that are not always consistent in television for African Americans.
When you look ahead at BET’s legacy, what do you want this era of the network to be remembered for?
I want our community and our consumers to say, “They understood us. They served us. They respected us better than anybody else who has ever been in this space.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
