Since 1954, there have been about 4,000 nominations for the lead and supporting acting categories across three genres: comedy, drama, and limited series. This report analyzes whether there are gender gaps in the Primetime Emmy Awards among nominees and winners ages 50 and older in lead and supporting categories (excluding guest roles), and whether those gaps have changed over the past 72 years.

Overall, the analysis finds a persistent gender gap: Fifty-plus men are a larger share of male nominees and winners than 50-plus women are of female nominees and winners. But the size and trajectory of that gap differs sharply by category.

Key findings

  • Fifty-plus gender gaps among all categories and genres:
    • Nearly 2 in 5 male nominees (42%) have been 50-plus since the 1950s, compared with about 1 in 3 female nominees (33%) — a 9-percentage-point 50-plus gender gap. Men are nearly 30% more likely than women to land a nomination after they hit age 50.
    • Exactly 2 in 5 male winners (40%) have been 50-plus since the 1950s, compared with about 1 in 3 female winners (34%) — a 6-point 50-plus gender gap. Men are nearly 20% more likely than women to win after they hit age 50.
  • Fifty-plus gender gaps by category (lead, supporting):
    • Among nominees in all three genres, the 50-plus gender gap for leading roles is more than double the gap for supporting roles: 13 points for leads (41% of men compared with 28% of women) versus just 5 points for supporting roles (44% of men compared with 39% of women).
    • Among winners in all three genres, the 50-plus gender gap for leading roles is 14 points — 41% of male lead winners have been ages 50 and older, compared with just 27% of female lead winners. Among supporting winners, 50-plus women actually have a 4-point edge: Forty-three percent of female supporting winners have been 50-plus, compared with 39% of male supporting winners.

How to cite this report

Conroy, M., White, M. H. II, & Mangan, A. (2026). Seventy Years of Fifty-Plus Actors at the Emmys: Gender Gaps in Nominees and Winners. Geena Davis Institute.